Scrapping a Car in British Columbia: What Sellers Are Responsible For (and What They’re Not)

The Most Important Thing to Know First

When you scrap a car in British Columbia, you are selling a vehicle to a an automotive recycler. What happens to the vehicle afterward; whether it’s repaired, resold, dismantled, or recycled; is decided later by the buyer.

Your responsibility ends once you complete the required seller steps and the vehicle is handed over properly.

Seller Responsibilities in British Columbia

If you’re scrapping a vehicle in BC, you are responsible for the following:

✅ What you must do as the seller

• Provide the vehicle registration document

• Complete and sign the Transfer/Tax Form (APV9T)

• Remove your licence plates

• Cancel your insurance with ICBC

• Hand the vehicle over to the buyer or tow operator

Once these steps are done, you are no longer responsible for the vehicle.

You do not need to:

• Register the vehicle again

• Declare it “scrapped” yourself

• Follow up with ICBC after pickup

• Track what happens to the car later

Buyer (Recycler) Responsibilities in British Columbia

After pickup, responsibility shifts fully to the recycler.

The buyer is responsible for:

• Taking lawful possession of the vehicle

• Holding it as off-road inventory

• Deciding whether the vehicle will be:

  • repaired and resold

  • sold to another business

  • dismantled

  • fully scrapped

• Registering or declaring the vehicle with ICBC when required

In BC, buyers are expected to complete registration steps within the required timeframe when the vehicle is being transferred or prepared for road use. For vehicles held off-road, registration may happen later as part of the buyer’s internal process.

Why Registration Doesn’t Always Happen Immediately

A common misunderstanding is that recyclers must instantly register every vehicle in their own name.

In practice:

• Vehicles picked up for recycling are not driven

• They are uninsured and unplated

• They are stored in secure yards

• They may be evaluated weeks later before a final decision is made

Because of this, registration is often completed only when the vehicle is resold or formally processed, not at pickup.

This is normal and accepted in real-world recycling operations.

Common Questions from Sellers

“Is the car still in my name if the recycler hasn’t registered it yet?”

Once you have:

• signed the transfer documents

• removed your plates

• cancelled your insurance

you are no longer responsible for the vehicle.

Registry updates may happen later, but your liability ends at the time of sale.

“Do I need to contact ICBC again after pickup?”

No. If the transfer documents were completed correctly and your plates were removed, your role is finished.

How EcoRecycle Makes Scrapping a Car in BC Easier

EcoRecycle is designed to remove confusion and risk for sellers by:

• Working only with verified, established automotive recyclers

• Making seller responsibilities clear upfront

• Ensuring pickup, paperwork, and seller exit happen as one step

• Preventing situations where sellers are asked to “deal with paperwork later”

You don’t need to understand ICBC processes or recycling workflows; EcoRecycle handles the complexity behind the scenes.

The Bottom Line

Scrapping a car in British Columbia is not about navigating bureaucracy. It’s about completing a clean handoff.

Once you’ve:

• signed the transfer,

• removed your plates, and

• cancelled insurance,

your responsibility ends.

Everything that happens afterward; resale, dismantling, or recycling; belongs to the buyer.

EcoRecycle exists to make sure that process is simple, compliant, and stress-free.