What junk cars pay in Florida
Across Florida, sedans typically pay $200–$875, SUVs and crossovers $400–$1,750, and full-size pickups $575–$3,400. Shredded auto bodies are trading near $160 per ton in the South region, and that per-ton figure sets the floor under every offer.
Florida sits in the South region, where high vehicle volume and mild-climate bodies keep used-parts demand steady. That regional picture is why FL offers don't track a national average, and why the same vehicle can be worth noticeably more or less a state away.
Within Florida, the biggest single variable after the vehicle itself is tow distance. Offers in and around Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Saint Petersburg generally run above rural pickups, because a shorter haul leaves more of the recovered value in your hands. Each city page below publishes its own local range.
Florida title and transfer rules
In Florida, a clean title is the simplest junk-car sale: sign the back of the title, hand it to the buyer at pickup, remove the license plates, and return the plates to the Florida DMV.
The agency of record is Florida FLHSMV. Sign the title only at pickup, never leave the buyer's section blank, and keep a copy or a photo of the document before it changes hands.
Plates: Remove your plate — Florida plates stay with the owner and must be transferred or surrendered to FLHSMV.
Reporting the sale: File the Notice of Sale (HSMV 82050) with FLHSMV within 30 days of the sale.
Selling without a title in Florida
Florida licensed salvage buyers can accept a vehicle on a Certificate of Destruction (HSMV 82042) when the owner cannot produce a title. A duplicate title via HSMV 82101 is the simplest route for running cars.
Florida does not typically push junk-vehicle sellers toward a bonded title, but the exact route depends on the vehicle's age and how the record reads.
Licensed FL salvage buyers and dismantlers can generally purchase a vehicle for recycling with less than a full title, provided ID and proper documentation are presented. The paperwork typically starts with a HSMV 82101 (Duplicate Title) / HSMV 82042 (Certificate of Destruction).
Filing windows, form numbers, and year cutoffs change, so verify the current process with Florida FLHSMV directly before you commit to a sale. We deliberately don't state a FL legal requirement more precisely than we can stand behind.
Getting the car collected anywhere in Florida
Pickup is by flatbed with a winch, so a car that won't start, won't roll, or hasn't moved in years is still collectable. Towing is included in the offer — it should never be deducted at the curb.
Tell us where the car actually sits: driveway, back yard, alley, apartment garage, farm, storage unit, body shop, or impound lot. Difficult access isn't a problem when it's known in advance; it's only a problem when the driver finds out on arrival.
Most Florida pickups happen within 24–48 hours of accepting an offer, and same-day is often available in the larger FL metros. Someone over 18 needs to be there to sign and take payment.
FL sellers: the short checklist
Title in your name (or your duplicate/bonded paperwork under way), photo ID, and any lien release if the car was ever financed.
Car emptied — glovebox, console, trunk, under the seats, spare-tyre well — plates handled per Florida rules, and a photo of the VIN and odometer.
Written offer with towing included, payment at pickup, a signed bill of sale you keep a copy of, and your Florida sale notice filed afterwards. Cancel the insurance once the car is physically gone.