Cash for Junk Cars in St. Louis, MO
Around St. Louis, a junk car might be a worn-out commuter on a city street, a truck that's sat behind the house in Jefferson County for years, or a car that's already been stickered. Describe yours once and screened buyers who cover St. Louis City and St. Louis, St. Charles and Jefferson counties send competing offers. The buyer you pick tows it free and pays you at pickup.
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Junk Car Pickup Around St. Louis
Buyers on Reap My Ride cover St. Louis and the surrounding St. Louis, St. Louis City, St. Charles, Jefferson counties. If your town isn't listed, enter your ZIP — the form confirms which buyers cover it.
- Saint Louis
- Florissant
- House Springs
- Cedar Hill
- Saint Charles
- Fenton
- Ballwin
- O Fallon
- Bridgeton
- High Ridge
- Imperial
- Hazelwood
- Earth City
- Festus
- Wentzville
- De Soto
Most common locations in St. Louis-area quote requests, Jul 2025–Aug 2026.
What St. Louis Junk Cars Sold For
- 1989 Dodge Dakota · Saint Louis$290
- 1998 Isuzu Rodeo · Florissant$250
- 2002 Hyundai Sonata · Saint Louis$290
- 2005 Toyota Highlander · Chesterfield$810
- 2006 Chevrolet Equinox · Saint Louis$370
- 2006 GMC Sierra · St. Charles$250
- 2006 Honda Odyssey · Saint Louis$370
- 2008 GMC Savana · Clayton$370
- 2009 Nissan Altima · Saint Louis$250
- 2010 Audi A5 · Chesterfield$780
- 2011 Ford Escape · Saint Louis$370
- 2012 Ford Focus · Florissant$395
- 2013 Chevrolet Cruze · Saint Louis$675
- 2013 Kia Optima · Clayton$885
- 2013 Lincoln MKX · Saint Louis$610
- 2013 Lincoln MKZ · St. Charles$965
- 2013 Volkswagen GTI · Saint Louis$1,690
- 2018 Jeep Compass · Chesterfield$1,895
- 2022 Ford F-450 Super Duty · Saint Louis$9,930
Individual completed sales through Reap My Ride in the St. Louis area. Recent sales; dates not recorded.
Derelict and abandoned cars in the City of St. Louis
Inside the City of St. Louis, a car parked on the street has to be licensed and operable, and it can't stay in the same spot for five days in a row. Inoperable cars can be ticketed, and once a vehicle has four unpaid tickets the Treasurer's office boots it and orders it towed.
Private property has its own rules. A car on a lot or in a yard can't be derelict or hazardous, and hazardous vehicles may be towed. In residential districts, cars can't be parked in the front yard except on an approved paved driveway or parking area, rear-yard parking on dirt or grass isn't allowed, and an unlicensed or unregistered car can be cited by the Building Division as "open storage."
Neighbors report these through the Citizens' Service Bureau. A Street Inspector stickers abandoned, derelict or hazardous vehicles, and they're towed if they aren't moved or repaired within 5 days. Selling inside that window avoids the tow. If the car is in St. Louis County, St. Charles County or Jefferson County, check that city's or county's code instead — these are the City's rules.
Sources: City of St. Louis: report abandoned or derelict cars
If the City of St. Louis tows it
Cars the City tows go to the City Towing Division lot at 7410 Hall Street. Getting one back means a $100 tow fee and $25 a day in storage, plus $60 for a dolly if the car has flats or missing wheels and $80 an hour for any labor — and you'll have to pay any outstanding tickets. Bring a copy of the registration and a valid driver's license.
The City holds towed vehicles for 30 days and then sells them at auction. For a car that was only worth its scrap value, a week of storage on top of the tow can wipe out most of what it would have sold for.
Sources: City of St. Louis: retrieval of a towed car · City of St. Louis: Towing Division
Selling a junk car in Missouri: the paperwork
Sign the title over
Print your name and sign in the assignment area on the back of the title, and write in the odometer reading and the date of sale. These signatures don't need to be notarized. Don't use correction fluid or erase anything. If there was a loan, include a notarized Lien Release (Form 4809).
Remove your plates
Take your license plates off before the buyer takes the car, whether they're valid or expired.
Report the sale within 30 days
Send the Missouri Department of Revenue a Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or a Bill of Sale (Form 1957) within 30 days of the sale.
No title?
A scrap metal operator can buy an inoperable vehicle that's at least 10 model years old without a title, using DOR Form 5423. You sign that you have the legal right to sell it and provide a copy of your driver's license or state ID; the operator checks for liens (not required at 20+ model years), and the DOR cancels the title. For a newer car, apply for a duplicate with a notarized Form 108 at a license office: $8.50 plus a $9 processing fee, $17.50 in all.
Sources: Missouri DOR: selling a vehicle · Missouri DOR: missing or duplicate title · Missouri DOR Form 5423: scrap bill of sale without title · RSMo §301.227
What Is a Junk Car Worth in St. Louis?
Recent St. Louis-area sales through Reap My Ride ranged from $250 to $9,930, with a median of $395. Where your car lands depends on its weight, whether it runs, and whether the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still on it.
The metal floor follows the national scrap rate — $185 a ton in February 2026. Check yours with the scrap value calculator, or see how junk car prices work.
Selling a Junk Car in St. Louis
Call (877) 451-4417Can I sell a junk car in St. Louis without a title?
Often, yes. Missouri lets a scrap metal operator buy an inoperable vehicle at least 10 model years old without a title, using Form 5423 and a copy of your ID. Newer cars need a duplicate title, which costs $17.50. See selling without a title.
The City put a sticker on my car. How long do I have?
In the City of St. Louis, a stickered abandoned, derelict or hazardous vehicle is towed if it isn't moved or repaired within 5 days. After a tow you'd owe $100 plus $25 a day in storage, and the City auctions vehicles left for 30 days.
Does my Missouri title need to be notarized?
Not for the sale itself — the seller's and buyer's signatures on the title don't need a notary. A lien release (Form 4809) does, and so does an application for a duplicate title.
What do I do with my plates, and do I have to tell the state?
Remove your plates before the car leaves, whether they're current or expired. Then report the sale to the Department of Revenue within 30 days with a Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or Bill of Sale (Form 1957).
How much is a junk car worth in St. Louis?
It depends on the car's weight, whether it runs, and whether the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still on it. Across the Reap My Ride network the average payout is $465. Get a rough number with the scrap value calculator or read how junk car prices work.
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