Sell Your Car for Cash in Kentucky
Kentucky has a quirk that catches plenty of sellers off guard. Vehicles here are taxed every year through the county, and that tax follows the name on the title. If you sell or junk a car and the paperwork is not finished properly, you can end up receiving a property tax bill for a vehicle that is long gone.
We buy cars, trucks, SUVs and vans across Kentucky for cash, running or not. We give you an instant cash offer, tow the vehicle away for free and pay you when we collect it. This page also walks through the three Kentucky steps most sellers miss: the notary, the county clerk and the property tax, so you get paid and stay in the clear.
What Kentucky Roads and Weather Do to a Vehicle
Kentucky is a state of hills, hollows, river valleys and long rural roads, and all of that leaves a mark.
- Steep grades and winding roads wear brakes, transmissions and suspensions.
- Creek crossings and low-water roads can flood engines and interiors.
- River and flash flooding can total a car in an afternoon.
- Spring storms and tornado outbreaks bring hail, wind and flying debris.
- Winter salt and freeze-thaw cycles rust frames and crack pavement into potholes.
- Humid summers encourage mildew and shorten battery life.
- Gravel and coal-country back roads shake parts loose.
If your vehicle has been through several of these, it may no longer be worth repairing. That is where we come in.
Selling for Cash or Junking: Which Is It?
The route depends on the vehicle.
A running or repairable car. It can be sold as a vehicle, and the next owner can put it back on the road.
A non-running or damaged car. It may still have value as a repairable project or for parts.
A car that is finished. If it is beyond repair, its value lies in parts and scrap metal, and it may be handled as a junk vehicle.
You do not need to choose. Tell us what shape it is in and we will explain your options.
The Three Kentucky Steps Most Sellers Miss
Step One: The Notary
Kentucky is unusual in requiring the seller’s signature on the back of the title to be notarized. A signature without a notary’s stamp is generally not accepted when the title is transferred. Many county clerk offices have a notary on staff, but not all, so check before you go. Bring a photo ID, and do not sign until you are in front of the notary.
Step Two: The County Clerk
Vehicle titles and registrations in Kentucky are handled through your county clerk’s office. That is also where you deal with your license plate. In Kentucky the plate belongs to the owner, so it does not go with the car. You can move it to another vehicle you own, or surrender it at the clerk’s office. If a vehicle is being junked, the clerk typically wants the title and plate turned in so the record can be cancelled.
Step Three: The Property Tax
Kentucky vehicle property tax is based on who owns the vehicle on January 1 of each year. If the tax has not been paid when you sell or junk the car, the seller can be responsible for it. The county’s Property Valuation Administrator, often called the PVA, can help in some junking situations by confirming that taxes are paid or excused.
The most important point: if you do not cancel the record, future tax bills may keep arriving for a vehicle you no longer have. Finish the paperwork properly and keep your receipts.
Rules, forms and fees change, so confirm the current details with your county clerk’s office.
Cities We Serve in Kentucky
- Adairville
- Albany
- Alexandria
- Anchorage
- Annville
- Ashland
- Auburn
- Barbourville
- Bardstown
- Barker Heights
- Berea
- Bellevue
- Benton
- Berea
- Bloomfield
- Bowling Green
- Brandenburg
- Breckinridge Center
- Brodhead
- Brooks
- Brooksville
- Brownsville
- Buckner
- Burkesville
- Cadiz
- Calhoun
- California
- Campton
- Campbellsville
- Carlisle
- Carrollton
- Catlettsburg
- Cave City
- Central City
- Clay
- Clinton
- Columbia
- Corbin
- Covington
- Crestview Hills
- Crittenden
- Cumberland
- Cynthiana
- Danville
- Dawson Springs
- Dayton
- Douglass Hills
- Drakesboro
- Earlington
- Eddyville
- Edgewood
- Edmonton
- Elizabethtown
- Elkhorn City
- Elkton
- Elsmere
- Eminence
- Erlanger
- Fairdale
- Fairfield
- Fairview
- Falmouth
