Selling a junk car without a title in West Virginia

What do you do if you have the title?

Sign and print your name where the seller signs, fill in the odometer reading if there's a space for it, and leave the buyer section blank. West Virginia requires the seller's signature to be notarized, so sign in front of a notary after you've accepted an offer, not at pickup. Banks, credit unions and shipping stores often have a notary.

What if the title is lost or damaged?

West Virginia replacement titles come from the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles, using form DMV-4-TR (Affidavit of Duplicate Title), for a fee of $15.00. You'll need the VIN, which is on the dashboard by the windshield, on the driver's door jamb and on your registration. If you're in a hurry, tell our buyer partner when it contacts you: it can buy some cars without a title, so ask whether that works for your car in West Virginia.

For the full walkthrough, including the states that exempt older cars and what to avoid, read how to sell a junk car without a title.

What if there's a loan, or the owner has died?

If a lender is still listed on the title, you'll need its lien release, or the loan gets paid off as part of the sale. If the owner has died, only someone with legal authority, usually the executor, can sell the car, and the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles can tell you which estate papers West Virginia accepts.

What do you do after the sale?

• Report the sale to West Virginia (Notify the DMV commissioner of the transfer (statutory duty, W. Va. Code § 17A-4-1), immediately), so tickets and tolls for the car stop coming to you.
• Plates: The seller keeps the plates and can apply to transfer them to another vehicle they own.
• Keep a photo of the signed title, and cancel the insurance once the car has been picked up.

Title rules change, so confirm them with the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles before you sell; this page is general information, not legal advice.