Sell your car in Austin: running, broken down or failed emissions
Describe your car and you'll have a cash offer in about two minutes; if you take it, pickup is free. Riding CapMetro instead? The fares are below, with the Austin rules that matter while a car waits to be sold.
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Keeping the car legal until pickup
- 01Off the front yard. In areas on the City's restricted parking area map, a car, running or not, may sit in a front or side yard only on a driveway or a paved space on an approved site plan (§ 12-5-29).
- 02Only quick fixes at the curb. An owner may change a tire or make a minor repair at the road's edge, out of the travel lane, for up to one hour (§ 12-5-8).
- 03Parking tickets paid. Three or more unpaid parking fines can get a car booted, or impounded if they came in one calendar year, after a hearing officer sends notice (§ 12-5-81).
Where we pick up around Austin
We pick up across Austin, from downtown (78701) to suburbs such as Round Rock (78664), Georgetown, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Leander, Buda and San Marcos (78666). An office or a downtown garage usually works too: name the garage when you schedule so the truck fits its clearance, or meet at street level. You're paid at pickup, and a title from another state is fine to start with (see out-of-state titles).
A parked car can't be your for-sale sign. Austin's code bars parking a car on a public street, or in a parking facility the City owns or manages, to display it for sale (§ 12-5-4). To meet a private buyer, Round Rock police designate their lot at 2701 N. Mays St. a Safety Exchange Zone: open 24/7, well lit and under video surveillance (Round Rock PD).
Cash for your car in Austin
Austin's code has little patience for a car that just sits. At a home, every vehicle must be functional, except antique and recreational ones, though one may be under repair for less than 60 days, and a home can't keep more vehicles than licensed drivers unless the extras are garaged (City of Austin). On public property, an inoperable car left more than 48 hours is a public nuisance, with a fine of up to $200 for each day (§ 9-1-2).
We buy junk cars in Austin, plus old, damaged and non-running ones and cars that failed emissions. Cash for junk cars in Austin starts the same way as any sale: describe the car as it is, nothing fixed first, and get a free offer to set beside any repair quote. More on our junk car page.
If the repair quote you're weighing is for a blown head gasket or a failing CVT, selling a car with engine trouble and selling a car with a bad transmission or CVT lay out the fix-or-sell math. If the quote is for body or frame work after a crash, selling a damaged car covers repairing it first versus selling as is.
Asked by Austin sellers
Where is the title transfer done in Austin, and should I go with the buyer?
At the county tax office. The Travis County Tax Office, which serves Travis County residents only, recommends that seller and buyer come in together, for the seller's protection (Travis County). Its headquarters at 2433 Ridgepoint Dr. takes title walk-ins 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, and branch drive-thrus don't do transfers (locations).
What happens with my tolls after I sell a car in Austin?
Unpaid tolls from your time as owner stay yours. The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, which runs 183A Toll, 290 Toll, 183 Toll and the MoPac Express Lane among others (roads), holds the registered owner at the time of a violation responsible (FAQ). Take the sold car off your TxTag account too; TxDOT now points TxTag customers to hctra.org (TxDOT).
I park at UT. What should I update when I sell my car?
Your PTS Parking Portal profile. UT ties garage parking to the vehicles registered there and accepts a Texas toll tag as the gate credential, so remove the sold car and its tag (UT PTS). A physical permit goes back to the cashier's office in any staffed UT garage (student parking).
How does a car trade-in value in Austin compare with a cash offer?
Get both numbers. A trade-in value only counts toward a car from that dealer, which does nothing for you if you're going car-free, and our cash offer is free to get. The Travis County Tax Office also notes that a dealer isn't required to title a trade-in in its own name, so it stays in yours until the dealer sells it. More in our guide to trading in versus selling.
My car has no title. Who does the VIN inspection in Austin?
For Austin residents, APD's Auto Theft Unit does the Form VTR-68-A inspection often needed for a bonded title. It's free, twice a month, by appointment, and APD says it is scheduling farther out than usual (APD). Our guide to selling without a title explains where it fits.
Title signing, plates and the Texas DMV (TxDMV) transfer notice are statewide steps; our Texas selling guide covers them.
What going car-free costs in Austin
- •$1.25 a ride or $41.25 a month on CapMetro Bus, Rapid, UT Shuttle and Pickup (fares).
- •$3.50 a ride or $96.25 a month for Express buses and MetroRail, local service included.
- •Free after 17 capped days in a calendar month with a CapMetro Reloadable Fare Card. Fare increases are proposed for January 2027 and 2029.
- •10 Red Line stations on MetroRail Route 550, from Downtown to Leander (rail).