Sell your car in Cedar Rapids: running, storm-damaged or totaled
Cedar Rapids city code and the Linn County Treasurer both have a say when you sell a car here. This page covers where they come in: the salvage exam for a branded title, the city’s junk vehicle rules, street parking until pickup, and the treasurer’s counter.
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Keeping a car legal on a Cedar Rapids street until pickup
- Don’t show it for sale on a city street. Section 61.102 of the city code bars parking a car on a street, or between the sidewalk and the curb, to display it for sale. A car left there more than 48 hours counts as stored, and police can move it.
- Watch for a snow emergency. After the city declares one, residential street parking from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. the next day is on the even-numbered side on even dates and the odd side on odd dates, then the other side the day after (section 61.095A). A car that won’t start can’t switch sides.
- Meet the driver. A Marion driveway or a downtown ramp, either side of the river; payment lands before the truck pulls away.
Where we pick up around Cedar Rapids
The driver comes to either side of the Cedar River, whether the car is in NewBo, Czech Village or downtown, and to Marion (52302), Hiawatha and the smaller towns around the metro, out as far as Mount Vernon. For anywhere farther, just ask.
Which office? Iowa DMV business is split between two offices here. The Iowa DOT’s driver’s license service center at 3726 Queen Court SW handles licenses and IDs. Titles and plates go through the county treasurer: for Cedar Rapids, the Linn County Treasurer at 935 Second St. SW.
When a storm put a brand on the title
On August 10, 2020, the derecho’s strongest winds, estimated at around 140 mph, hit southwest Cedar Rapids, according to the National Weather Service. If an insurer totaled your car after that storm or a flood, the title may now read salvage or rebuilt. We buy both, whether the damage was fixed, paid out or left as is.
Repaired a salvage car and want the rebuilt title before you sell? As of September 2026, the state’s salvage exam map lists one Linn County agency: the Hiawatha Police Department, 319-393-1212. See our guides to salvage and rebuilt titles and flood-damaged cars.
Cash for your car in Cedar Rapids
The city’s Junk Vehicle Ordinance, chapter 25, covers private property too. A car can count as junk just for lacking current plates or stickers, or for one condition such as broken glass, a home for rats or mice, or no way to move under its own power forward and reverse. A car inside a garage or other fully enclosed building is exempt.
Junk cars in Cedar Rapids that fit that list can still be sold for cash, and pickup is free. An old flood car usually prices as parts or scrap. You can start a junk car sale before any city notice arrives.
If the derecho or a flood led your insurer to total the car, selling a totaled car explains the payout-or-keep choice and the salvage title that follows. Damage that didn’t end in a total, from the storm or anything else, is covered in selling a damaged car, down to what a buyer checks and what you have to disclose.
Before you go to the treasurer’s counter
- •The treasurer’s lobby is open 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, except the second Wednesday of each month, when it opens at 10 a.m. Phone holds at 319-892-5500 can top 30 minutes. (Linn County)
- •Since June 17, 2026, the office takes appointments for all its services. Walk-ins are still served but may wait longer. (Linn County)
- •Title transfer forms can skip the counter: mail them or use the depository box at the front of the Linn County Public Service Center. (Linn County)
Asked by Cedar Rapids sellers
I sold my car, then an I-380 speed camera ticket came in my name. What do I do?
City code sends camera citations to the vehicle owner, meaning the person holding legal title, and the city won't transfer one to anyone not listed as the registered owner. You can contest it within 30 days of the date at the top. Linn County's seller checklist has a Buyer's Acknowledgement receipt, with the date and time of sale, to keep as evidence. Two of the four I-380 cameras at the S-curve resumed enforcement January 1, 2026.
Can I sell my junk car in Cedar Rapids after the city sends a notice?
Yes. Under chapter 25, the car's owner and the property owner have 7 weekdays from the notice to register and repair the car or have it removed. After that, police can have it removed and impounded, with the costs charged to the car's owner and possibly added to the property's taxes. Selling it and having it picked up is one way to remove it.
My car was towed off a Cedar Rapids street. How long do I have to get it back?
Call the police Property Division at 319-286-5305, weekdays 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Under section 61.103, a car unclaimed 10 days after impound can be declared abandoned, or sooner if police start early. After the certified notice, you have 10 days to reclaim it by paying towing, storage, notice and any administrative fees, or it can be auctioned or sent to a demolisher.
Where should I meet a private buyer in Cedar Rapids?
Cedar Rapids police advice for online sales: meet in a public place, in daylight, and don't go alone. For higher-priced items, make the exchange at a financial institution, where staff can confirm the money reached your account. Police have also investigated counterfeit bills in these deals.
For the state’s title steps, including Iowa’s notice-of-sale form, see our Iowa page.