The Georgia MV-603R form is the one-page Notice of Abandoned Vehicle Release that towing companies, repair shops, and salvage dealers send to the Department of Revenue to report what happened to an abandoned vehicle in their possession. You download the PDF from the Department of Revenue website, fill in your business details and the vehicle information, check the box showing whether the vehicle was reclaimed, recovered as stolen, sold under court order, or scrapped as derelict, then mail the signed form to the Motor Vehicle Division in Atlanta.1Georgia Department of Revenue. MV-603R Notice of Abandoned Vehicle Release
When the MV-603R Applies
You file the form once a vehicle that was classified as abandoned under O.C.G.A. § 40-11-1 changes hands or status. The statute treats a vehicle as abandoned in several situations: left at a repair shop or dealer for at least 30 days past the agreed pickup date, left unattended on a public road for at least five days when an officer reasonably believes the owner will not return, towed at law enforcement or a property owner’s request and left 30 or more days without anyone paying towing and storage, or left on private property for at least 30 days.2Justia. Georgia Code 40-11-1 – Definitions
The form itself lists four disposition types. Check the one that matches what happened:
- Reclaimed by owner. The registered owner paid the towing and storage charges and took the vehicle.
- Recovered stolen vehicle. The vehicle was identified as stolen and released to the rightful owner or their representative.
- Court order obtained to sell. You went through lien foreclosure and the court authorized a public sale.
- Derelict motor vehicle. The vehicle has no value beyond scrap. If you check this box, you also send Form MV-603D to the Motor Vehicle Division.
Whichever box applies, you are certifying to the state that the vehicle is no longer sitting abandoned in your possession.
How to Fill Out the Form
Your Business Information
Enter the name of the person or business that removed or stored the vehicle, the full street address, city, state, zip code, and a telephone number with area code. This is where the Department of Revenue will reach you with questions.
Vehicle Details
Copy the Vehicle Identification Number exactly as it appears on the dashboard plate or the driver-side door jamb. A standard VIN runs 17 characters. Fill in the year, make, and model. If the vehicle still had a plate on it when you took possession, record the tag number and the issuing state.
Dates and Locations
Four entries anchor the timeline:
- Date Removed. When the vehicle was towed or came into your custody.
- Location Vehicle Removed From. The street address, city, state, and zip where you originally picked it up.
- Present Location of Vehicle. Where the vehicle is physically sitting now, whether your lot, storage yard, or elsewhere.
- Date Vehicle Becomes Abandoned. The date the vehicle met the statutory definition, usually 30 days after it was left unclaimed.
Disposition and Signature
Check the disposition box and complete any blanks that go with it. If the owner reclaimed the vehicle, write the owner’s name and the date they picked it up. If a court authorized a sale, no additional name is required on that line. An authorized representative of the towing company, repair shop, or salvage dealer signs and dates the form. The signature is a certification under O.C.G.A. § 40-11-2 and § 40-11-9 that the vehicle is no longer abandoned.
Where to Mail It
Send the completed form to:
ATTN: Stop File
Dept. of Revenue / Motor Vehicle Division
PO Box 740384
Atlanta, GA 30374-0384
The form’s instructions specify mailing. The MV-603R does not appear among the transactions handled through the Georgia DRIVES e-Services portal, which covers items like title status inquiries and insurance verifications.3Georgia Department of Revenue. Georgia DRIVES e-Services Keep a photocopy of the signed form and your mailing receipt in case a question comes up later.
Deadlines and Penalties for Court-Ordered Sales
If you sold the vehicle after obtaining a court order, O.C.G.A. § 40-11-19.2 gives you 15 days from the sale date to send the Department of Revenue a copy of the bill of sale by electronic means. Any sale proceeds above what you were owed for towing and storage must be turned over to the Department in that same 15-day window, because the state treats those excess funds as unclaimed property.4Justia. Georgia Code 40-11-19.2 – Public Sale Authorized Upon Court Order; Procedure Following Satisfaction of Lien; Disposition of Excess Proceeds
Missing that deadline triggers a civil penalty under Georgia’s Disposition of Unclaimed Property Act: $100 per day for each day the report is withheld or the duty goes unperformed, capped at $5,000.5Justia. Georgia Code 44-12-227 – Penalties The MV-603R and the bill of sale should go out promptly once the vehicle changes hands.
Where the MV-603R Fits in the Larger Process
The MV-603R is the last step, not the first. If the owner never comes to reclaim the vehicle, you have to foreclose the lien in court before you can sell. Under O.C.G.A. § 40-11-5, that starts with a written demand sent by certified or registered mail to the owner, including an itemized list of towing and storage charges. If the owner does not respond or pay within ten days, or cannot be identified, you file an affidavit with a court of competent jurisdiction. The filing fee is $5.00 per vehicle. The court notifies the owner, any lessor or lessee, and any lienholders that they have ten days to petition for a hearing. If no one contests the lien, the court enters an order authorizing a public sale.6Justia. Georgia Code 40-11-5 – Lien Foreclosure Procedure The MV-603R goes to the Department of Revenue after that sale is complete.
One boundary worth flagging: the MV-603R is the seller’s filing. If someone buys a vehicle at a court-ordered abandoned vehicle sale, they have a separate paperwork set to submit to their county tag office to get a Georgia title, including Form MV-1, a certified copy of the court order, Form T-7 bill of sale, and a law enforcement inspection on Form T-22B.7Georgia Department of Revenue. Abandonment Process (After Court Order) Those forms are the buyer’s responsibility and do not go on the MV-603R.