Cash for Junk Cars in San Bernardino, CA: $100-$5,000

What do I need to sell my junk car in San Bernardino?

To sell junk cars in The Berdoo one must be able to prove ownership of the vehicle.  One can prove ownership of a vehicle by providing the valid vehicle title in their name.  If the vehicle title is missing the vehicle registration and bill of sale is required to sell junk cars in the Friendly City. California requires a certification of ownership to sell junk cars 12 years or older without a title in San Bernardino.

How does San Bernardino define a junk vehicle?

The city of San Bernardino does not define a junk car. The county of San Bernardino, which operates the Vehicle Abatement and Removal Program in the city, defines a junked vehicle as one that has been destroyed or damaged to an extent it is no longer repairable.

However a junked vehicle is not the only defined vehicle subject to abatement and removal as a public nuisance. Dismantled vehicles, inoperable vehicles, and wrecked vehicles are also a public nuisance and there for can be considered the definition of junk cars in San Bernardino. These definitions are provided in Section 33.1205 of the San Bernardino County Vehicle and Abatement Removal Program codes.

A dismantled vehicle is defined as missing the integral parts necessary to operate the vehicle. An inoperable vehicle is one that is absent a motor, transmission, wheels, or other equipment to operate safely. A wrecked vehicle is one that has been damaged so badly that to repair it is not cost effective or is impossible.

The state of California gives its own junk car definition. According to Section 19.015 of the California State Vehicle Code defines junk vehicles as being dismantled because it was wrecked, abandoned, or inoperable. Furthermore a nonrepairable vehicle is defined as having no resale value other than as parts or scrap metal.

Junk cars are also called decrepit cars, scrap cars, clunkers, junkers, jalopies, and unwanted vehicles. Most junk cars are at least 15 years old and have at least 155,000 miles unless they have been wrecked or otherwise damaged. However junk cars come in all makes, models, years, and conditions.

What are the laws around junking a car in San Bernardino?

Most of the laws around junking a car in San Bernardino are set by the state of California in the Motor Vehicle codes. These laws provide the rights and responsibilities of junk car owners, junk car sellers, junk car buyers, and junk car recyclers in San Bernardino.

Here are the most important laws around junking a car in San Bernardino.

• The vehicle must be recorded as junk before being scrapped in San Bernardino. Section 19.030 states that a vehicle owner must submit an application to record a vehicle as junk and that failure to do so results in an investigative service fee. In addition to the application for nonrepairable title the vehicle owner must submit the title in their name, a title endorsed for transfer, a salvage certificate endorsed for transfer, or a nonresident vehicle registration or title in their name. A statement of Facts regarding the chain of ownership must also be submitted. Per Section 19.040 the nonrepairable certificate application can be completed by a salvage pool when the vehicle is designated for immediate salvage or scrap.
• Vehicle dismantlers must report junk cars bought in San Bernardino before recycling. According to Section 19.025 auto dismantlers must report vehicles they purchase to the California DMV before processing them as salvage or scrap metal unless they already have junk status such as a nonrepairable or salvage certificate. When the Dismantler’s Notice of Acquisition is mailed the vehicle recycler must wait 10 days before dismantling the vehicle. When the notice is given to the DMV in person the dismantler can recycle the vehicle immediately unless told otherwise by the DMV representative.
• It is impossible to sell a junk car with no title in San Bernardino. According to the California DMV it is not possible to sell a junk car without a title in San Bernardino. A duplicate title, application for duplicate title and transfer, or out of state title is required. If the vehicle was last registered and titled in another state the duplicate title from that state must be obtained to sell junk cars in Bernardino.

The city of San Bernardino allows San Bernardino County to administer the Vehicle Abatement and Removal Program that lays out laws for when the county can remove vehicle and what happens to junk cars removed from private property in San Bernardino.

• All vehicles removed by San Bernardino County as a public nuisance are recycled. There are no exceptions to this law. Vehicle that are abated by San Bernardino county can never again be returned to operable condition or titled in the state of California. This is set forth in Section 33.1275 of the Vehicle Abatement and Removal vehicle code for San Bernardino County.
• No notice is required before removing junk cars from private property in San Bernardino. Section 33.1240 of the San Bernardino County junk car laws states that the 10 day notice to abate and remove will be suspended if the vehicle is inoperable due to absence of motor, transmission, or other necessary parts and is valued at less than $200 as scrap.

