Selling a dead car in Gallatin

How Gallatin defines abandoned

Section 16-4 lists several tests. Two of them set clear clocks:

• a car "in an obvious state of disrepair" left unattended on public property "for more than three (3) days"
• a car "stored, parked or left in a garage, trailer park, or any type of storage or parking lot for more than thirty (30) consecutive days"

The second one catches cars people forget about: one parked at a trailer park, or left in a rented storage lot after it quit. The section also defines an "inoperable motor vehicle" separately, and both kinds fall under the same impound order.

Unpaid tickets can mean a boot

Section 16-33 lets police remove or immobilize an unattended car parked on a street, public or private lot or other public property when it has:

• two moving violations, or
• three parking violations, or
• two parking violations and one moving violation five days overdue, or
• an outstanding warrant for a traffic violation.

When a car is booted, a notice goes on it warning that moving it could damage it. Release takes a cash deposit equal to all fines, costs and impound fees, or, where no warrant was issued, the tow-in and storage fees plus the forfeiture amount. With tickets piled on, getting a dead car released may cost more than the car brings. See tickets or registration hold.

Impound fees and city lots

Under Section 16-34, a towed car goes to an impound area kept by the police department. The owner shows proof of ownership or right of possession and pays $15.00 for the impoundment, with more charges added on top.

Section 16-165 limits any car to 24 hours in a city lot. Around the square, Section 16-166 caps parking at two hours. The zone runs west on West Main to Foster Street, east on East Main to Boyers Street, south on South Water to Smith Street, and north on North Water to Prince Street, plus all the spaces around the square. A car that dies near the courthouse has little time.

Signing the title in Sumner County

County clerks issue titles in Tennessee, and Gallatin is where Sumner County's seat is. A Tennessee title needs no notary. In the "ASSIGNMENT OF TITLE BY REGISTERED OWNER" block, sign your name and print it the way the front of your Gallatin title has it. Two owners joined by "and" both sign.

Sumner County ended emissions testing in January 2022.

A Gallatin car an insurer moved to a Non-repairable Certificate can never be titled or registered in Tennessee again. It covers a car too unsafe to drive that only has value for parts or scrap. Selling it whole still works; see nonrepairable or junk title.

Hang on to the plates. Tennessee ties them to you, and putting one on another car costs $1.

Nearby towns

Hendersonville is 9.1 miles away, Mount Juliet 12.8, Lebanon 14.3 and Springfield 23.8. The Tennessee page has statewide rules.

Getting an offer

Gallatin sellers get an offer through (877) 421-6008 or our form. You sell the whole car as it sits. The truck can reach it in a backyard, a storage lot or a side street off the square.