Abandoned Car Taking Up Your Block? Here's What You Can Do About It

• Cars

Vehicles of all kinds can get abandoned if their owner suddenly becomes unable or unwilling to look after them. Even ships sometimes get mysteriously abandoned, but a "ghost ship" is unlikely to become much of an annoyance to most people's everyday lives, even if it can cause serious damage to its environment. Abandoned cars, on the other hand, can be hugely annoying, particularly if space on your block is limited and you're forced to park elsewhere because of them.

If you find an abandoned vehicle on the street, the best thing to do is inform the authorities, who can begin the process of getting it towed. The exact method varies between different cities and states, but most places have a phone number to call or an online application form that can be completed to let authorities know about an abandoned vehicle. 

For example, in Los Angeles, residents can call 1-800-222-6366 to make a report, while in Seattle, any vehicle that has been parked on the same block consecutively for more than 72 hours can be reported as abandoned via the Find It, Fix It app or by calling (206) 684-8763. Other cities use 311 as their primary way of receiving abandoned vehicle reports. A quick Google search should be all it takes to find your local authority's contact details for reporting abandoned cars.

Most authorities will require you to report a vehicle's location, zip code, and licence plate (if it has one). It's also useful to note down the vehicle's make, model, and color, to help authorities find the car as quickly as possible.

What happens after an abandoned car is reported?

Once you've made a report to authorities about an abandoned vehicle, the next step is for them to work out whether the car is actually abandoned. The rules around what classifies as abandoned can vary — as previously mentioned, a car that hasn't moved for 72 hours can be considered abandoned in Seattle, while in Chicago, a vehicle needs to have been unused for a week and must also appear to be deserted. Cars without a licence plate or in an obviously undriveable state are usually considered abandoned regardless of the time they've been unmoved.

If authorities determine that the car is indeed abandoned, they will issue the owner with a notice before towing it. You might see this notice being given as an orange sticker on the side of the car, and it gives the owner a set amount of time to respond or move the vehicle before it is towed. If the owner doesn't respond, authorities can then contract a tow truck to remove the vehicle from your block.

Authorities usually don't have to give owners notice if the vehicle is deemed to be hazardous. In Philadelphia, a vehicle is considered to be hazardous if it has a fluid leak of any kind, or if it has broken windows or missing wheels. Vehicles in this condition will be removed as soon as possible, although depending on where you live, this may still take some time. Using Philadelphia as an example again, the city's target is to tow all abandoned vehicles within 120 days of them being reported, but data shows it frequently misses this target.

What happens to abandoned cars after they're towed?

Once an abandoned car has been removed from your block, it's taken back to a police compound. After a certain period of time, the city can then potentially sell off or crush the car. If the original owners do manage to reclaim their vehicle before that time, they might still be liable for the costs that the city incurred to tow and store the vehicle.

Occasionally, authorities can hold dedicated abandoned vehicle auctions if they have a high volume of higher-value cars that they need to sell. In November 2025, the Massachusetts Port Authority held an auction to sell off 71 vehicles that had been abandoned at Logan Airport's parking lots, with the newest vehicle being a 2020 Kia Telluride. Aside from exceptions like the Kia, most abandoned vehicles won't be valuable — unless you happen to live in Dubai, where luxury vehicles get abandoned all the time. As a result, many are likely to end up in scrap yards.