Papers you need to scrap a car in BC

When the paperwork isn't simple

Most pickups need nothing more than the short list. These are the situations that take an extra step, and how to handle each one.

01Why there's no title in BC

Many US states and some provinces use a title or ownership certificate. BC doesn't. Here, ICBC's registration does that job, and the insurance and registration are two parts of the same document, form APV250.

When you sell, the registration goes to the buyer with your signature on it, and the Transfer/Tax Form records the sale. A separate bill of sale isn't needed for a scrap pickup.

02Lost or damaged registration

If the registration has gone missing, been through the wash or is too faded to read, the registered owner can get a replacement at an Autoplan broker by showing photo ID.

Do this before pickup day. A driver can't load a car when nobody can show it's theirs, however obvious it seems that the car belongs to the person standing beside it.

03Two names on the registration

Every registered owner signs. That catches people out after a separation, or when a parent and an adult child bought a car together years ago.

If one owner can't be there, they can sign their part of the transfer form ahead of time, in original ink on all four pages, and send it with the registration. Tell us when you book so we know to expect it.

04Business and farm vehicles

A vehicle registered to a company or a farm business is signed for by someone with signing authority for that business. That's usually an owner, partner or officer.

If you're not sure what ICBC will want to see, an Autoplan broker can tell you before the pickup. It's a short call that saves a wasted trip.

05A loan or lien on the car

If there's money owing, the lender may have registered its interest in the car with BC's Personal Property Registry. You can check with a serial number search using the VIN through BC Registries. ICBC licensing offices no longer do lien searches.

If a lender shows up, the loan has to be paid out and the registration discharged before the car can be sold. Clear it before you book, not on the day.

06Bought it, but never transferred it

It happens more than you'd think: a car was bought years ago, the paperwork never went through, and the registration still shows the old owner.

ICBC has a process for this. It starts with a vehicle records search and can involve contacting the last registered owner by registered letter. Talk to an Autoplan broker first. Until the car is registered to you, you can't sell it.

07When the owner has died

A surviving joint owner, or the executor or administrator of the estate, can sell the car with the documents ICBC lists in its checklist for estate transfers, usually including the death certificate. Some smaller estates without a will can use an ICBC declaration form instead.

See ICBC's page for when an owner has passed away, and our estate and left-behind car page for how the pickup works.

08Write-offs and salvage brands

If ICBC or another insurer declared the car a total loss and paid the claim, the insurer usually owns it now. It isn't yours to sell.

If you kept the car, or never claimed, you can sell it as scrap whatever its status on the registry. Our wrecked car page covers crash damage in more detail.

09Plates, insurance and your copy of the form

Plates belong to ICBC. Keep them for your next vehicle, or return them to an Autoplan broker if you don't need them. Then deal with any insurance still on the car through your broker.

The buyer has 10 days to register the transfer with ICBC. Your seller's copy of the Transfer/Tax Form shows when the car left your name. ICBC's own steps are on its selling a used vehicle page.