Before your Rev Up Hope pickup, spend 15 minutes removing anything personal, valuable, security-related, or billable. Take the garage-door remote, toll transponder, parking permits, disability placards, insurance card, registration, glovebox papers, personal items, and anything in the trunk or console. 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 access items
Start with anything that opens a building or gate. Remove the garage-door remote, apartment fobs, gate cards, spare house keys, mailbox keys, and work access badges. Check the visor clips, door pockets, key tray, cup holders, and center console. If a remote is built into the mirror, handle it during the electronics reset step below.
Pull billing items next
Remove the toll transponder before the car leaves. Then log in to that toll account and remove this vehicle from the account, or call the toll agency if you cannot do it online. Check for transponders on the windshield, behind the mirror, in the glovebox, and in a console pouch. Do not leave a tag active on a donated car.
Remove all glovebox documents
Take out the insurance card, old registration cards, service receipts, parking passes, disability placards, owner paperwork with your name on it, and any medical or work documents. Look behind the manual and inside folders. Keep anything with your address, policy number, account number, signature, or family information.
Sweep cabin and trunk
Work from front to back. Check under the seats, between seat cushions, seat-back pockets, visors, door pockets, cup holders, center console, floor mats, trunk side bins, cargo nets, and the spare-tire well. Remove sunglasses, cash, tools, medication, mail, bags, chargers, clothing, and any personal storage boxes.
Wipe saved electronic data
Factory-reset the infotainment system if the vehicle has one. Delete Bluetooth pairings, phone contacts, call history, navigation favorites, saved home and work addresses, garage codes in HomeLink, Wi-Fi settings, app logins, and connected driver profiles. If you cannot find the reset menu, remove paired phones one by one.
Remove optional add-ons carefully
Take aftermarket items only if they are yours and removal does not change the vehicle from the condition you described. Common items include dash cams, phone mounts, upgraded stereo faceplates, custom speakers, roof-rack accessories, child seats, and removable organizers. Leave the car intact, towable if described that way, and as-described.
Leave donation paperwork and keys
The keys and the signed-over title stay with the car. Set them where the driver can receive them, not inside a packed purse, drawer, or moving box. Include every working key or fob you agreed to provide. Do one last pocket-and-console check before you step away from the vehicle.
Items with separate instructions
A few car-related items sit outside this sweep. For license plates, see our License Plate Guide. For the release of liability, see our Release of Liability Guide. If you find a document and are not sure whether it is a personal record, an ownership document, or something that should stay with the vehicle, pause and check the California DMV before the free pickup. When in doubt, remove personal papers and keep anything that could bill you later or identify your household.
Common questions
Should I leave the title in the car?
Yes. Leave the signed-over title with the car, along with the keys. Do not remove the title during your document sweep. If you have not finished signing it, stop and ask Rev Up Hope what is needed before you hand it over.
Should I remove my toll tag if the account is closed?
Yes. Remove the physical toll tag anyway. Also remove the vehicle from the toll account or confirm it is no longer listed. This helps prevent future toll notices, account confusion, or charges tied to the donated vehicle after it leaves you.
Do I need to clean or detail the car?
No detailing is needed for this checklist. Focus on personal property, sensitive documents, billing devices, and saved data. Remove trash if it helps you search under seats and in compartments, but the main goal is making sure nothing private, valuable, or billable goes with the car.
More donation prep guides
Before the tow truck leaves, take one final look in the front seats, back seats, trunk, and console. Keep your personal items, billing devices, documents, and saved data. Leave the keys and signed-over title with the car. Your donation through Rev Up Hope benefits Heritage for the Blind (EIN 58-2164446). If your sweep is done, set the keys and title in place for free pickup.