Do a 15-minute sweep before your car leaves. Remove the garage-door remote, spare house keys, toll transponder, parking permits, disability placards, insurance card, registration, glovebox papers, and all personal items. Check the trunk, under seats, visors, seat-back pockets, center console, and spare-tire well. Factory-reset the infotainment system, including Bluetooth pairings, HomeLink, saved addresses, and garage codes. Leave the keys and the signed-over title with the car.
Your pre-pickup checklist
Secure remotes and keys
Start with anything that opens a door or gate. Take the garage-door remote, building fob, gate card, spare house keys, office keys, storage-unit keys, and any valet key that is not needed to operate the vehicle. Check the visor clip, cup holders, door pockets, key tray, and center console. Keep only the vehicle keys set aside for the tow driver.
Stop toll billing
Remove every toll transponder, sticker tag, or portable pass from the windshield, console, or glovebox. Then log in to your toll account and remove this vehicle from the account, if your account allows it. Do both steps. Pulling the device helps, but the plate or vehicle record may still be linked to billing until you update the account.
Pull glovebox documents
Take out the insurance card, registration, inspection receipts, repair invoices, owner documents with personal notes, and any envelope that contains your address, policy number, or account number. Look behind the manual and in side sleeves. Do not mix these papers with the title. The signed-over title is not a personal document for this sweep; it must stay with the car.
Sweep cabin and trunk
Work front to back. Check under the seats, between cushions, door pockets, seat-back pockets, visors, overhead sunglass holders, center console, cup holders, trunk corners, cargo nets, and the spare-tire well. Remove cash, tools, sunglasses, medications, chargers, work badges, parking permits, disability placards, children’s items, and anything with personal or medical information on it.
Wipe saved vehicle data
Use the vehicle settings menu to factory-reset the infotainment system when possible. Delete Bluetooth pairings, call logs, stored contacts, navigation history, saved home address, garage codes, and HomeLink buttons. If the car has a connected app, remove the vehicle from your app account too. If the screen is dead, remove what you can and note that the reset was not possible.
Remove optional add-ons
Take aftermarket items you own and still want, such as a dash cam, removable phone mount, upgraded stereo faceplate, portable jump starter, child seat, cargo organizer, or seat cover. Keep the car intact and as described when you donated it. Do not remove factory parts, catalytic converters, airbags, batteries, or built-in equipment unless you already disclosed that condition.
Leave pickup essentials
Place the vehicle keys and the signed-over title with the car, or hand them directly to the tow driver if that is your pickup instruction. Include keys needed to unlock, start, and move the vehicle. Do not leave credit cards, checkbooks, medical papers, personal mail, or extra house keys with the title. The car should leave with only donation essentials inside.
Items handled elsewhere
This page is only the remove-from-the-car checklist. Vehicle paperwork rules can vary by state; if your title instructions, registration status, or official records do not match what you expected, contact the Pennsylvania DMV before the car leaves. For plates, see our License Plate Guide. For liability notice, see our Release of Liability Guide. Keep those tasks separate from this 15-minute sweep so you do not accidentally send personal items away with the vehicle.
Common questions
Should I remove a toll transponder if the account is closed?
Yes. Remove the physical tag or sticker if you can do so safely. Then check the toll account record, even if you believe it is closed. You want both the device and the vehicle removed from billing wherever the account system allows it.
What if I forget something in the donated car?
Call Steel City Wheels as soon as you notice. Give your name, vehicle description, and the missing item. Retrieval may not be possible after the vehicle leaves, so the best protection is the full cabin, trunk, and electronics sweep before pickup.
Can I remove aftermarket parts before pickup?
You may remove personal aftermarket items, such as a dash cam, child seat, removable stereo faceplate, or phone mount. Keep the vehicle intact and consistent with the condition you described. If removing something changes the car’s condition, contact Steel City Wheels before pickup.
More donation prep guides
A clean sweep protects your privacy, your accounts, and the next handling step for the vehicle. Take 15 minutes, start with security items, stop billing links, remove documents and valuables, reset saved data, and leave the keys and signed-over title with the car. Your donation through Steel City Wheels benefits Heritage for the Blind (EIN 58-2164446). If you are ready, keep this checklist open while you do the sweep.