Abandoned vehicles

How to check if a vehicle has been abandoned

If you think a vehicle has been abandoned, first check these three points:

1. Has the vehicle been in the same location for a significant amount of time?

For a vehicle to be investigated as abandoned, it must not be in use. Even if it is untaxed, if it is being used it does not qualify for our removal process.

If you think that the vehicle is parked illegally rather than being abandoned, you can report this as an incorrectly parked vehicle or parking offence.

2. Is the vehicle untaxed or under a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN)?

You can check the status of any vehicle through the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) vehicle enquiry service. If the vehicle is untaxed, it can be reported anonymously to the DVLA.

3. Is the vehicle significantly damaged, run down, or unroadworthy?

Common signs include:

• Smashed windows or windscreen
• Flat tyres or removed wheels
• Vandalism or being burnt out

How to report an abandoned vehicle

You can report an abandoned vehicle by completing the form below:

What happens next

After you have reported an abandoned vehicle, we will inspect it and assess the risk. This is usually within a week, but we aim to inspect burnt out vehicles within 24 hours.

We receive over 1,400 abandoned vehicle reports each year.

Once our officers inspect the vehicle and photographs are taken, we will check with the DVLA, attempt to contact the registered keeper, and monitor the vehicle. On average, it can take between four and eight weeks for an investigation to be concluded. However, in unusual circumstances this can take longer.

If the vehicle has no registered keeper, we place a seven-day destruction notice on the vehicle.

Investigations and results

Please be aware that we cannot tell you the outcome of our investigations or who owns the vehicle.

Please also note that at the conclusion of the investigation there is no guarantee that the vehicle will be removed.