Do a 15-minute sweep before the tow truck arrives. Remove the garage-door remote, spare house keys, toll transponder, parking permits, disability placards, insurance card, registration, glovebox papers, valuables, and personal items. Check the console, under seats, trunk, visors, and seat-back pockets. Factory-reset the infotainment system, including Bluetooth pairings, HomeLink, 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 opens a door, gate, garage, office, mailbox, or storage unit. Pull the garage-door remote from the visor or console. Remove spare house keys, gate cards, building fobs, work badges, and hidden key boxes. Check the key ring too. Keep only the car keys with the vehicle for pickup.
Pull billable account items
Remove the toll transponder from the windshield or glovebox. Then sign in to the toll account and remove the vehicle from the account so future charges do not follow the donated car. Also pull paid parking permits, apartment parking stickers if removable, ferry passes, car-wash tags, fuel cards, and any device tied to billing.
Take glovebox documents out
Open the glovebox and door pockets. Remove your insurance card, old registrations, service papers with your name, warranty folders, financing letters, receipts, and any medical, school, work, or address documents. If you want maintenance records to stay with the car, first remove pages that show personal account numbers or private contact details.
Sweep cabin and trunk
Do one slow lap through the car. Check under every seat, between cushions, seat-back pockets, cupholders, visors, the center console, door bins, cargo pockets, and the trunk. Lift the trunk floor and check the spare-tire well. Look for sunglasses, tools, jewelry, cash, medications, chargers, child items, beach gear, and anything you do not want leaving with the tow truck.
Wipe stored digital data
Use the infotainment menu to delete personal data or run a factory reset. Remove Bluetooth pairings, call logs, contacts, garage controls through HomeLink, navigation history, saved home and work addresses, Wi-Fi settings, app logins, and paired driver profiles. If the car has a phone app, remove the vehicle from that app too.
Remove optional add-ons carefully
You may remove personal aftermarket items such as dash cams, upgraded stereos, GPS units, phone mounts, custom floor mats, roof-rack accessories, and child seats. Do not strip parts that make the car different from how you described it. Leave the vehicle intact, safe to tow, and in the same general condition Coastal Wheels was told to expect.
Leave keys and title
Put the car keys where the driver can receive them. Leave the signed-over title with the car, following the instructions you were given for signing. Do not leave unrelated paperwork in the glovebox. If you have multiple keys, remotes, or a valet key, include the vehicle keys and keep non-vehicle keys with you.
Items tied to accounts
Anything tied to a payment account, access account, subscription, or personal credential should come out before donation. That includes toll tags, parking permits, disability placards, building fobs, car-wash memberships, fuel cards, and connected-vehicle apps. Account rules can vary by agency, landlord, employer, or state program. Remove the physical item first, then update the account or ask the issuing office what to do. If a state-controlled credential rule is unclear, confirm it with the Florida DMV rather than guessing.
Use the separate paperwork guides
This checklist is only for the cleanout sweep: what to remove from the vehicle and what to leave in it. Keep the focus on privacy, billing, access, and the title handoff so the donation does not carry your personal items away.
For license plates, see our separate guide, What to Do With License Plates After Donating a Car.
For the release of liability, see our separate guide, Release of Liability After Donating a Vehicle.
Common questions
Should I leave the title in the glovebox?
Leave the signed-over title with the car, but do not bury it under unrelated paperwork. Put it in the spot you were instructed to use, or hand it over with the keys if that is the arranged process. Keep copies of anything you need for your own records.
What if I forgot something in the car?
Contact Coastal Wheels as soon as you notice. Give a clear description of the item and where it may be located. Do not wait if the item is valuable, private, or tied to billing. Recovery is easier to ask about early, but you should not assume any item can be retrieved.
Can I remove my dash cam or upgraded stereo?
Yes, if it is your personal aftermarket equipment and removing it does not damage the vehicle or change what you reported. Pull dash cams, mounts, memory cards, and removable audio gear before pickup. Leave the car intact, safe to tow, and consistent with the condition you described.
Do disability placards and parking permits stay in the car?
No. Remove disability placards, parking permits, hangtags, gate passes, and any access sticker or card connected to you. If an item must be returned to an issuing office, follow that office’s instructions. The donation vehicle should not carry credentials that identify you or allow future use under your name.
More donation prep guides
A clean 15-minute sweep protects your privacy and prevents account charges from following the car. Coastal Wheels handles vehicle donations benefiting Heritage for the Blind (EIN 58-2164446), and your part is simple: remove personal, billable, and digital items, then leave the keys and signed-over title with the vehicle. When you are ready, finish the sweep and keep this checklist nearby.