Sell your car in San Antonio: running or not, on PCS orders or not
Get an instant offer for your car online, and pickup comes to your address. You're paid when the car is picked up. Leaving Joint Base San Antonio on orders? Your options for the car are below.
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Ship it, store it or sell it
- 01Ship it. Within the continental U.S., moving the car is largely your own cost, Military OneSource says. Overseas, one car you own or lease can ship at government expense, handled by the Vehicle Processing Center nearest your duty station, and the tank can be no more than a quarter full.
- 02Store it. The same PCS entitlement may cover storing one vehicle at government expense instead. Your transportation office confirms what your orders allow.
- 03Sell it. The offer takes minutes and costs nothing to hold while you decide, and pickup is usually scheduled within a couple of business days, around your report date. Title in someone else's name? Call first, and we'll work out what the driver needs to see before anything is booked. The timing is in our guide to selling a car before a PCS move.
Where we pick up around San Antonio
Pickup is free across San Antonio and nearby towns, including Alamo Heights, Leon Valley, Helotes and Schertz. In Converse (78109), Bexar County's new Precinct 4 tax office sits on East Loop 1604, and Universal City calls itself the Gateway to Randolph Air Force Base. Pickup reaches New Braunfels (78130) too. Neighborhoods around Lackland, Fort Sam Houston and Randolph are regular stops; drivers can't always enter restricted areas, so on-base pickups are set at an off-base address.
The Bexar County Tax Office. If the title isn't in your name yet, that transfer is filed with the county tax office. The main office is at 233 N. Pecos La Trinidad, walk-ins are always welcome, and every office stays open until 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. The county asks for proof of insurance on every title transfer, and after hours, paperwork can go in any office's drop box.
Cash for your car in San Antonio
Junk cars in San Antonio are on a clock under city code. A car that stays inoperable for ten days in a row where it can be seen from the street or a neighbor's property counts as a junked vehicle, and a tarp over it doesn't hide it. Keeping one is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $200, and every day counts as a new offense. If a court orders the car removed, it can never be rebuilt or made to run again, under Article X of the city code.
Selling it stops the clock. The offer covers cars that are old, damaged, salvage-titled or not running, and one that won't start is loaded with a winch. How a junk-car sale works is on our sell my junk car page.
If it stopped running because the engine blew or started knocking, selling a car with engine problems helps you decide between a repair and selling as is; a transmission that slips or won't go into reverse is covered in selling a car with a bad transmission. If insurance totaled the car and it now carries a salvage title, start with selling a totaled car.
Asked by San Antonio sellers
Can a private buyer come see my car on base at JBSA?
Only with a sponsor, which can be you. A visitor without a military ID or base pass goes through a Visitor Control Center, and JBSA runs a criminal background check on everyone requesting access. You sponsor them in person there, or by emailing JBSANANTONIO Form 7 from a government account, which JBSA-Lackland asks you to allow 10 business days for. Phone requests aren't accepted, and you must stay on JBSA for the whole visit.
Can I leave a for-sale sign on my car in San Antonio?
Only at home, within limits. City code treats a car with a for-sale sign as an unauthorized sale unless it's on residential property where the registered owner lives, one car at a time and no more than five in a calendar year. A car on the street gets no exception. The city's tow notice gives you at most four hours to move it, and a repeat within 90 days can be towed without notice.
How long can a car that won't run sit on a San Antonio street?
Twenty-four hours. Section 19-169 of the city code bars parking an unused car on a street or public place for longer than that, or at any time to store, repair or sell it there.
My car was impounded in San Antonio. How long before it's auctioned?
Police impounds go to the San Antonio Impound Facility at 3625 Growdon Rd., open 24 hours a day. A vehicle left unclaimed 30 days after the owner is notified can be sold at public auction, according to SAPD.
What's my car's trade-in value in San Antonio?
A trade-in figure is one dealer's offer against the car you're buying there. The instant offer gives you a second number to compare, with no obligation. The trade-offs are in our guide to trading in versus selling.
Title signing, the transfer notice and the other steps that apply statewide are on our Texas selling guide.
Emissions tests and base visitor centers
- •Bexar County emissions tests start November 1, 2026. From then, gasoline vehicles 2 to 24 years old must pass an OBD inspection, at no more than $18.50, before their registration can be renewed (TCEQ, checked September 2026).
- •Two base visitor centers stay open on holidays. Luke East at JBSA-Lackland and BAMC/I-35 at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston run 24/7, federal holidays included. Lindsey at JBSA-Randolph closes on federal holidays (JBSA gate hours, June 2026).