Do a 15-minute sweep before the tow truck leaves. Remove your garage-door remote, spare house keys, toll transponder, parking permits, disability placards, insurance card, registration, glovebox papers, valuables, and personal items. Check under seats, visors, consoles, seat-back pockets, the trunk, and spare-tire well. Factory-reset the infotainment system to clear Bluetooth pairings, HomeLink, and saved addresses. Leave the keys and the signed-over title with the car.
Your pre-pickup checklist
Remove security access items
Start with anything that opens a door or points back to your home. Take the garage-door remote from the visor, console, or door pocket. Remove spare house keys, building fobs, gate cards, mailbox keys, storage-unit keys, and valet keys that are not needed to move the vehicle. If a remote is built into a detachable clip or visor organizer, take the whole item with you.
Pull billing and account items
Next, remove anything tied to automatic billing. Take out the toll transponder, parking pass, hangtag, workplace permit, apartment permit, and disability placard. Then log in to the toll account and remove this vehicle from the account. Do this even if the transponder is already in your hand, because some systems also bill by license plate or vehicle profile.
Clear documents from glovebox
Open the glovebox and door pockets. Remove the insurance card, registration copy, repair receipts, warranty papers, emissions paperwork, roadside cards, old citations, and any notes with addresses or account numbers. Keep your donation receipt paperwork separate from the vehicle sweep. Do not leave checkbooks, medical papers, school forms, or anything showing a Social Security number.
Sweep cabin and trunk
Work front to back. Check under both front seats, between seat cushions, seat-back pockets, cup holders, the center console, visors, sunglasses holders, cargo pockets, and floor mats. Then check the trunk, cargo area, side compartments, tool tray, jack compartment, and spare-tire well. Look for cash, jewelry, sunglasses, chargers, medications, garage clickers, photos, and children’s items.
Wipe stored electronic data
Use the vehicle settings menu to factory-reset the infotainment system if you can. Delete Bluetooth pairings, contacts, call history, navigation favorites, saved home and work addresses, garage-door programming such as HomeLink, Wi-Fi settings, apps, and connected profiles. If the screen does not work, remove paired phones from your phone’s Bluetooth list and change passwords for any connected apps.
Remove optional add-ons carefully
You may take aftermarket items you installed, such as a dash cam, phone mount, upgraded stereo faceplate, removable speakers, roof rack accessories, or child seats. Do not strip required parts or change the vehicle from the condition you described. Leave the car intact, rollable if it was described that way, and with any standard equipment that belongs with it.
Leave title and keys
After the sweep, place the keys where the driver can get them and keep the signed-over title with the vehicle as instructed. Include every key needed to move or access the car, such as ignition, door, trunk, and wheel-lock keys if you have them. Do not leave extra household keys, account cards, or unrelated paperwork with the title.
Paperwork and state questions
Rules for proof of ownership, plate handling, and transfer reporting can vary by state; when instructions differ or your title has unusual names, ask the New Mexico DMV before handing over the vehicle. For license plates, see our separate guide, License Plates After Donation. For release of liability, see our separate guide, Release of Liability After Donation. Keep your own copies of donation, title, and account-removal records in a folder or phone photo album.
Common questions
What if I forget something in the car?
Call Valor Wheels as soon as you notice. Describe the item and where it was located. Recovery is not always possible once a vehicle has left, so the best protection is a full sweep before pickup. Check small spaces first: consoles, visor clips, seat gaps, cargo pockets, and the spare-tire area.
Should I cancel my insurance before pickup?
Do not rely on the donation sweep as insurance advice. Many donors wait until the vehicle is picked up and the transfer paperwork is complete, but rules and policy terms can differ. Call your insurance company, tell them the vehicle is being donated, and ask when they want the policy changed or cancelled.
Can I remove my upgraded stereo or dash cam?
Yes, if it is yours and removal does not damage the vehicle or change the condition you described. Take loose accessories, dash cams, mounts, detachable faceplates, and child seats. Leave required vehicle parts in place. If removing something creates exposed wiring or prevents the car from being moved, leave it alone.
Do I need to leave the title inside the car?
Yes. The signed-over title should stay with the car according to your donation instructions. Keep it separate from old glovebox papers so it is easy to find. The keys should stay with the vehicle too. Remove unrelated documents, but do not take the signed-over title away with you.
More donation prep guides
A clean sweep protects your privacy, your accounts, and your home access before the car leaves with Valor Wheels. Remove personal, valuable, billable, and digital items first. Then leave the keys and signed-over title with the vehicle. Your donation benefits Heritage for the Blind (EIN 58-2164446). When your checklist is complete, you are ready for the handoff.