Scrapping a Car in Ontario: the Paperwork, Plates and Permit Explained

Scrapping a car in Ontario is simpler than most people expect. There is no inspection to pass and no safety certificate to buy. In almost every case it comes down to three things: the vehicle permit, a piece of photo ID that matches it, and taking your plates off before the truck loads.

Here is what each of those actually means, what to do if you do not have the permit, and what happens to the vehicle after it leaves your driveway.

The short version

• The vehicle portion of the permit (your green ownership) goes with the car
• The plate portion stays with you
• Photo ID that matches the name on the permit
• Plates come off before we load — they belong to you, not the vehicle

1. The vehicle permit (the green ownership)

Ontario’s vehicle permit comes as one green sheet printed in two halves. The vehicle portion carries the VIN and the vehicle details. The plate portion carries your plate number. When a vehicle changes hands, the seller fills in the transfer section on the back of the vehicle portion and hands that half over. You keep the plate portion, because your plate number can move to your next car.

That is the same process whether you are selling to a neighbour or scrapping. Sign the back, hand over the vehicle half, keep the plate half.

2. Photo ID that matches the permit

Your ID has to match the name on the permit. This is the step that catches people out when the car belonged to a parent, a spouse, or a business. If the registered owner has passed away, or the vehicle is in a company name, or it was left behind on your property by a tenant, do not guess — the route is different in each case. Call us and describe the situation, and we will tell you honestly whether we can take it and what you would need.

3. Your plates stay with you

In Ontario, plates follow the driver, not the vehicle. Your plates are not part of the car and they should never leave on the back of a tow truck. Take them off before pickup — two screws, five minutes.

After that you have two choices. If you are putting the plates on another vehicle, hold on to them and to the plate portion of the permit. If you are done with them, return them to ServiceOntario. When you turn plates in, you can ask about a refund for any full months remaining on your plate sticker, where a sticker was required for your vehicle.

What happens to the car afterwards

Once a vehicle is written off or sent for scrap, it usually picks up a brand on its record. Ontario’s mandatory vehicle branding program uses four: None, Salvage, Rebuilt and Irreparable. A vehicle branded Salvage has been written off as a total loss but can, in principle, be repaired and re-inspected. A vehicle branded Irreparable is finished — it can only be used for parts or scrap, and it cannot be driven again in Ontario.

This matters to you for one reason: once the car is branded and gone, it is gone. Make sure you have taken everything out of it and that you are certain about scrapping before the truck arrives.

Three things you do not need

• A safety standards certificate. That is for putting a vehicle on the road, not for taking one off it.
• A Used Vehicle Information Package. A UVIP is what the law requires when you sell a used vehicle privately to another driver. It is not part of scrapping a car.
• A running engine, keys, or wheels. Most of what we pick up does not start. Our flatbed winches it on.

Getting it done in London

We come to you anywhere in London and the surrounding area, the tow is on us, and you are paid in cash before the vehicle leaves. Have the permit and your ID in hand, plates off and belongings out, and the whole thing takes about fifteen minutes at the curb.

Not sure about your paperwork? That is a two-minute phone call, not a problem. See how our scrap car removal works, or call and ask.

This article explains the general process in Ontario and is not legal advice. For your own situation ServiceOntario is the authority — or call us and we will point you the right way.