How to scrap your car
If you’re considering scrapping your vehicle, you’re not alone. Many cars reach a point where they’re no longer economical to repair or too old to re-sell. That’s where car scrapping guidance becomes essential — and we’re here to walk you through it.
Jamjar offers practical and easy-to-follow car scrapping guidance to help you get the best value from your vehicle while staying on the right side of the law. Whether your car has failed its MOT or has been written off, scrapping can be a smart and hassle-free option when done right.
Our car scrapping guidance explains everything from finding an authorised treatment facility to arranging your Certificate of Destruction and notifying the DVLA. These steps are vital in avoiding fines and ensuring your responsibilities are fully met.
With our help, you can compare quotes from trusted scrap buyers, understand what paperwork is needed, and discover how to get paid promptly and securely. We also break down what parts of your car may hold extra value and how to handle them.
If this is your first time looking into scrapping your car, or if you’re just unsure of what to expect, our complete car scrapping guidance is the best place to start. We’re here to give you clarity and confidence at every stage of the process.
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The UK government has introduced a few different laws over the years that have a direct bearing on how we scrap cars. The most important one is that, if you’re responsible for scrapping the car yourself (as opposed to your insurance company handling a write off), you have to make sure the car goes to an authorised treatment facility (ATF). This is because some of the substances released during the scrapping process, like battery acid and engine oil, are harmful to the environment and potentially hazardous.
Getting your car scrapped by a non-authorised company is a criminal offence. All of the buyers who will buy your car for scrap through Jamjar are fully authorised and will provide you with a Certificate of Destruction.
Another regulation you need to be aware of is that it’s illegal to accept cash in return for your vehicle. You can accept payment, but that payment must be carried out in another way. This law was introduced to ensure that transactions are traceable and above board.
The most important document to have in your possession if you’re thinking about scrapping your car is the V5C (also known as a logbook). The document will pass to the firm that’s scrapping your car, in exchange for your Certificate of Destruction.
Read more: What documents do I need to scrap my car?
It’s essential that you inform the DVLA once you’ve scrapped your car. Failing to do so will result in you being required to continue paying road tax. Once you’ve informed them, you’ll also be refunded for any tax you’ve already paid for but no longer need.
Just because you won’t get as much money for scrapping a car as you would for selling it in better condition doesn’t mean you settle for the first price you see. The local scrapyard or the first place you land online won’t necessarily make you the best offer. Before making a decision, be sure to look at multiple different offers to work out what you can expect to receive for your car.
Jamjar makes this part of the job much easier than it could be. Enter your reg number into our scrap my car page and sit back as the quotes appear on your screen. We source the best offers we can find for your make and model from buyers around the country and present you with the full details of any quote so that you can decide which is best. Weigh up a number of factors, including the availability of collection and the location of the buyer, then simply click on the offer you’d like to take. It’s that easy.
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