Before you sell: the paperwork, the rules, the value
Most questions we get on the phone are about paperwork and price, not towing. These guides answer them for Chicago and Illinois specifically, with links to the official source for each rule.
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Abandoned Vehicles in Chicago: The Rules, the 311 Report and the Pound
Chicago's abandoned vehicle rules: the 7-day test in Code 9-80-110, reporting one to 311, pound fees and deadlines, and what to do about your own dead car.
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How Much Is My Junk Car Worth? What Actually Sets a Chicago Offer
What sets a junk car offer in Chicago: curb weight, the scrap steel market, parts demand, the catalytic converter, title status and how easy pickup is.
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How to Junk a Car in Chicago, Step by Step
How to junk a car in Chicago: title and lien checks, city sticker, plates, I-PASS, the Seller's Report of Sale and street rules, with city codes cited.
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How to Sell a Car That Doesn't Run in Chicago
A dead car on a Chicago street, in an alley or a garage? Compare repairing, selling as-is, trading in and junking, and see how a non-runner gets towed.
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Illinois Vehicle Bill of Sale: What to Write When You Junk a Car
What an Illinois vehicle bill of sale should include when you junk a car, why the signed title still matters, the VSD 703 Seller's Report of Sale.
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Junking a Car Without a Title in Illinois: Papers That Can Work
Can an Illinois car be junked with no title? What 625 ILCS 5/5-401.3 requires, the duplicate title and junking certificate routes, and what to tell us.
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Lost Title in Illinois: Getting a Duplicate Before You Sell
Lost your Illinois car title? Filing Form VSD 190 for a $50 duplicate, the 15- and 30-day limits, $30 expedited service, and when to sell the car first.
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Road Salt and Rust: When a Chicago Car Is Past Saving
IDOT and Chicago spread huge amounts of road salt each winter. See how it rots frames, rockers and brake lines, and when repair stops paying.
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Sell, Junk, Trade In or Donate a Car in Chicago: Which Makes Sense
Junk, sell, trade in or donate an old car in Chicago? Compare money, effort and paperwork, the IRS donation rules on Form 1098-C, and the $3,000 rule.
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Selling a Car With a Lien in Illinois, Including a Junk Car
Selling a car with a lien in Illinois: who holds the title, payoff steps, the 21-day release rule in 625 ILCS 5/3-205, and junking a car you still owe on.
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Totaled Car in Illinois: Who Owns It and What You Can Do Next
Illinois total-loss rules: when the insurer owns the wreck, the 9-model-year rule for keeping it, salvage and rebuilt titles, and junking a totaled car.
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What Happens to Your Chicago City Sticker When You Sell or Junk the Car
Sold or junked a car in Chicago? What the Municipal Code says about your city sticker, why refunds are rare, and how to transfer it to your next vehicle.