How to take photos of your car for an online offer

Take six photos: the front corner, the back corner, the dashboard with the engine running, the inside, any damage, and the VIN plate. Shoot them in daylight, get the whole car in the frame, and show it exactly as it is. An online buyer prices your car from what it can see, so clear photos are the quickest way to an offer that holds at pickup.

We ask for these six when you get an offer from us, and they work for any online buyer or private listing too.

The 6 photos we ask for

Shot	How to take it	What it tells us
Front corner	From a front corner, far enough back for the whole car	The front and one full side
Back corner	From the opposite back corner	The back and the other side
Dashboard	From the driver’s seat, with the engine running	The mileage, any warning lights, and that it starts
Inside	From the open driver’s door	Wear on the seats and the floor
Damage	A close-up, then one from a step back	What’s damaged or missing, and where it is
VIN plate	Straight on, close enough to read	Exactly which car it is

1. Front corner: the front and one side

Stand at a front corner of the car, far enough back to fit it all in, from the front bumper to the back wheel. One shot shows the front and a whole side.

A front-corner shot from a seller whose car we bought: the front and a full side in one photo.

2. Back corner: the back and the other side

Walk to the opposite corner and do the same. Between the two corner shots, all four sides of the car are covered.

The back corner: the back and the other side in one shot.

3. Dashboard, with the engine running

Start the car, then photograph the gauges from the driver’s seat. The mileage should be readable, and any warning lights should show. Make sure it’s the odometer, not a trip meter.

This photo also shows us the car starts. If it doesn’t, photograph the dashboard with the key turned on and tell us it won’t start. We buy cars that don’t run too.

4. Inside: the seats and the floor

Open the driver’s door and photograph the front seats and floor. Add the back seat if you can. Wear, stains and tears all count, so let the photo show them.

5. Damage: anything broken or missing

Photograph every dent, scratch, crack, rust spot and broken part. Take two shots of each: a close-up, and one from a few steps back so we can see where it is on the car. Set a coin beside a scratch or chip to show its size.

If a part is missing, photograph the spot where it should be.

6. The VIN plate

The VIN is on a small plate on the dashboard, seen through the windshield on the driver’s side, and on a sticker in the driver’s door frame. Get all 17 characters sharp and readable.

Any other angle

You can add more, up to 10 photos in all. The most useful extras are the tires, under the hood, your keys and remotes (so we know how many come with the car), a truck’s bed and frame, the other two corners, and any upgrades, like aftermarket wheels or a lift kit.

How to take good photos

• Take a lot, then pick the best. It costs nothing to shoot each angle a few times.
• Shoot in daylight. An overcast day or open shade is best: no glare on the paint and no hard shadows. Avoid night shots, streetlights and the flash.
• Fit the whole car in. Step back rather than zoom. Cropped bumpers and cut-off wheels hide what we need to see.
• Use your phone’s main lens. The ultra-wide lens bends the body lines, and digital zoom blurs the detail.
• Hold your phone sideways, at about the height of the door handles.
• Wipe the lens. A phone lens picks up fingerprints, and a smudge makes every shot look hazy.
• Pick a plain spot, away from other cars, so the photo is clearly of yours.
• Skip the filters and edits. We need the real color and the real condition.

A 10-minute walk-around

Take the photos in one loop of the car, in this order, and nothing gets missed:

1. Take your things out of the seats and off the dashboard, and wipe your phone’s lens.
2. Stand at a front corner and take the first corner shot.
3. Walk around to the opposite back corner and take the second.
4. Walk around once more, taking a close-up and a step-back shot of each dent, scratch or rust spot.
5. Photograph the VIN plate through the windshield, or the VIN sticker in the driver’s door frame.
6. Sit in the driver’s seat, start the car, and photograph the dashboard.
7. From the open driver’s door, photograph the seats and the floor, then the back seat.
8. Add any extras: the tires, under the hood, your keys.

Then pick the clearest shot of each, and you’re ready to start your offer.

Show the car as it is

We price what we can see. So be upfront: photograph the damage, say if it doesn’t run, and mention anything that’s missing.

It’s tempting to shoot the good side, crop out a dent, or take photos when the car is wet or the light is low. It doesn’t help. The driver checks the car at pickup, and if it doesn’t match what you told us, we have to give you a new offer. Honest photos now mean the offer you accept is the one you’re paid. See when an offer can change.

The things sellers most often leave out are damage, whether the car actually runs, and missing parts. Those are the ones to show most clearly.

Do you need to clean your car first?

No. We buy cars as they are, and you don’t need to detail it. That said, a quick wash and a cleared-out interior make the photos clearer and the car look its best, and you’ll need to take your things out before pickup anyway.

What not to photograph

• Your title. It shows your name and home address. Don’t add it to your offer photos. Once you accept, we’ll ask for a photo of it, when it’s needed to check the paperwork.
• Other personal papers, like your registration or insurance card.
• Your license plate, if you’d rather not show it. The VIN plate tells us what we need.
• People, and anything that shows where you live, like your house number.

Keep your photos until pickup

Keep the photos on your phone until the car is sold. Your phone saves the date and time with each one, so they’re a record of the car as you described it.

On pickup day, take a quick walk-around before the tow truck arrives. If anything has changed since you sent your photos, like a new chip in the windshield or a warning light that wasn’t on before, tell us before pickup.

After you accept

Once you accept your offer, we ask for a photo of the title, plus any of the six photos you haven’t sent yet, so the details are checked before pickup. Here’s how Sell My Car Online works, from your offer to your check.

Questions people ask

How many photos should I take of my car to sell it?

Six covers it: the front corner, the back corner, the dashboard, the inside, any damage, and the VIN plate. You can send up to 10 with your offer request if there’s more to show.

Are photos required for an online offer?

Not with us. Photos are optional, but they help us make you our best offer, and they make it far less likely that anything changes at pickup.

Do my photos need to be perfect?

No. They need to be clear and honest. Your phone is enough, and you don’t need to wash the car, find a special spot or edit anything.

Can I take the photos at night?

It’s better not to. Night shots and flash hide scratches and dents, and they make the paint look a different color. If you have to, use a well-lit garage.

Do I need to show the license plate?

No. Leave it out of the shot if you’d rather.

What if my car doesn’t start?

Photograph the dashboard with the key turned on, and tell us it won’t start. We buy cars that don’t run, and the offer reflects how it is. See cash for cars.

Ready? Get your free offer, and add your photos as you go.