Selling a junk or dead car in Provo

Three routes to scrap for a Provo car

1. Dismantling permit. The title goes in for cancellation with the application attached. The permit holder may then break the car down, or truck it to a dismantler, crusher or salvage dealer with a state license.
2. Junk Permit. Officially the "Affidavit of Abandoned and Inoperable Vehicle". The Tax Commission can issue one for a dead Provo car that no one will rebuild. With it, the car can be dismantled and shredded.
3. An investigator's write-up. When an investigator states in writing that a car can't be rebuilt, Utah law calls it abandoned and inoperable. In that case it can be scrapped with no permit steps. A Provo salvage buyer signs a statement promising not to rebuild it.

Pulling parts first and selling the rest later is a different choice with its own trade-offs. Part it out or sell it whole compares them.

Provo's own rules

Provo gives a dead car 72 hours on private property. Code 14.34.080 makes it unlawful to leave "any licensed or unlicensed motor vehicle" that is "in a wrecked, junked, partially dismantled, inoperative, or abandoned condition, whether attended or not," on private land in the city "for a period of time in excess of seventy-two (72) hours." A current registration doesn't change that. The section goes on to list exceptions that our copy cuts off, so read the full text before counting on one.

State law on abandoned and towed cars

Part 14 of Utah Code 41-6a says a car left two days unattended on a highway is abandoned. A Provo car also counts after a week on public or private land when the owner or person in charge never said yes. For renters near campus who park a dead car in a complex lot, that consent is the landlord's to give. Abandoning a car is an infraction, and police with reasonable grounds can remove it.

A tow starts a short clock for an older car. Imagine a Provo car eight or more model years old, still unclaimed 30 days after the original notice. At that point the state can hand the Provo towing carrier a certificate of sale. Age is counted from the impound day, using the model year in the VIN. Read towed or impounded before that window closes.

Emissions in Utah County

Utah County tests emissions, and so do Salt Lake, Davis, Weber and Cache counties. Its 2026 table splits at 1995. Those model years and older are exempt, while 1996 through 2020 are required. Most vehicles stopped needing a safety inspection on January 1, 2018, though commercial ones still go in yearly.

If the car has a current emission certificate, it goes to the buyer with the title. Failed inspection or rust covers a car that won't pass.

A title office downtown

We looked up the Utah County office at 150 East Center, Suite 1400, in downtown Provo, about 1 mile southwest of the city center in a straight line. It lists 1-800-DMV-UTAH (800-368-8824), and the county may have more offices.

• Lost title. TC-123 covers both a $6.00 duplicate and, in part two, a direct assignment to the buyer.
• Branded or salvage title. A salvage certificate or branded title must be disclosed to the buyer in writing before the sale, and in any ad.
• Signatures. Owners joined with AND all sign; OR lets one sign. Notaries aren't part of it.

After the sale

Utah expects the title in the buyer's hands within 48 hours. The plates stay yours unless the buyer is paying for them, and tickets on a plate still bolted to the car may be charged to you. Report the sale on the Motor Vehicle Portal, with TC-502, by mailing the DMV Contact Center, or by calling. After you sell puts it in order.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or send the online form about your Provo car. Pickup can be a home driveway or an apartment lot near downtown. Nearby city pages: Orem, Springville, Spanish Fork and Pleasant Grove. For the state's rules, see Utah.