Can you polish out scuff marks?
Quick answer: It depends on the scuff. Deep scuffs on bumper corners that have gone through the paint need a repair-and-repaint. Light scuffs that are really a cluster of shallow scratches can often be machine-polished out, and some 'scuffs' are just paint-transfer that lifts off with solvent.
As a general rule, you cannot polish out a true scuff -- but it really depends on how you define a scuff. A lot of marks that get called 'scuffs' are actually paint-transfer, shallow scratch clusters or marks sitting in the clear coat, and those are very different jobs from a scuff that has gone through to the plastic.
What we actually mean by a 'scuff'
What we would call a scuff has usually scored all the way through the clear coat and colour. These typically happen on the corners of bumpers, cracking the paint and revealing the plastic or primer underneath, and will need a smart repair to repaint the area. If you can catch a fingernail in the mark or you can see a different colour at the bottom of it, polishing will not put it right.
Scuffs you can polish out
Not every mark is a true scuff. Three common types clean up well on the polisher:
Paint-transfer -- where another car's paint, a trolley wheel or a rubber bumper has left colour on yours without cutting through your paintwork -- usually responds to a tar-and-glue remover or a dedicated paint-transfer solvent before you ever reach for a machine. Light boot-lid scuffs -- the grey and black marks from loading shopping, bags and buggies -- sit in the clear coat and respond well to paintwork correction. Clusters of shallow scratches that read as one scuff from a distance are just lots of fine lines; a compound-and-polish step is usually enough.
How to tell the difference
Before you commit to any work it pays to know which category the mark falls into. Use an inspection light in a shaded spot and look at the mark from a few angles:
Colour at the bottom of the mark that isn't your car's colour suggests paint-transfer or a through-the-paint scuff. White or grey haze that wipes when you wet it is usually paint-transfer sitting on top. If a fingernail catches the edge, the mark has depth and has likely gone through the clear coat. If the mark disappears when wet, it sits in the clear coat and machine polishing will almost certainly remove it.
The polishing process for a clear-coat scuff
Where a mark is genuinely polishable, the sequence is the same as for any paintwork correction job. Wash and decontaminate the panel, then start with the least aggressive combination that will clear the defect. Typically that means a polishing compound on a cutting pad, followed by a finishing polish to remove the haze. If the compound will not shift it, the mark is either too deep or not really a scuff at all.
When polishing is the wrong answer
There are situations where reaching for the polisher makes things worse, not better:
Cracked paint at a bumper corner should be left alone -- polishing thins the paint around the crack and the edges start to lift. Primer or plastic showing through won't be put right by polish. Very thin factory paint on older cars may simply not have enough clear coat left to cut. And textured plastic trim will be burnished smooth by a polisher, leaving a shiny patch.
Cost: polish vs repair-and-repaint
It is always worth asking which route you are on, because a cosmetic repair and respray of a bumper corner costs considerably more than a polish of the same area. If a professional looks at the car and says the mark will polish out, that is almost always the cheaper answer. Where the verdict is that it needs a smart repair, that is a separate trade and a separate quote -- but it is the only route that actually puts the paint back.
DIY or professional?
Light boot-lid scuffs and paint-transfer you can tackle yourself with a tar remover and an all-in-one polish. For anything that needs a machine polisher, bear in mind that polishing removes a tiny amount of clear coat every time, so if the mark is near the edge of a panel, on a thin area, or you are not confident with a machine, it is worth getting a professional opinion before you start. The ways a buffer can go wrong are covered in our guide on can you damage your car with a buffer. If you are weighing up a bottle of scratch remover first, do scratch removal products work? gives the honest verdict before you spend anything.