Bayou Rides Exchange makes donating a car in Louisiana easy, local, and truly free. Whether you’re in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette, Lake Charles, or a small town along the bayou, we come to you with a local flatbed or hook-and-chain tow truck. You’ll never see a bill: pickup costs are covered from the charity’s sale proceeds, not from your pocket, and are never charged back to you.
Here’s how it works across Louisiana, from Metairie and Kenner to Bossier City, Houma, Slidell, and Monroe. You call or submit our online form, choose a pickup window, and tell us where the car will be parked. On pickup day, you leave the keys and signed Louisiana title in an agreed spot (or hand them to the driver if you’re home). Our towing partner loads your vehicle—running or not—and hauls it away at no cost to you. In most Louisiana locations, a truck arrives within a few business days, with rural routes and bayou backroads sometimes taking a bit longer to schedule.
How to schedule your free local pickup
1. Tell us about your vehicle and where it sits
Call Bayou Rides Exchange or submit the online form with your Louisiana address, contact info, and basic details about the car, truck, SUV, or van. Let us know if it runs, where it’s parked (driveway, street, field, apartment lot), and any access issues. This helps us match you with the right local tow partner, whether you’re in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette, or a rural parish.
2. Choose a pickup window that fits your schedule
Once we have your info, we’ll connect your donation with a nearby towing company. Together we’ll confirm a pickup day and a time window—usually within a few business days for metro areas like Metairie, Kenner, Bossier City, or Lake Charles, and a bit longer in more remote parishes. You don’t have to be home if we know exactly where the car, keys, and title will be.
3. Prepare your Louisiana title and keys for the driver
Before pickup, sign your Louisiana title where instructed and remove personal items from the vehicle. If you won’t be home, place the keys and title in the glove box or another agreed location and unlock the car. If you’ll be there, you can hand them directly to the driver. Our team can walk you through the Louisiana title-signing steps by phone, though we don’t give legal advice.
4. Make sure the tow truck can access your vehicle
Clear a path so the flatbed or hook-and-chain truck can reach your car safely. In tighter New Orleans streets, Baton Rouge neighborhoods like Mid City, or apartment complexes in Lafayette or Slidell, we may ask you to park in an open space or a nearby side street. In rural areas, confirm that the driveway or road is passable so the driver can load the vehicle without delays.
5. We tow it away for $0 and send your tax receipt
On pickup day, the tow truck loads your vehicle—running or not—and hauls it away at absolutely no cost to you. The towing is paid from the charity’s sale proceeds and never billed back. After the vehicle is sold, you’ll receive a tax receipt for at least $500; if the sale amount is over $500, we also provide the IRS Form 1098-C to support your charitable deduction.
Local pickup gotchas
Tight French Quarter, Uptown, or downtown street access
Tip: In denser areas like the French Quarter, Uptown New Orleans, downtown Baton Rouge, or historic districts in Shreveport, a flatbed may not fit right at your door. We might ask you to move the car to a nearby cross street or open lot the night before so the driver can hook up quickly without blocking traffic or risking a ticket.
Gated communities, apartment lots, and HOA rules
Tip: If you live in a gated subdivision in places like Prairieville, Madisonville, Youngsville, or a large apartment complex in Metairie or Lake Charles, we’ll need gate codes, management contacts, or visitor instructions. Let your HOA or office know a tow truck is coming so the driver isn’t turned away at the gate or booted for towing in the lot.
Very rural or unpaved bayou roads
Tip: For properties off gravel or dirt roads in parishes like Terrebonne, St. Martin, Avoyelles, or along the Atchafalaya Basin, routing a flatbed can take longer. Be honest about road conditions and any low bridges, ditches, or soft shoulders. Sometimes we’ll coordinate a specific weather day or meeting point where the truck can safely load your vehicle.
Missing title or name mismatch on Louisiana paperwork
Tip: If you can’t locate your Louisiana title, or the name on it doesn’t match your current ID, pickup can be delayed while you sort it out with the OMV. Let us know early so we can explain what we typically see donors do and give you time to request a duplicate or correct paperwork before the tow truck is scheduled.
If at-home pickup is tricky
If at-home pickup is tough for your situation—maybe your New Orleans street is routinely blocked, your Baton Rouge complex doesn’t allow towing, or your rural driveway can’t handle a flatbed—there are still options. In some Louisiana areas, we can coordinate a nearby meetup at a shopping center, park-and-ride, or wide public street where the tow truck can safely load your vehicle. You can also temporarily park at a friend’s or family member’s house in a more accessible spot. Talk with our team about your exact location so we can find a practical, local solution that still keeps your donation completely free.
Louisiana pickup coverage
Bayou Rides Exchange serves donors across Louisiana, from Greater New Orleans (Algiers, Gentilly, Lakeview, Metairie, Kenner) to Baton Rouge, Prairieville, and Denham Springs; Shreveport–Bossier City; Lafayette, Broussard, and New Iberia; Monroe, Alexandria, and along I-10 through Lake Charles. Metro pickups typically happen within a few business days, while outlying parishes and bayou communities can take a bit longer as we route local trucks. When you sign your Louisiana title, remove your license plates and keep or return them per current OMV guidance. We’ll walk you through our usual process, while reminding you to follow official Louisiana OMV rules for final transfer and plate handling.