Sell your car in Knoxville: running or not, even if you're moving away
Want to sell your car in Knoxville, TN? Tell us what it is and get a real cash offer priced on the car, not the time of year, so move-out week works as well as any other. We come to you, from Farragut to Maryville.
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Six Knox County Clerk offices handle titles
- Downtown. The main office is in the Old Courthouse at 300 Main Street, phone 865-215-2385.
- West and Farragut. Corporate Square at 9000 Executive Park Drive, Building A-301, and the first floor of Farragut Town Hall at 11408 Municipal Center Drive.
- North, South and East. Crossroads Centre at 7328 Norris Freeway, Chapman Plaza at 7339 Chapman Highway, and 4734 Centerline Drive in East Knoxville.
- Hours. All six do title and registration work, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Chapman Plaza office has closed for lunch, 11 a.m. to noon, since June 8, 2026 (Knox County Clerk).
Where we pick up around Knoxville
Pickup is free anywhere in Knox County, whether the car is parked off Norris Freeway in 37918, downtown in 37902 or in a Farragut driveway in 37934. Past the county line it reaches Maryville and Alcoa, Oak Ridge, Clinton and Seymour, on the day and time you choose.
Check for open Knoxville parking tickets before you sell. City Court holds the registered owner responsible for every ticket written to the car, even one a friend got while borrowing it, and adds $9 to a fine left unpaid for 10 business days. Two or more delinquent tickets also let the city tow the car from a street or other city property, once the court has mailed the owner a notice (Sec. 17-98).
Knoxville's 24-hour street rule
Inside city limits, Sec. 17-291 of the Knoxville code bars parking a car on a street just to store it for more than 24 hours in a row.
Under Sec. 17-98, the 24-hour limit is enforced in steps. An officer marks a tire first. If the car hasn't moved a day later, a sticker goes on the driver's side of the windshield with the date, the time and the violation. If it still hasn't moved after a second 24 hours, the officer can have it towed to the city impound lot.
Cash for your car in Knoxville
A car that stops running can turn into a code case in your own yard. Sec. 17-122 counts a car showing any two of six signs as inoperable: license and registration out of order, a tire missing or not fully inflated, more than one broken window, visible rust, too costly to restore, or no movement under its own power in 15 days. Expired tags and 15 days parked already make two.
A car kept out of view inside a building with four walls and a roof is exempt. Each day counts as a separate offense under Sec. 17-121: a fine of up to $50, up to $325 in city costs, or both. If the city tows the car off private property, Sec. 17-125 makes the owner or occupant of the property liable for costs it doesn't recover, which can become a lien on the property.
Looking for cash for junk cars in Knoxville? The car doesn't have to run to get an offer; it just leaves on a truck. Start with our offer for junk and non-running cars.
If a repair bill is why the car is sitting, our guides on selling a car with a blown head gasket or a knocking engine and selling a car with a slipping transmission compare that bill with selling the car as it is. After a crash, see selling an accident-damaged car for what a buyer checks and what you have to disclose.
Getting a car back from the Knoxville impound lot
- •The city's Vehicle Impoundment Lot is at 3407 Vice Mayor Jack Sharp Boulevard in East Knoxville; call 865-215-6215 for the exact amount due (City Court FAQ)
- •The lot is open around the clock but releases cars only 8 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, to someone with a government-issued picture ID, a licensed driver and proof of ownership (City Court FAQ)
- •To drive it away, the code also asks for evidence of financial responsibility: liability insurance or a verifiable exemption (Sec. 17-101; Knox County Clerk)
- •A car unclaimed after 30 days is sold at public auction; the city lists its next sale date as October 5, 2026 (Sec. 17-103; city auctions page)
Asked by Knoxville sellers
Can the city make me move a dead car out of my own driveway in Knoxville?
Inside city limits, Sec. 17-124 lets the city order an abandoned or inoperable car off private property within five days of serving notice. The notice gives a time and place to appeal to the Better Building Board; if you neither move the car nor appeal, the city can take it into custody.
Can someone else handle my Knoxville car sale after I leave town?
The Knox County Clerk accepts a notarized power of attorney that names the car by make, model and VIN, and any of its offices hands out a free form for it. The person you name brings their own driver's license and can't sign the odometer statement as both seller and buyer, so pick someone who isn't buying the car. They can also get our offer and set up the pickup for you.
Does Knox County add its own tax when the buyer registers the car?
Knox County's $36 wheel tax may apply when the buyer gets a new plate, and owners who meet the county's wheel tax exemption rules are relieved of $30 of the registration cost. Its local sales tax is 2.25% of the first $1,600 of the price, never more than $36. The new title takes 10 to 15 business days to process.
Where do I mail a Knox County replacement title application?
To the Knox County Clerk, 300 Main St., Room 233, Knoxville, TN 37902, if you're military personnel, a former Knox County resident or a lienholder. Anyone else should call (865) 215-2385 and ask for a supervisor.
Questions about the Tennessee title itself? Our Tennessee page answers them.