How to Sell a Junk Car in Ohio: Title Rules, Forms, and Payout
Ohio titles come from county clerks, not the BMV, and the seller signature has to be notarized. Scrap dealer rules also changed on October 6, 2026, which matters if you planned to sell the converter separately.
Key Takeaways
- Your signature on the Ohio title assignment must be notarized. The BMV fee page lists its notary fee as up to $5.00.
- Ohio titles come from county Clerk of Courts title offices. A replacement prints on the spot for the title fee, $18 statewide or $23 in some counties.
- Ohio law says you remove your plates immediately when ownership transfers.
- Since October 6, 2026, HB 210 limits scrap dealers to one catalytic converter per seller per day and bans cash payment for converters.
To sell a junk car in Ohio, fill out the assignment of ownership on the back of your title, have your signature notarized, and hand the title to a licensed salvage or scrap buyer. Remove your license plates the same day, as Ohio law requires. If the title is lost, any county Clerk of Courts title office can print a replacement on the spot for the standard title fee.
Do you need a title to sell a junk car in Ohio?
Yes. Ohio's title law expects the title to follow the car to its end. Under Ohio Revised Code 4505.11, when a vehicle is dismantled or destroyed, the owner surrenders the certificate of title to a clerk of courts for cancellation. When a salvage dealer receives your assigned title instead, the dealer writes its salvage license number on it, marks it "FOR DESTRUCTION," and surrenders it to the clerk. After that, the law says the vehicle may be used only for parts and scrap metal.
The section does not give a salvage dealer a route to take a car with no title at all, so a lost Ohio title has to be replaced before you sell. Our guide to selling a junk car without a title explains why buyers who skip this step are a risk to you.
How to sign an Ohio title for a junk car sale
Complete the assignment of ownership on the back of the title and sign it in front of a notary. The BMV is explicit that the seller's signature must be notarized before the title goes to the buyer, and every owner on the title must sign. The BMV fee page lists its notary public fee as up to $5.00.
If your Ohio title is held electronically, you have two options. Form BMV 3770, the Ownership Assignment and Title Application for Casual Sale, works like the back of a paper title for a sale to an Ohio resident or company: you complete page 1 and have your signature notarized. The BMV notes that dealerships and insurance companies cannot use the BMV 3770, so if your buyer is a dealer, ask a clerk of courts title office to print a paper title first.
The buyer then has 30 days from the sale to transfer the title at a clerk's office before a late fee applies. Ask the yard whether it can provide a notary at pickup so you are not chasing one on the day.
Ohio junk car forms, fees, and deadlines
These are the Ohio documents a junk car sale typically involves. Fees are as listed by the Ohio BMV in October 2026.
| Form or step | Who handles it | Fee | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title assignment of ownership, notarized | You (seller) | Notary up to $5.00 | At the sale |
| BMV 3770, assignment for electronic titles | You, page 1 notarized | Notary up to $5.00 | At the sale; not for dealer buyers |
| Duplicate title (in person, or BMV 3774 by mail) | You, if the title is lost | $18 title fee, $23 in some counties | Before the sale |
| Title transfer at clerk of courts | Buyer | Buyer pays title fees | Within 30 days or a late fee applies |
| Title marked "FOR DESTRUCTION" and surrendered | Salvage dealer | Dealer's cost | When the car is dismantled or destroyed |
| License plate removal | You | None | Immediately on transfer |
How to replace a lost Ohio title
Go to any Ohio County Clerk of Courts title office, not a BMV deputy registrar. Ohio titles are issued by the clerks, and the BMV says a duplicate requested in person is printed on the spot when you bring valid photo ID and pay the title fee. That fee is $18 statewide, or $23 in counties where local officials approved an added charge.
To apply by mail, send form BMV 3774, Application for Certificate of Title to a Motor Vehicle, to your county's title office. Mark it as a duplicate certificate of title, state that the title was lost, stolen, or destroyed, and include your current mailing address. The BMV's online VIN search can find your title number and shows whether a lien was cancelled; if the lien cancel date is blank, mail the lien release letter too.
What do you do with your Ohio license plates?
Take them off before the car leaves. Ohio Revised Code 4503.12 says that when ownership of a motor vehicle transfers, its registration expires and the original owner shall immediately remove the license plates. Do not let them ride away on the junk car.
Ohio's seller guidance centers on the notarized title rather than a separate notice-of-sale filing. Photograph the completed assignment, keep the buyer's business name and a dated receipt, and a few weeks later run your VIN through the BMV's online title search to confirm the title moved out of your name.
What Ohio scrap dealers will ask you for in 2026
Bring photo ID to an Ohio scrap yard and expect your picture to be taken. Under Ohio Revised Code 4737.04, as amended by House Bill 210 effective October 6, 2026, a scrap metal dealer records your name and residence, keeps a copy of your identification, and photographs you at the time of purchase. If you arrived in a vehicle, the dealer also records its license plate number and issuing state. A dealer may not buy from anyone who refuses to show ID or be photographed.
HB 210 also tightened catalytic converter sales. Under the amended sections 4737.04 and 4737.041:
- A scrap dealer may not buy more than one catalytic converter per day from the same person, unless the seller is a motor vehicle dealer.
- The seller must show proof of ownership: the title or registration of the vehicle the converter came from, or a repair shop or dealer invoice that shows the replacement and the vehicle's VIN.
- Payment must be by check or another traceable method, not cash.
The same bill made theft of a catalytic converter a fifth-degree felony under Ohio Revised Code 2913.02. None of this affects you if the converter stays on the car, which is the simplest way to sell. Our catalytic converter value guide explains what the part adds to a whole-car offer.
How much will an Ohio junkyard pay?
Junkyards in Ohio price a car on weight, the scrap steel price that week, completeness, and resellable parts, less towing. To see how yards build a number and what national ranges look like, read what your junk car is worth in 2026, and use our scrap car prices by weight guide to work out your own floor before you take calls.
How to find an Ohio yard that buys junk cars
If you started with a "junkyards near me" search, narrow it with our Ohio junkyards and salvage yards page or the full salvage yard directory by city. Ask each yard whether it can provide a notary, whether towing is free, and how it pays. If you want buyers to come to you, request a quote for your car.
On pickup day, have the notarized title and your ID ready, pull the plates, and keep a photo of the signed assignment.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the Ohio BMV or your county Clerk of Courts title office before you sell.
Sources
- Ohio BMV: How to Title (accessed October 2026)
- Ohio BMV: Fees (accessed October 2026)
- Ohio Revised Code: Section 4505.11 (accessed October 2026)
- Ohio Revised Code: Section 4503.12 (accessed October 2026)
- Ohio Revised Code: Section 4737.04 (effective October 6, 2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Ohio Revised Code: Section 4737.041 (effective October 6, 2026) (accessed October 2026)
- Ohio Revised Code: Section 2913.02 (effective October 6, 2026) (accessed October 2026)