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Quick overview
The short answer
Part out a car only if you want the project. You might earn more from a few good parts, but you will spend weeks pulling them, listing them, answering buyers and shipping, and the car you started with is still sitting there. Sell it whole if what you want is for the car to be gone.
Check the Nevada rule before you pick up a wrench
The Nevada statute on this is short. NRS 487.050 says it is "unlawful for any person to dismantle, scrap, process or wreck any vehicle without first applying for and obtaining a license" from the DMV. Another section, NRS 487.047, describes the licensed work as including "removing or selling an individual part or parts" of a vehicle.
We could not find an exception in the text for an owner taking apart their own car. We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice, so ask the Nevada DMV whether your situation needs a license before you start.
What parting out really involves
- Time. Removing each part without damaging it, photographing it, pricing it and replying to buyers.
- Tools and space. Some parts need proper tools, and removed parts need somewhere dry to wait for a buyer.
- Selling and shipping. Listings, no-shows, lowball offers, packing and shipping heavy parts.
- Leftovers. Parts that never sell, and fluids that must be handled properly.
- The shell. The stripped car still has to go somewhere.
What happens to the shell, the title and the plates
Once the parts are gone, the car is still registered to you.
- Registration and title. NRS 482.470 says that when a vehicle is dismantled, junked or rendered inoperable, the owner delivers the registration and title to the DMV, unless the title is needed to collect insurance or to transfer the vehicle to dispose of it.
- Plates. They stay with you, not the car. See what to do with your plates.
- The shell itself. It needs a licensed wrecker or recycler, which is another thing to arrange after weeks of work.
When selling whole makes more sense
Selling the car whole is usually the better fit when:
- the car doesn't run, or has major damage;
- you want it off your property quickly;
- you don't have the tools, space or time;
- you don't want to arrange for the shell afterwards.
Parting out might be worth considering when you have the experience, the space, buyers already waiting for specific parts, and have checked with the DMV. Even then, the question is what you net after your time and costs, not the price of the best part. Our guide on what decides a junk car's value explains how a whole-car offer is built, and what happens to your car after you sell it shows what the buyer does with it.
If your title is missing or isn't in your name, read selling a car without a title in Nevada and selling a car that isn't in your name first.
If you sell it whole to us
We buy cars you fully own, running or not. You get an offer online in about two minutes and choose a pickup time from the windows offered when you accept. You are paid at pickup. The tow is free, there are no fees taken from your offer, and we handle the title transfer at no cost.
These Nevada rules apply across the state. The quote and pickup details above are for cars in the Las Vegas area.
Common questions
- Is it worth selling a car for parts?
- Only if you have the time, tools, space and buyers for it. Pulling, listing, shipping and answering buyers is a project of weeks, and you still have to deal with what is left of the car. If you need it gone, selling it whole is one step.
- Can I sell a car for parts in Nevada without a license?
- Read the statute before you start. NRS 487.050 makes it unlawful to dismantle, scrap, process or wreck any vehicle without a license from the DMV, and NRS 487.047 describes that licensed work as including removing or selling individual parts. We could not find an exception for an owner stripping their own car, so ask the Nevada DMV first. This is not legal advice.
- What do I do with the car after I strip it?
- You still own a shell that needs a licensed wrecker or recycler. NRS 482.470 says that when a vehicle is dismantled, junked or made inoperable, the owner delivers the registration and title to the DMV, unless the title is needed for an insurance claim or to transfer the vehicle for disposal.
- Can I sell a car for parts without a title?
- A buyer will usually still want the title, and we buy cars you fully own with the title in your name. If your title is lost or isn't in your name, start with our guide to selling a car without a title in Nevada.
- How much can I get for my car's parts?
- There is no reliable number, because it depends on the model, which parts are intact, and whether anyone wants them. Add up the parts you could realistically sell, subtract your costs and your time, then compare that with an offer for the whole car.
- Do I need to remove my license plates?
- Yes. Nevada plates stay with you, not the vehicle. The DMV says to reuse them on another vehicle or turn them in for cancellation, and our plates guide covers the steps.
- Can I sell a car that doesn't run?
- Yes. We buy cars running or not. Describe the condition honestly and the quote prices it directly.
- Does the catalytic converter change the decision?
- It can be one of the more valuable single parts, but removing it is part of the dismantling question above. See our guide to what a catalytic converter adds to a junk car before you decide.
