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Town guide · Washington

Selling a junk or dead car in Auburn

Auburn sits on the King-Pierce county line, so the two title counters we checked lie in opposite directions: Tacoma, about 13 miles southwest in a straight line, and Seattle, about 21 miles north. With a junk car the split matters less, because the seller can file the Report of Sale online. We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, and pickup is free anywhere in the US, whichever county your driveway is in.

Updated · 7 sources

Auburn's train station at dusk, its glass-roofed shelters and a two-faced clock lit up under an orange and purple sky
Photo: Titanicdog98002 ( talk ) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Auburn, the short version

Population
86,301 (Census estimate, July 1, 2025)
Counties
King and Pierce
Land area
29.824 sq mi
City junk-car code
Not found online; state law applies
Destroyed car reported to DOL
Within 15 days
Report of Sale
Within 5 days, wrecking yards included
Title offices we checked
Tacoma, about 13 miles; Seattle, about 21
Plates
Seller removes them

A counter in each county

We checked one Pierce County quick title office: 2401 S 35th, Suite 200, in Tacoma. Auburn owners can call King County at (206) 477-4000 or visit No. 201 South Jackson Street, Suite 206, Seattle. Washington spreads title work across county auditors and subagent offices, so treat these two as examples, not a complete list.

DOL's advice for private sales is that both sides go to a licensing office together to exchange money and sign the title. That's a suggestion, and it drops away when the buyer comes to you.

Auburn's own code

Nothing came up when we looked for Auburn's municipal code online, so state law guides this page. Washington lets cities set nuisance or parking rules, so Auburn may still have its own. Everyday junk-car enforcement falls to police, health departments and landowners.

Dead versus destroyed

A car that is "destroyed" falls under RCW 46.12.600, which runs its own clock. The owner tells DOL within 15 days and sends in the title, or an affidavit replacing it, stamped "DESTROYED." Day 16 with that title still in your drawer is a gross misdemeanor. If the car is wrecked but not that far gone, start at wrecked or totaled.

Releasing your interest

RCW 46.12.650 spells out what letting go of a car means. You sign the release area of the title, or a form DOL approves; pass the buyer that title, or the latest proof you own it; add an odometer statement where one applies; and report the sale.

That report has a 5-day window, and the statute names wrecking yards among the places a car can go that still require it. Junkyard or scrap yard explains how those two businesses differ. Before the car rolls away, take the plates: reuse them on a later vehicle of that type or return them to the state.

Close by

Kent sits 5.9 miles from Auburn and Federal Way 6.0, measured straight; Covington is 6.5 and Bonney Lake 7.6. Washington's statewide page: Washington.

Getting an offer

Selling a car in Auburn? Ring (877) 421-6008 or fill in our offer form to get started. In either county, pickup is the same: we drive to the car wherever it's parked.

Questions people ask

Auburn covers two counties. Where do I take title paperwork?
We checked two counters: Pierce County's at 2401 S 35th, Suite 200, Tacoma, about 13 miles southwest, and King County's at 201 South Jackson Street, Suite 206, Seattle, about 21 miles north, both straight-line. Others may exist.
What does Washington require when a car is destroyed?
RCW 46.12.600 gives an Auburn owner 15 days to tell DOL and hand in the title, or a sworn affidavit instead, marked DESTROYED. If you still hold that title on day 16, that's a gross misdemeanor.
Has Auburn adopted its own junk-car ordinance?
We couldn't locate Auburn's city code online, so this Auburn page relies on Washington law. On top of the state rule, Auburn is free to set its own.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. Washington DOL: Quick title offices dol.wa.gov
  2. RCW 46.12.600, Destroyed vehicles app.leg.wa.gov
  3. RCW 46.12.650, Release of interest and report of sale app.leg.wa.gov
  4. RCW 46.55.230, Junk vehicles (local codes) app.leg.wa.gov
  5. Washington DOL: Sell a vehicle dol.wa.gov
  6. U.S. Census Bureau: City population estimates, 2020-2025 www2.census.gov
  7. U.S. Census Bureau: 2025 Gazetteer place file (land area) www2.census.gov