Do a 15-minute sweep before the tow truck leaves. Remove the garage-door remote, spare house keys, toll transponder, parking permits, disability placards, insurance card, registration, glovebox papers, personal items, cash, chargers, and anything in the trunk. Then factory-reset the infotainment system: delete Bluetooth pairings, HomeLink buttons, navigation history, and any saved home address. Leave the keys and the signed-over title with the car.
Your pre-pickup checklist
Remove security items first
Start with anything that could open your home, building, storage unit, or gate. Take the garage-door remote off the visor or console. Remove spare house keys, mailbox keys, gate fobs, and building access cards from the key ring, glovebox, cupholder, and console. Check magnetic key boxes under bumpers or inside wheel wells if you used one.
Pull billing items next
Remove the toll transponder, whether it is a sticker, suction-cup unit, or hard-case tag. Then log in to the toll account and remove this vehicle from the account so future tolls are not billed to you. While you are working near the windshield and mirror, take down parking permits, hangtags, campus passes, and disability placards.
Clear glovebox documents
Take out the insurance card, registration, repair receipts, owner paperwork with personal notes, and any envelope that lists your address, phone number, policy number, or loan information. Check the glovebox, manual pouch, door pockets, and center console. Keep only the signed-over title ready for the car; do not leave extra personal records behind.
Sweep cabin and trunk
Work front to back. Look under the seats, between cushions, inside seat-back pockets, under floor mats, in cupholders, inside the center console, behind visors, and in door bins. Then check the trunk, cargo side pockets, tool tray, jack compartment, and spare-tire well. Remove cash, chargers, sunglasses, medications, mail, work gear, and personal keepsakes.
Wipe vehicle electronics data
Factory-reset the infotainment system if the vehicle has one. Delete Bluetooth pairings, call logs, text-message access, contact lists, Wi-Fi connections, navigation history, garage-door/HomeLink settings, and saved addresses such as home, work, school, or a relative’s house. If you cannot find a full reset, delete each stored item manually from the settings menus.
Remove optional aftermarket items
Take portable add-ons you plan to keep, such as dash cams, phone mounts, removable GPS units, seat organizers, upgraded floor mats, child seats, and personal emergency kits. If you installed an upgraded stereo, speakers, or other parts, remove them only if doing so does not change the vehicle from how you described it. Leave the car intact.
Leave keys and title
Put the vehicle keys and the signed-over title with the car. Include the ignition key, door key, key fob, and any wheel-lock key if you have it. A simple envelope can help keep the title clean and easy to hand over. Do not pack the keys into a box of removed items or take the title back inside.
Items handled in other guides
This page covers only the sweep of items inside, attached to, or stored in the vehicle. Keep your signed title and keys in one car-ready envelope, and keep removed items in a separate pile so nothing gets mixed back in while you clean. For license plates, use our License Plates After Donation guide. For release-of-liability tasks, use our Release of Liability After Donation guide. If a state instruction is unclear or varies by title situation, confirm it directly with the Florida DMV.
Common questions
What if I cannot factory-reset the screen?
Delete what you can manually. Start with paired phones, contacts, call history, messages, Wi-Fi networks, navigation destinations, and saved home address. Check separate menus for garage-door or HomeLink settings. If the battery is dead or the screen will not turn on, remove personal items and note the data issue for your records.
Should I remove a child seat or booster seat?
Yes. Remove child seats, booster seats, mirrors, window shades, seat protectors, and toys. These are personal items, not vehicle parts. Check underneath and behind the seat before taking it out because cards, pacifiers, keys, and small electronics often slide into the gaps.
Can I remove an upgraded stereo or dash cam?
You may remove portable or aftermarket items you did not intend to donate, such as a dash cam, removable GPS, subwoofer box, or upgraded mats. Do not strip factory equipment or leave exposed wiring, holes, or missing parts if that changes the vehicle from the condition you reported.
More donation prep guides
A clean 15-minute sweep protects your privacy, your accounts, and the donation paperwork. Once the car is cleared, keep the keys and signed-over title with the vehicle and set removed items aside before free pickup. Palm Motor Legacy supports vehicle donations benefiting Heritage for the Blind (EIN 58-2164446). If you are unsure about any item, contact Palm Motor Legacy for help before you finish.