The biggest difference between the California laws around junking a car and the laws governing recycling of abated vehicles in San Bernardino county is that breaking the county laws above is a civil citation and penalty while breaking California junk car recycling laws can carry criminal penalties. The rest of the junk car laws in San Bernardino relate to how junk cars are stored and when they must be removed and are detailed below.

What is the penalty for breaking the junk car title law in San Bernardino?

According to the state of California, breaking the junk car title law in San Bernardino by selling a car illegally without a title, selling a car with a lien, and other traffic related junk car violations are a  misdemeanor. Misdemeanors in California are punishable by up to 1 year in jail and over $1,000 in fines. When a junk car law is broken intentionally and through fraud a felony charge with harsher penalties could apply. Breaking the junk car storage law in San Bernardino is an infraction, also called a citation or ticket. Infractions can only care a monetary penalty and vary based on the circumstances.

Can I get cash for junk cars with no title in San Bernardino?

Yes, you can get cash for junk cars with no title in San Bernardino with the appropriate paperwork if you can prove ownership.

To sell a junk car with no title in San Bernardino when the vehicle was registered in California but the title is lost, missing, or destroyed, one must complete an Application for Duplicate Title or Transfer of Title REG 227 form and use it in place of the title. To sell a junk car with no title in San Bernardino when the salvage certificate or nonrepairable certificate have been lost complete an Application for Salvage Certificate or Nonrepairable Certificate REG 488C Instead. In either case the vehicle must have already been titled in the seller’s name in the state of California.

Both of these forms must be accompanied by a Statement of Facts REG 256 stating what happened to the originals.

Learn more about selling a car with no title.

How to get a replacement title in San Bernardino?

To get a replacement title for your junk car in San Bernardino complete an Application for Duplicate Title or Transfer of Title REG 227 form and submit it to the California DMV with a Statement of Facts detailing why a duplicate title is needed. All duplicate titles are mailed. To get a replacement title for a vehicle not previously titled in California one must get a duplicate title from the state in which it was last titled and registered.

Can I store junk cars on my property in San Bernardino?

Yes, you can store junk cars on your property in San Bernardino if they are stored within a fully enclosed structure with 4 walls and a roof. Junk cars cannot be stored out in the open for more than 72 hours in San Bernardino. This is according to Section 33.1215 of the San Bernardino County Vehicle Abatement and Removal Program. Junk cars not removed within 10 days of notice by Code Enforcement will be removed by the county of San Bernardino and the costs of abatement are billed to the resident. A lien is placed if the bill is not paid within 60 days to enforce the rules.

Can I sell my car for parts in San Bernardino?

No, you cannot sell your car for parts in The Gate City. To sell a car for parts one must be able to dismantle the vehicle, clean the parts, and sell the used car parts. This is not allowed in San Bernardino. According to San Bernardino code enforcement, one can only perform auto repairs on one vehicle registered to the residence. Furthermore, there is no dismantling of vehicles on residential property and no dismantling of vehicles without a permit from the City Planning Commission. This means it is impossible to sell a car for parts in San Bernardino. The only way to get rid of a junk car in San Bernardino is to sell cars for cash.

• Catalytic converter
• Engine
• Transmission
• Tires
• Battery

Is it possible to junk a car with a lien in San Bernardino?

No, you cannot junk a car with a lien in San Bernardino or anywhere else in the US. A vehicle title has a lien when the financial institution that loaned the money for the car are still owed that money. Until the car loan is paid off the lien remains in place and gives the bank an ownership interest in the vehicle. This prevents the vehicle owner from selling it because they do not have sole ownership of the vehicle. It is necessary to pay off the loan and submit a lien release to the DMV to remove the lien and get a clear title before selling junk cars for cash in San Bernardino.

We Pay Cash for Junk Cars in San Bernardino County and Near You

In addition to San Bernardino, Junk Car Medics pays cash for junk cars in Rialto and all of San Bernardino County.