Selling a dead or junk car in Clearfield

Three Clearfield rules that reach a stalled car

• Streets, parks and public lots. The same section also bars a car that lacks "current registration, necessary inspections, or any other paperwork," and one with missing or broken lights. You also can't repair, grease or paint a car in those places unless it's an emergency.
• Abandonment. Under Section 7-3-21, a car "left unattended on a highway or street for a period in excess of forty eight (48) hours" is presumed abandoned.
• Your own lot. Section 5-1-3 lists "improper storage of inoperative, unregistered, abandoned, wrecked or dismantled vehicles or vehicle parts" as a nuisance, and RVs are included.

The definitions in 7-1-1 describe a junk car as the remains of a vehicle that "cannot be made mechanically operative without the addition of vital parts and the application of a substantial amount of labor."

Trying to get it running after work? Section 5-5-3 bars repairing, idling or testing a vehicle within 300 feet of a home between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., unless the work happens in a fully enclosed building.

Unpaid tickets can end in a tow

Under Section 1-15-8, a car with four or more civil-infraction notices in default becomes a public nuisance. The city can have it towed off the street at the registered owner's expense and risk, following Utah Code 41-6a-1406. It stays held until the unpaid fees and the towing and storage costs are paid. The owner can ask in writing for a hearing with the CIHE, and the hearing takes place within 72 hours. Our towed or impounded guide covers what happens next.

The title office in Farmington

Davis County's title counter that we looked up sits on Clark Lane in Farmington (969 W Clark Lane, 801-297-7780). It's roughly 10 miles southeast of central Clearfield as the crow flies, and Davis County may run other counters as well. A Utah title is signed with no notary, and the DMV takes the sold report online through its Motor Vehicle Portal.

Utah paperwork for this sale

• Read the owner line first. Names joined by AND need two signatures; OR needs only one.
• Under Utah law, the title has to reach the buyer within 48 hours after the sale.
• Unscrew the plates before the truck leaves, unless the buyer is taking them. Tickets on a plate still on the car may land on you.
• Davis County tests emissions, so any current emission certificate goes along with the car.

No title in the drawer? Utah's Form TC-123 has a section that hands ownership to your buyer directly, skipping the duplicate. Our junk car with no title guide has more.

Getting an offer

Ring (877) 421-6008 or fill in the online form to sell your Clearfield car. We come to your Clearfield driveway or to the spot where the car broke down. Nearby we also cover Syracuse, Layton and Clinton. Statewide rules live on Utah.