Colorado’s abandoned vehicle laws classify a car as abandoned after it sits unattended on public property for 48 hours (or a shorter period set by local ordinance), let a private property owner have an unauthorized vehicle towed right away, and give the registered owner 30 days from mailed notice to pay the tow and storage charges before the vehicle can be sold. The rules that apply to your situation depend heavily on whether the vehicle is on public or private property, and the fees add up fast.
When a Vehicle Is Considered Abandoned
Under Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42, Article 4, a motor vehicle is abandoned in any of these situations:1Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 – Section 42-4-1802 – Definitions
- Left unattended for 48 hours or longer on any public property outside city limits, including highway rights-of-way.
- Left unattended on public property inside city limits longer than the time set by local ordinance, or 48 hours if the municipality has no ordinance on point.
- Stored at law enforcement’s request and not picked up within 72 hours after the owner is told the vehicle is available for release.
- Booted on public property and meeting the abandonment criteria under the booting statute.
- Left at a Regional Transportation District parking facility and deemed abandoned under that agency’s rules.
The state definition turns on time and location, but Colorado municipalities frequently add condition-based triggers. Missing plates, wrecked bodywork, or a missing engine or transmission can qualify a vehicle as abandoned in some cities regardless of how long it’s been sitting. Check your city or county code before assuming you have the full 48 hours.2Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 – Section 42-4-1803 – Abandonment of Motor Vehicles
Reporting a Vehicle Left on Public Property
Call local law enforcement’s non-emergency line. Many Colorado cities and counties also accept reports online or through a code-enforcement portal. Give the location, make, model, color, and license plate. A VIN read from the dashboard helps even more.
An officer investigates and decides whether the statutory criteria are met. If they are, the officer can order the vehicle moved or towed to an impound lot.2Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 – Section 42-4-1803 – Abandonment of Motor Vehicles If the vehicle is obstructing traffic or blocking highway maintenance, the officer can order immediate removal without waiting for the clock to run. Officers and those carrying out the tow are not liable for damage caused during removal.
Removing a Vehicle From Your Own Property
Private property is handled separately, under Part 21 of Article 4. If someone leaves a vehicle on your land without permission, you don’t need to wait for law enforcement. As the owner, lessee, or an authorized agent, you can call a licensed tow operator to remove it.3Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 – Section 42-4-2103 – Abandonment and Nonconsensual Towing of Motor Vehicles – Private Property – Rules
Within 30 minutes of picking up the vehicle, the operator must notify law enforcement and get a tow report number. The agency then enters the vehicle into the Colorado Crime Information Center to check whether it’s been reported stolen. If it comes back stolen, the case shifts to a theft recovery and the owner is contacted through that process.
Stopping a Tow Already in Progress
If you reach the vehicle while the tow truck is still on the property and the vehicle hasn’t been removed, the operator must stop the tow and release the vehicle at your request. There is no drop charge for tows from residential private property, and the operator has to tell you about this right if you approach before the vehicle leaves.4Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 40 – Section 40-10.1-405 – Towing Carriers – Nonconsensual Tows This protection came from House Bill 22-1314 and applies specifically to residential private property.
What Happens After the Tow
For public-property tows, the law enforcement agency has 10 working days to report the tow to the Colorado Department of Revenue on a prescribed form. The department searches its records for the registered owner and any lienholders and returns that information within another 10 working days.5Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 – Section 42-4-1804 – Report of Abandoned Motor Vehicles
Within 10 working days after that, the agency or tow operator sends notice by certified mail to the owner and any lienholder. The notice states where the vehicle is stored and warns that it will be subject to sale unless claimed within 30 calendar days from the mailing date.5Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 – Section 42-4-1804 – Report of Abandoned Motor Vehicles
For private-property tows, the operator has 10 days after the tow to identify the owner and lienholder through department records and send notice by certified mail with return receipt requested. The operator can charge up to $75 for that notification. Critically, the operator cannot bill daily storage for the period between the tow and the day the notice actually goes out, aside from the first 24 hours. That rule keeps operators from stalling on notice while the storage clock runs.3Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 – Section 42-4-2103 – Abandonment and Nonconsensual Towing of Motor Vehicles – Private Property – Rules
Towing and Storage Fees
Colorado regulates nonconsensual towing rates through the Public Utilities Commission, which sets maximum allowable charges statewide. As of March 15, 2026, standard passenger vehicles (10,000 pounds or less) face these caps:6Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Towing Rates
- Private property impound base tow: up to $250.91
- Law enforcement-ordered tow: up to $286.15 per hour
- Daily storage: up to $48.19 per 24 hours
- After-hours release: up to $106.06
- Notification fee for public property tow: up to $150.00
- Notification fee for private property tow: up to $75.00
Vehicles over 10,000 pounds pay more. Storage runs up to $59.45 per day and the private property impound tow can reach $288.57. Operators must post their current rates at their place of business and on their website, and they cannot charge fees that aren’t listed in the PUC’s rules.4Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 40 – Section 40-10.1-405 – Towing Carriers – Nonconsensual Tows
The numbers stack up quickly. A car towed on a Friday evening and not recovered until Monday morning can easily hit $250 in towing, $150-plus in storage, and a $106 after-hours release fee. Two weeks in an impound lot can approach $1,000.
