Abandoned Car on Your Property in Washington: Step by Step

• Write down the date you first noticed the car, and where it sits.
• Take photos from outside the car: all sides, the plate if there is one, and any damage.
• Note the make, model and color. If the VIN is readable through the windshield, write it down. Do not force a door to reach it.
• Ask the neighbors. The owner may be a visitor who broke down and is planning to come back.
• If you think the car is stolen, or it looks dangerous, call the police non-emergency line.

Leave the car alone for now. Do not pull parts, drain it, push it into the street or let anyone haul it away for scrap. It still belongs to someone, and the paperwork below is what protects you.

No, unless it qualifies and goes through the junk vehicle process.

The two sources sound different, so here is how they fit. The Department of Licensing (DOL) and the Washington State Patrol tell property owners they cannot sell a vehicle left on their land and should use a registered tow. The State Patrol guide says it flatly: “You cannot sell or assume ownership of vehicles or vessels.” The same guide also says an official may authorize disposal of a junk vehicle using DOL’s Junk Vehicle Affidavit.

That second part comes from RCW 46.55.230. It lets a landowner dispose of a certified junk vehicle, or sign an affidavit of sale, once the required steps are done. So the rule for an ordinary car is no. The rule for a certified junk vehicle, after notice, is yes.

1. Check it against the criteria

   Under RCW 46.55.010, a junk vehicle meets at least three of these: it is three years old or older, it is extensively damaged, it is apparently inoperable, and its fair market value is only the value of its scrap. The hulk hauler chapter, RCW 46.79.010, has its own stricter definition that requires all of its listed items, including no valid plate. Our affidavit guide compares them.

2. Find the official who inspects

   An authorized official has to inspect and certify the car. The State Patrol guide says its VIN officers do not normally do this, so start with your city or sheriff’s non-emergency line and ask who handles junk vehicle certification where you live. The statute also has the inspector verify that the car’s approximate value is only that of its parts.

3. Mail notice to the owners

   You mail notice to the last registered owner and the legal owner, such as a lender. The statute has the officer or department representative give you those names, and the notice must describe the redemption procedure and the right to arrange for removal. Keep a copy and proof of the mailing date.

4. Wait more than 15 days

   The statute says “more than fifteen days” after notice. If the owner claims the car in that time, it goes back to them. If DOL’s records show no owner at all, this wait does not apply.

5. Dispose of it or sign the affidavit of sale

   This is where a licensed hauler comes in. A hulk hauler may transport a junk vehicle on a landowner’s affidavit of sale under RCW 46.79.020. Our guide to the Junk Vehicle Affidavit explains the form itself.

If the car does not qualify, or you do not want to go through the steps above, call a registered tow company. RCW 46.55.080 requires your signed authorization at the time and place of the tow, and the tow operator cannot sign as your agent. How soon the car can go depends on the property.

Our guide to having a car towed from private property covers the timing, the signs and what to ask before you sign.

Local rules differ, and we only state what we could read at the source.

• Tacoma: the city says it “cannot remove abandoned or inoperable vehicles on private property”. You submit the DOL Junk Vehicle Affidavit, a Road Use Enforcement officer inspects and signs, and removal is up to you to arrange.
• Federal Way: private-property junk vehicles go to Code Compliance at 253.835.2617.
• Auburn: private-property vehicles go to Code Compliance at 253-931-3090.
• Anywhere else in our area: call your city’s code enforcement office and ask who handles this.

A left-behind car can also draw a city notice addressed to you. RCW 46.55.240 lets a landowner deny responsibility at the city’s hearing, in person or in writing. If you get a letter, read what to do with a code violation notice and respond by the date on it.

A licensed hauler needs documents before taking a car. State rules list a landowner’s junk vehicle affidavit of sale among them, in WAC 308-65-080. A hauler that removes a vehicle without the property owner’s written permission and department-approved documentation can be fined under RCW 46.79.070.

For a pickup, we need a Title, an Affidavit in Lieu of Title, or a Junk Vehicle Affidavit. Once your affidavit is complete, call us at (206) 941-0612 and tell us what you have. You can check any hauler’s license, including ours, before anyone comes out. See what a licensed hulk hauler does for more.