- Ferguson
- Flemingsburg
- Florence
- Fort Mitchell
- Fort Thomas
- Fort Wright
- Frankfort
- Franklin
- Fulton
- Georgetown
- Glasgow
- Glencoe
- Glenview
- Grayson
- Greenup
- Greensburg
- Greenville
- Guthrie
- Harlan
- Harrodsburg
- Hartford
- Hawesville
- Hazard
- Hazel
- Hebron Estates
- Henderson
- Hickman
- Hickory Hill
- Hodgenville
- Hopkinsville
- Horse Cave
- Hurstbourne
- Independence
- Irvine
- Jackson
- Jamestown
- Jeffersontown
- Jeffersonville
- Jenkins
- Junction City
- La Center
- La Grange
- Lancaster
- Lawrenceburg
- Lebanon
- Lebanon Junction
- Leitchfield
- Lewisburg
- Lexington
- Liberty
- London
- Louisa
- Louisville
- Ludlow
- Madisonville
- Manchester
- Marion
- Mayfield
- Maysville
- McKee
- McKenzie
- Middlesboro
- Midway
- Millersburg
- Milton
- Monticello
- Morehead
- Morganfield
- Mount Sterling
- Mount Vernon
- Mount Washington
- Murray
- New Castle
- New Haven
- Newport
- Nicholasville
- Northfield
- Nortonville
- Oak Grove
- Olive Hill
- Owensboro
- Owenton
- Owingsville
- Paducah
- Paintsville
- Paris
- Park Hills
- Pembroke
- Pikeville
- Pineville
- Pleasureville
- Prestonsburg
- Princeton
- Prospect
- Providence
- Raceland
- Radcliff
- Richmond
- Russell
- Russell Springs
- Russellville
- Salyersville
- Scottsville
- Sebree
- Shelbyville
- Shepherdsville
- Shively
- Simpsonville
- Smiths Grove
- Somerset
- Southgate
- Springfield
- St. Matthews
- Stanford
- Sturgis
- Taylor Mill
- Tompkinsville
- Union
- Vanceburg
- Versailles
- Villa Hills
- Walton
- Warsaw
- West Liberty
- West Point
- Whitesburg
- Whitley City
- Wickliffe
- Williamsburg
- Wilmore
- Winchester
If You Cannot Find the Title
Kentucky requires a title. If yours is lost, you can apply for a duplicate through your county clerk. The application generally needs to be notarized, and there is a small fee. If the vehicle is being junked, the process may differ slightly, so tell us where you are before you begin. We can help you work out which route fits.
How We Price Your Vehicle
Every vehicle is different, so there is no single figure. We look at:
- Age, make and model
- Mileage and overall condition
- Whether the engine and transmission still work
- Damage from flooding, storms or accidents
- Missing parts
- The value of usable parts and scrap metal
- How easy the vehicle is to reach and load
- The state of the paperwork
Send us the details and we will give you a number based on your actual car, not a general average.
Three Steps to Cash
- Tell us about the vehicle. Use the form or call us.
- Get your instant cash offer. Say yes or no, that’s up to you
- Choose a time. Our driver comes to you, checks the vehicle against your description, helps with the paperwork and pays you when the car is loaded. The tow is free.
Seden
Cabrio
Hatchback
Pickup
Bus
Rv
Suv
Van
Truck
Wagon
Frequently Asked Questions
What's PVA, and why should it matter to you?
It is the county’s Property Valuation Administrator, the office that handles vehicle valuations for property tax. It can help when a vehicle is being junked and taxes need to be confirmed as paid or excused.
Why does January 1 matter?
Kentucky assesses vehicle property tax based on who owned the vehicle on that date. If you sell after January 1, you may still owe the tax for that year.
Can I sell a car with unpaid property tax?
It can complicate the paperwork, and delinquent tax can hold up the title or registration. Sort it out with the county before you sell if you can.
I sold my car but the tax bill still came. What should I do?
Contact your county clerk. If the title and plate were not surrendered or the transfer was not recorded, the record may still be in your name.
If I sell to you, do I still deal with the clerk's office?
Usually yes, for the plate and the record. We will tell you what to expect for your situation.
What documents will the clerk's office ask for?
Typically the title, photo ID, your plate and sometimes proof that taxes are settled. Call ahead to confirm what your county needs.
Ask for Your Kentucky Cash Offer
A car sitting in the driveway does not get cheaper to keep, and the tax bill does not go away on its own. Send us the details, see what it is worth and get it sold the right way.