Sell a flooded car in New Orleans
Water in the engine, the computer or the wiring changes how a car can be sold in Louisiana. Any seller has to tell the buyer about flood damage in writing, and a car an insurer totaled in a declared disaster gets a title that means it can only be dismantled or crushed. Selling a flooded car to a salvage yard is the straight path, because the yard is buying it for parts and scrap, not to drive.
How selling a flooded car works
- Do not try to start a car that sat in water; it can wreck the engine further
- Tell the yard how high the water got (floorboards, seats, dashboard) and how long it sat
- Say what title you have: a regular title, a water damage title, or a Certificate of Destruction
- If insurance is involved, say whether the claim is settled and who has the title
- Fill out the flood damage disclosure the buyer gives you, or ask the yard for one
- After the sale, file your notice of sale with the OMV
When does this fit?
- The car sat in floodwater from a storm or street flooding
- You had no comprehensive coverage and the car is still in your name
- Your insurer totaled the car and you kept it or bought it back
- The car runs but has electrical problems that started after water got in
- The car has a Certificate of Destruction and you need it gone
Common questions
Do I have to tell the buyer my car was flooded?
Yes. Louisiana says no person selling a vehicle may transfer it without written notice of flood damage, and private sellers use form DPSMV1637, per OMV Policy 76.00. A buyer who was not told can sue to undo the sale within one year.
What is a Certificate of Destruction?
It is the title an insurer gets for a car that flooded in a declared disaster and was declared a total loss. A car with one can never be registered again and must be dismantled, parted out or crushed, under R.S. 32:707.3. Ask the yard whether it takes Certificate of Destruction cars.
Can I sell a flooded car that is still in my name?
Yes. If you had no comprehensive coverage, the car usually still has its normal title in your name. You still owe the buyer the written flood disclosure. The flooded car guide covers each case.
Which parts of Greater New Orleans?
Each part of the metro has its own junk and abandoned car rules. Pick yours.
Ready for selling a flooded car?
Call or text with the year, make, model and where the car sits. The yard gives you its number.