The 15 Percent Partial Payment
If your vehicle was nonconsensually towed from private property, Colorado lets you retrieve it by paying 15 percent of the fees owed to the towing carrier, capped at $60, and signing a form acknowledging the remaining balance.4Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 40 – Section 40-10.1-405 – Towing Carriers – Nonconsensual Tows This is available to the owner or an authorized person, not to an insurance company or lienholder. Once you pay and sign, the carrier has to release the vehicle.
Getting Your Vehicle Back
Expect the impound facility to require:
- Valid photo ID: driver’s license, state ID, military ID, or passport.
- Proof of ownership: current registration in your name, or the original title.
- Proof of insurance, if you plan to drive the vehicle off the lot.
You’ll also need a valid driver’s license and current registration to drive it out. Most facilities take cash, money orders, and major credit cards, but not personal checks. If someone else is picking the vehicle up on your behalf, call ahead to ask what additional authorization the facility needs.
Move quickly. Storage fees accrue every 24 hours, and once the total exceeds the vehicle’s market value, reclaiming it often stops making financial sense.
When the Vehicle Can Be Sold
A registered tow operator storing an abandoned vehicle has a possessory lien on the vehicle and everything attached to it for authorized towing, storage, and recovery costs.7Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 – Section 42-4-2105 – Liens Upon Towed Motor Vehicles The 30-day clock runs from the date the certified notice was mailed. Miss that window and the vehicle can be sold.
Before sale, the vehicle must be appraised by a law enforcement officer or a licensed dealership. If it sells for more than the fees owed, the surplus goes to the former owner or lienholder. If it sells for less, the tow operator absorbs the shortfall.8Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 – Section 42-4-2108 – Fees
Challenging an Abandonment Determination
You can request a hearing in writing within 10 days of the notice date. When the Colorado State Patrol is the responsible agency, the hearing follows the state’s formal administrative procedures. When a local police department or sheriff’s office is responsible, the hearing follows that jurisdiction’s local procedures.5Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 – Section 42-4-1804 – Report of Abandoned Motor Vehicles
The most direct defense is showing the vehicle didn’t meet the statutory definition. If you were gone fewer than 48 hours, or a local ordinance sets a longer period that hadn’t run, the vehicle wasn’t legally abandoned. Mechanical breakdowns and medical emergencies are common explanations for a vehicle sitting longer than intended, and repair invoices, medical records, or roadside assistance logs can establish that you didn’t intend to abandon it.
For private-property situations, the pivotal question is whether the vehicle was there with the property owner’s consent. A car in a friend’s driveway with permission isn’t abandoned no matter how long it stays. Even a text message documenting that permission can matter if the situation escalates.
Protections for Active-Duty Servicemembers
The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act blocks a lienholder from foreclosing on or enforcing a storage lien against a servicemember’s property during military service or for 90 days afterward without first getting a court order. The statute defines “lien” to include liens for storage, repair, or cleaning.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 USC 3958 – Enforcement of Storage Liens A towing company cannot sell a deployed servicemember’s vehicle to recover storage fees without going to court. If you’re on active duty and your vehicle has been impounded, notify the towing company and the law enforcement agency of your military status right away.