You have roughly 5 to 30 days to notify the DMV once you junk your car. It's important that you check your state's guidelines though because each state has a different deadline and you don't want to miss it.
State deadline examples:
- California: 5 days
- Texas: 30 days
- New York: 10 days
- Illinois: 10 days
- Pennsylvania: 10 days
If you do miss the deadline, you are subject to being fined. Also, you're still liable for toll violations, parking and traffic tickets, or for any accident involving your car. So even if you do miss the deadline, you want to file anyway because it's better late than never.
The best thing for you to do is to file the same day you sell, leaving you with the best chance of never missing any deadline. The information will be fresh in your mind and you will have the paperwork ready. Once you file, keep copies of the notification confirmation just in case of any future issues, and you will be covered.
