Donating Automobiles

If you have a used or junk car that you would like to get rid of, consider donating it to a charity. Multiple organizations in the Detroit area will accept donations of used automobiles, including:

• Charity Motors, based in Detroit.
• Mother Waddles soup kitchen.
• Wheels for Wishes, part of Make-A-Wish
  
• Donate a Car 2 Charity
• American Council for the Blind donation program
• Purple Heart
• Veteran Car Donations
• Vehicles for Veterans
• Other charities may also accept donations of automobiles

FAQ on Donating Automobiles

Courtesy of Charity Motors

Q. Can I still claim fair market Blue Book value?
A. Yes. The IRS has stated that if you donate a car to a charity that is going to significantly reduce the price of the car in order to help underprivileged individuals with transportation and that is the organizations charitable purpose, then the car donor can claim the fair market value not to exceed the private party value listed in the Blue Book appraisal guide. Therefore, car donors of vehicles that are determined not to be scrap and are used in Charity Motors' special transportation assistance program to help the underprivileged with transportation, can now deduct fair market value not to exceed the private party value listed in any Blue Book. 

Q. Is Charity Motors a tax-deductible organization? 
A. Yes. Charity Motors is a 501(c)3 organization and has been approved by the IRS to receive donated items and issue a tax-deductible donation receipt for donated items. 

Q. Is Charity Motors licensed? 
A. Yes. Since its inception, Charity Motors has been licensed to solicit and sell donated items. 

Q. Does the vehicle title get transferred out of my name? 
A. Yes. Charity Motors is just one of a few car donation programs that has a dealer's license. With this license, Charity Motors is able to transfer the title out of the donor's name in accordance with the state laws. 

Q. Do I have to designate from a certain list of charities? 
A. No. You can pick any 501(c)3 organization to receive the proceeds from your donated item. For example, you could choose a church, private school, human service organization, civic or cultural organization, medical foundation, etc. Charity Motors has supported several thousands of different charitable organizations. 

Q. Does Charity Motors take other items besides vehicles? 
A. Yes. We accept boats, motorcycles, RV's, camper trailers, and in some cases we will also accept real estate

Junking Your Car

Misplaced Title

Without the title, you cannot sell, donate, or junk your automobile. However, the Michigan Secretary of State can grant an Instant Title.

Individuals who have lost an existing Michigan title and need to obtain a duplicate title immediately can take advantage of instant title service at several branch offices; a list is located here.

In addition to the $15 title fee, there is an extra $5 fee for instant title service. All owners must appear to sign the title application. If an owner cannot appear, they may complete and sign an Appointment of Agent form designating another individual to sign on their behalf.

Every instant title application is unique, but all persons processing a title application must present a Michigan or out-of-state photo driver license or ID card. Also, the vehicle identification number or hull identification number (for watercraft) is required for every instant title application.

Please check with our Information Center at 1-888-SOS-MICH (1-888-767-6424) to make sure you have all the correct paperwork before traveling to an instant title branch office.