Sell your car in New Orleans: running, flood-damaged or not running
To sell your car in New Orleans, get a cash offer online or by phone, and we pick the car up anywhere from Lakeview to Algiers. Below are the City rules that matter while the car is still yours: where you may park it when your street floods, how long a car that won't run can sit on a public street, what the tow lot on Claiborne Avenue charges, and which of the two OMV offices in Orleans Parish does what.
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Which New Orleans OMV office does what
- Veterans Boulevard issues registrations. The Louisiana OMV (Office of Motor Vehicles, the state's DMV) has two of its own offices in Orleans Parish. Its New Orleans office at 100 Veterans Blvd. lists registration issuance among its services.
- New Orleans East for renewals. The office at 7500 Bullard Ave., Suite 104, lists registration renewals but not registration issuance. As of September 2026, OMV's list also shows six public tag agent offices in Orleans Parish that issue registrations.
- Book before you go. Both OMV offices take appointments at expresslane.org/appointments and are open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call (504) 483-1870 for Veterans Blvd. or (504) 243-7501 for New Orleans East.
Where we pick up around New Orleans
Whether the car is parked in Lakeview, in Algiers or out in New Orleans East, we come to you, and the truck doesn't stop at the parish line. The regular route runs into Metairie and Kenner, over to the West Bank and St. Bernard, and out to Slidell and LaPlace. Crossing a parish line doesn't change the offer or add a fee.
Get the flood warning on your phone. Text NOLAREADY to 77295 for the City's emergency alerts. With that keyword you get flash flood warnings when the National Weather Service issues them, which is your cue to move a car you're selling off a street that floods.
Where the car can go when your street floods
NOLA Ready, the City's emergency preparedness site, says flooding can happen here at any time, and that June, July and August are the rainiest months. During major street flooding, the City may suspend parking rules on neutral grounds and sidewalks so you can move a car to higher ground. Unless the City says otherwise, the rules come back two hours after the flooding ends. Leave intersections and streetcar tracks clear when you park (NOLA Ready: Flooding, checked September 2026).
If water reached the car before you could move it, our guide to selling a flood-damaged car explains what a flood does to its price and title.
Cash for your car in New Orleans
The City keeps a short clock on junk cars in New Orleans. By its definition, a vehicle that is inoperable and left unattended on public property for more than three days is abandoned, and anyone can report it to 311, by phone 24 hours a day or online (City of New Orleans: Report Abandoned Vehicle). The City's Department of Public Works tows abandoned vehicles (City of New Orleans: Towing Rules and Fees), and getting one back means paying the tow and storage charges listed further down.
Cash for cars in New Orleans doesn't require a car that runs. We buy junk cars here as well: describe what's wrong, get an offer, and we pick it up. If the car stuck on your block is also missing its keys or title, selling a junk car covers those cases.
If street flooding got water into the car, selling a flood- or accident-damaged car covers what buyers check, and selling a car after a total-loss claim explains taking the payout or keeping it on a salvage title if the insurer totals it. If it quit for a mechanical reason instead, such as a blown head gasket, see selling a car with engine problems.
What it costs if the City tows the car
- •A light-duty tow costs a $228.75 minimum, which covers the first 1.5 hours, then $76.25 for each extra half hour (City of New Orleans: Find my Towed Vehicle, updated Aug. 13, 2026)
- •Storage adds $34 a day (City of New Orleans)
- •You pay at the lot at 400 N. Claiborne Ave., directly beneath the Expressway at Conti St., open 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day (City of New Orleans)
Asked by New Orleans sellers
How do I find out if my street floods?
Start with Ready for Rain on NOLA Ready, which the City calls its interactive flood-risk tool. The same page says New Orleans has had 42 flood events in the last 20 years. During a storm, streetwise.nola.gov shows reports of street flooding.
Which NOPD stations have a safe exchange zone for meeting a buyer?
In a September 2021 notice, NOPD said its safe exchange zones are in the parking lots of six of its eight district stations, Districts 2 through 7, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are well lit but not under video surveillance. For details, NOPD says to contact the station you plan to use; the Second District is 504-658-6020 and the Seventh is 504-658-6070.
The City towed my junk car. Can I still sell it?
Get it released first. Call (504) 658-8100 to confirm the tow and (504) 658-8284 for the balance on your plate. The City releases a car only after every outstanding parking or safety-camera citation is paid, along with the tow and storage fees above. After 24 hours in storage, a car may be moved to the City's impound lot on Almonaster Ave.
My buyer lives in Kenner, on the West Bank or in St. Bernard. Which nearby OMV office can register the car?
OMV's office list shows registration issuance, not just renewals, at its Westbank office, 197 Westbank Expressway, Suite 1240, in Gretna, and at its Chalmette office, 3870 E. Judge Perez Drive in Meraux. The Kenner office at 421 Williams Blvd. lists registration renewals only.
When we buy your car, we walk you through the title signing so it doesn't stall the sale; if you sell it yourself, our Louisiana selling guide sets out each step.