Junking a Vehicle

If you are selling a vehicle to a recycler or junkyard, find out if they prefer a title or a junking certificate before requesting a junking certificate from our office.

You must surrender a title along with an Application for a Junking Certificate (Form 411123) to the County Treasurer’s office to receive a junking certificate.  A junking certificate cannot be issued without a title being surrendered.  Once you receive a junking certificate, the vehicle cannot be legally operated upon roadways.  If you purchase a vehicle and decide to junk it, you have 30 days from the date of sale to obtain a junking certificate.  If you purchased a vehicle over 30 days ago you have to title, register, and pay the fee for new registrations (5% of purchase price) and then you may apply for a junking certificate.

When you sell a junked vehicle, you must sign the junking certificate as the seller, complete the date of sale, purchaser’s name and address and give the junking certificate to the purchaser.  The purchaser must then acquire a junking certificate in their name.  For your protection, complete a Bill of Sale (PDF) acknowledging the delivery of the vehicle and title or junking certificate.

Be sure to remove and keep your plates.

You may be entitled to a refund of the unused portion of registration fees.  If you are purchasing another vehicle within six months, and wish to receive credit toward the registration fees, fill out the bottom of your registration receipt for the vehicle you sold and submit it with the title and application for your replacement vehicle.  If you are not replacing the vehicle and wish to receive a refund, please send your Iowa plates back to the County Treasurer’s office where you last registered your vehicle, within six months, along with a completed Claim For Refund (Form 411047) .  Credit of less than $10.00 will not be refunded.

This is general information only.  Nothing is guaranteed until we see all completed, original documents in our office.