The Florida Derelict Vehicle Certificate Explained
A Florida derelict motor vehicle certificate is a state document, created with HSMV form 82137, that cancels a car's title and sends it to be scrapped. It is meant for a vehicle worth under $1,000 that is at least ten model years old, and it is often used when the title is missing. Once issued, the car can never be titled again and a licensed salvage buyer must hold it before dismantling.
Last updated July 2026
What a derelict vehicle certificate actually is
In Florida, a derelict motor vehicle certificate is a document the state issues that says a car is headed to the crusher instead of back onto the road. It is created with HSMV form 82137, the Application for a Derelict Motor Vehicle Certificate and Request to Cancel Title. Under Florida Statute 319.30, a "derelict" is basically a vehicle whose highest value is in its scrap metal. Once the certificate is issued, the old title is cancelled and that vehicle can never be titled again. It has one destination: dismantling or scrap.
That is what makes this certificate different from a normal title transfer or even a salvage title. There is no rebuilding and no reselling to a driver. It is a one way trip for cars that are truly done.
When your car qualifies
The state built this path for low value, older vehicles, so there are two plain rules.
The two rules
- The vehicle must be worth under $1,000.
- It must be at least ten model years old, and the state counts the model year itself as year one.
If your car clears both of those, it can move through the derelict process. This route was made for the high mileage sedan sitting on flat tires, the non running truck in the side yard, or the flood and fire car that will never crank again.
Why it exists and when you would use it
The derelict certificate really shines when the title is missing. Form 82137 is designed for the owner who wants to sell or deliver a vehicle to a licensed salvage dealer or a registered secondary metals recycler when the regular title, salvage title, or certificate of destruction is not available. Instead of chasing a duplicate title first, the owner and the buyer use this one application to cancel the old title and document that the car is being scrapped.
If you have lost your paperwork, our full walkthrough on how to sell a junk car without a title in Florida covers your options side by side. And if you do still have your title in hand, you usually will not need this route at all. In that case, see what paperwork you need to junk a car.
Who can use form HSMV 82137
The form is completed by the vehicle owner together with the buyer. In practice that means:
- You, the registered owner, sign the application and swear to the details of the car.
- A licensed salvage motor vehicle dealer or a registered secondary metals recycler receives the vehicle.
- The buyer submits the paperwork to the state and holds the vehicle before it is dismantled.
A reputable junk buyer does this every week and fills out most of it with you, so you are not decoding a state form on your own.
How a junk buyer handles it
Here is the part most sellers care about, which is what actually happens after you say yes.
1. We confirm the car meets the two rules and verify your identity and ownership.
2. We complete form 82137 with you and you sign it.
3. We pay you and take the vehicle, usually same day.
4. We file for the derelict certificate and cancel the title with the state.
The holding period
The law does not let a buyer crush the car the moment it lands. A salvage dealer must hold the vehicle for three business days after the derelict certificate is issued before dismantling or destroying it. If the car carries a lien that is less than three years old, that hold stretches to ten calendar days. That window protects lienholders and lets the record settle.
You do not have to wait around for any of it. Once you are paid and the car is gone, your part is finished. Remember to pull your plate and cancel your registration and insurance so nothing lingers in your name.
Get a cash offer on your derelict car
If your vehicle is worth under $1,000 and at least ten model years old, we can turn it into cash and handle the derelict paperwork for you. We buy across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, and Polk counties, and you can see every town we cover on our service areas page. Call or text our cars line at (689) 309-2252 for a quick number, or get an offer online and we will take it from there.
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