If a motor vehicle is completely unfit for use, it is your human right to be able to deregister the vehicle and get it scrapped. Sometimes, the vehicle has reached its age and is no longer worth fixing, or it has been in an irreparable accident. In this case, you can sell the car to a scrap yard or someone who will make use of the reusable metal parts. You therefore also have the right to pocket some cash from your scrap sale.

At CarZar, we are all about giving advice in ways that could offer you the best value for your vehicle. Unless your vehicle is desirable, selling a ‘right off’ car would be difficult and you will not get much out of the sale. However, scrapping a motor vehicle could offer you more. The cost of a scrapped car is dependent on South Africa’s current market price for particular metals, and the car’s make, model, weight and size. If you are looking for an exact estimated value for your car scraps, it is best to visit a scrap yard for a rapid estimate of the vehicle’s cost. If your vehicle is a common economy car, scrapping a vehicle in South Africa would be ‘money-wise’.

It is your human right to sell a car for scrap, as it is perfectly legal to scrap a vehicle in South Africa. However, it is your responsibility that you follow through with the legal steps to go about scrapping your vehicle.

Firstly, South African law reads that you need to follow a particular procedure if your motor vehicle becomes permanently unfit for use:

(a) Notify the vehicle’s titleholder

(b) At an appropriate registering authority, complete form CNP or MVR1A, within 3-months, to indicate that the motor vehicle has become permanently unfit for use

(c) Submit the vehicle’s registration certificate, to the relevant registering authority

Secondly, it is your right to ensure that the motor vehicle’s titleholder, as referred to in subregulation 1, takes responsibility to:

(a) Notify the appropriate registering authority, by completing form ADV, within 3-months, to indicate that the motor vehicle has become permanently unfit for use

(b) Notify the appropriate registering authority, within 3-months, that the motor vehicle has been permanently demolished, by completing form ADV1

(c) Submit the motor vehicle’s registration certificate or the certificate referred to in regulation 13B

(d) Submit an affidavit including the details of the deregistered motor vehicle, as demolished and its reasons

(e) Submit a demolition certificate including the place and date of demolition, and the name and address of the person who operates the demolition equipment

Thirdly, when receiving the notification receipt, as referred to in subregulation 1(b), 2(a)(b), 6(a) or 7(a), you have the human right to ensure that the registering authority:

(a) Ensure the notification is correct

(b) Update the relevant information relating to the registered motor vehicle

(c) Issue an acknowledgement of notification receipt, on form ARN, as referred to in subregulation 1(b) or 6(a)

(d) Issue a deregistration certificate, on form VDC, to the vehicle’s titleholder, as referred to in subregulation 2(a)(b) or 7(a)

Fourth, in terms of subregulation 3(c), if the registering authority acknowledges subregulation 1(b) notification receipt, you will not be liable for licensing the motor vehicle. This will be effective from the first day of the month, after the month in which the acknowledgement was issued.

Fifth, in terms of subregulation 3(b), if the vehicle’s record has been updated, the record update can be archived five years after the update.

Sixth, if notification of the permanent demolition has not been provided in terms of subregulation 1(b), it is your responsibility, within 3-months, to:

(a) Notify the registering authority on form CNV

(b) Comply with subregulation 1 (a), (b) and (c)

Seventh, if permanent demolition of the vehicle has not be indicated in the notification referred to in subregulation 2(a) or (b), it is the vehicle titleholder responsibility, within 3-months of demolition, to:

(a) Notify the registering authority on form ADV1

(b) Comply with subregulation (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e)

After following all the appropriate legal procedures necessary, it is your human right to be able to sell your car for scrap. When negotiating a scrap price, it is important to not that the price will not hold the same book value as an undamaged vehicle, and asking for more than what is worth will create a bargaining space. It is vital to be knowledgeable of the condition of your car’s mechanical parts, its interior and severity of the damage inflicted on the car; as well as have the car’s registration documents or proof of ownership at hand.

Scrapping a motor vehicle is not only a human right, but it is also legal. Follow CarZar’s advice on how to legally sell your car for scrap, in order to ensure a safe damaged car selling experience.

The above information, as retrieved from gov.za, is simply a guide and does not change any laws, rules and regulations, as stipulated in the South African National Road Traffic Act or National Road Traffic Regulations.

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