Sell your car in Billings: running, hail-damaged or won't start
The National Weather Service's report on the storm of September 7, 2026 says wind and large hail shattered vehicle windows in the Billings area, and in the worst cases totaled cars. Whether yours took that hit or just stopped starting, you can ask for an instant cash offer online and pick a time for free pickup.
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When the car sits outside Billings city limits
- In unincorporated areas such as Lockwood, abandoned-vehicle reports go to Yellowstone County's Junk Vehicle Division at (406) 652-2050 instead of the Billings police.
- The county counts a vehicle as abandoned once it has been left on a public highway for more than 48 hours, or on a street for more than five days.
- Within 4½ miles of the city limits, the shared Unified Zoning code still governs how vehicles are stored and parked, and the county's Community Decay ordinance covers inoperable or junk vehicles visible from a public right-of-way.
- A property the county cites generally gets at least 30 days to comply, compared with at least ten days inside the city. Selling the car before then is one way to comply.
Where we pick up around Billings
Free pickup covers Billings from downtown (59101) to the Heights and the West End past Shiloh, and it crosses the Yellowstone to Lockwood. West on I-90 it reaches Laurel (59044); to the east it reaches Shepherd and Huntley, along with the smaller towns within a sensible drive of the city. We set the time around your shift.
Keeping a running car in the yard until pickup? In Billings residential zones, a car parked in the front or side yard has to sit on asphalt or concrete. The rear yard can be any surface.
Cash for your car in Billings
A car that doesn't run has few places to wait in Billings. The City and County Unified Zoning Regulations require enclosed storage for every inoperable vehicle, and a car with expired plates counts as one. In a residential neighborhood, any vehicle parked off the street must be currently licensed and operable. On a city street, a car has to move under its own power at least once every five days, and inoperable, unlicensed or abandoned cars can be towed by the Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit.
After a tow, you have 30 days to get it back: call the police at (406) 657-8200 to find out which tow company took it, then pay that company's towing and other charges. A car that isn't worth fixing can be sold as it is before it gets that far: request an instant offer online, and the pickup is free where the car sits. Selling a junk car in Billings works the same way; our page on cash for junk cars covers cars that won't start or have been wrecked. If your insurer called it a total loss after the storm, see selling a totaled car.
If the September 7 storm broke your windows or left other hail damage and the insurer didn't total the car, selling a hail-damaged car covers whether to fix it first or sell it as it is. If it simply quit on you, an engine that overheats or has blown its head gasket and a transmission stuck in limp mode help you decide whether the repair is worth making.
Three counters for Billings title work
- •Room 125 of the John V. Ostlund County Administration Building, 2825 3rd Avenue North, is the new home of Yellowstone County's Motor Vehicle office, where Billings title work is done. It takes appointments for title work, and walk-ins take a ticket. It opens weekdays at 7 AM and, since September 1, 2026, closes at 5:00 PM. Its line, 406-256-2833, is answered 10 AM to 4 PM on weekdays except Wednesday (Yellowstone County)
- •The Laurel counter at Laurel City Hall, 115 W. 1st Street, is open weekdays from 9 to noon and from 1 to 4:30 (Yellowstone County)
- •The MetraPark branch at 308 6th Ave. North runs 6:30 AM to 3 PM, takes no cash, and closes on some MetraPark event days. Every counter stops serving title customers 15 minutes before closing (Yellowstone County)
Asked by Billings sellers
My lender still holds the title. Do I need a trip to the county office before I sell?
No. We can coordinate the payoff directly with your lienholder, so the title moves from the bank to us without you carrying it to the Motor Vehicle office. Ask your lender for a 10-day payoff quote first. If the offer clears the payoff, you keep the difference; if it falls short, you bring the gap to closing.
I'm buying my next car from a Billings dealer. Should I trade this one in?
Compare before you decide: get our instant offer online, and read our guide to trading in vs. selling for the trade-offs. For the car you're buying, Yellowstone County suggests asking the dealer first whether your title work has gone in, then booking your title appointment one to eight days before your temporary permit expires.
Can I keep a work truck parked at my house in Billings?
One, if it's light enough. In residential areas the city limits commercial or business vehicle parking to one vehicle of no more than 12,000 pounds, except in the county's Agriculture Open-Space and Agriculture Suburban districts. Tractor-trailers and other oversized vehicles can't be parked on driveways or yards overnight in residential districts in Billings or Yellowstone County, unless they're there to pick up, deliver or work on a construction project. If a truck has to go, see selling a truck.
The statewide part of the sale, from the title signature to the plates, is on our Montana selling page.