Do a 15-minute sweep before the tow truck arrives. Remove your garage-door remote, spare house keys, toll transponder, parking permits, disability placards, insurance card, registration, glovebox papers, personal items, and valuables. Check under seats, visors, door pockets, the center console, trunk, and spare-tire well. Factory-reset the infotainment system so Bluetooth pairings, HomeLink, saved addresses, and contacts are gone. Leave the keys and the signed-over title with the car.
Your pre-pickup checklist
Remove security items first
Start with anything that can open or identify access to your home, office, storage unit, or gated parking. Pull the garage-door remote from the visor or console. Check the key ring for spare house keys, mailbox keys, office fobs, and storage keys. Look for gate cards in door pockets and cup holders. Keep these items with you, not in the vehicle.
Pull billing items
Remove the toll transponder from the windshield, dashboard, or glovebox. Then log in to the toll account and remove the donated vehicle from that account. Do the same for paid parking apps, garage permits, campus passes, workplace decals, and fuel cards. If a permit is stuck to the glass, photograph it before removing it so you can follow up with the issuer.
Clear glovebox documents
Take out your insurance card, registration, old repair orders, inspection papers, receipts, warranty booklets with your name, and any loan or lien paperwork. Shred documents you do not need. Vehicle paperwork rules vary. Some states require certain transfer papers to stay with the vehicle; others do not. For Kentucky-specific questions about what must remain beyond the signed-over title, check the Kentucky DMV.
Sweep cabin and trunk
Work front to back. Check under both front seats, between seat cushions, seat-back pockets, door pockets, visors, the center console, cup holders, floor mats, and cargo organizers. Then open the trunk or hatch. Look in side compartments, tool trays, emergency kits, and the spare-tire well. Remove sunglasses, medications, cash, chargers, work badges, children’s items, and anything with your address.
Wipe stored vehicle data
Factory-reset the infotainment system if the vehicle powers on. Delete Bluetooth pairings, call logs, saved contacts, navigation history, garage-door programming, HomeLink buttons, saved home address, favorite destinations, and app logins. Remove USB drives, SD cards, CDs, and phone cables. If you cannot complete a full reset, manually delete every profile and pairing you can find in the settings menu.
Remove optional add-ons carefully
If you plan to keep aftermarket items, remove them before pickup. Common examples include dash cams, removable GPS units, upgraded stereo faceplates, bike racks, roof-rack accessories, child seats, seat covers, and phone mounts. Do not strip required parts or damage the vehicle. Leave the car intact and matching the condition you described to Bluegrass Wheels when the donation was arranged.
Leave transfer items in place
Put the keys with the vehicle where the tow driver can receive them. Leave the signed-over title with the car, protected from weather and easy to identify. Do not pack the title with your personal papers by mistake. If there are multiple keys, remotes, or fobs that belong to the vehicle, leave those too unless Bluegrass Wheels instructed you otherwise.
Final pass before tow
Stand at the driver’s door and do one last scan. Ask: Can this item identify me, charge me, unlock something, or store my data? If yes, remove it. Check the glovebox twice because insurance cards, registrations, and medical cards often hide behind manuals. Check the trunk twice because tools, sports gear, and emergency bags are easy to forget. For license plates, see our separate guide: License Plates After Donating a Car. For release of liability, see our separate guide: Release of Liability After Donating a Car.
Common questions
Should I leave the title in the glovebox?
Leave the signed-over title with the car, but place it where it will not be missed or damaged. A sealed envelope on the driver’s seat is usually easier to spot than a document buried in the glovebox. Keep a copy or photo for your records before pickup.
What if I forget a toll transponder?
Remove it before the vehicle leaves if you can. A transponder may keep billing your account if the vehicle is driven, moved, or scanned later. Also remove the donated vehicle from the toll account online or by contacting the toll agency after you take the device out.
Do I have to factory-reset the infotainment system?
Do it if the system powers on. A reset helps remove phone pairings, contacts, call history, garage-door programming, saved addresses, and navigation favorites. If you cannot find a factory reset option, delete each phone, profile, HomeLink setting, and saved destination manually.
Can I keep my dash cam or child seat?
Yes, if it belongs to you and can be removed without damaging the vehicle. Take out dash cams, child seats, removable GPS units, bike-rack accessories, and personal mounts before the tow. Leave built-in equipment and required vehicle parts in place.
More donation prep guides
A clean sweep protects your privacy and prevents avoidable charges after donation. Take 15 minutes, remove personal and billable items, wipe stored data, and leave the keys and signed-over title with the car. Bluegrass Wheels provides free pickup and supports Heritage for the Blind (EIN 58-2164446). When your sweep is done, you are ready for the handoff.