Pennsylvania abandoned vehicle Form MV-956 is the PennDOT document a licensed salvor submits after the 30-day owner-notice period to close out an abandoned vehicle — either by requesting a certificate of salvage, getting authorization for a public auction, or recording that the owner reclaimed the vehicle and paid the fee.1Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Abandoned Vehicle Form MV-956 The blank PDF is on the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website, and the completed form is mailed to the Abandoned Vehicle Unit in Harrisburg.
Who Files MV-956
MV-956 is filed by the salvor, not the property owner. The form is designed for businesses licensed by PennDOT to acquire and process abandoned vehicles.2Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 – Vehicles Section 102 If you’re a property owner with an unwanted car on your land, your role is to report it to local police; the police then arrange for a salvor to take possession, and the salvor handles MV-956 weeks later.
Under 75 Pa. C.S. § 102, a vehicle left on private property without the consent of the owner or person controlling the property for more than 24 hours is presumed abandoned.2Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 – Vehicles Section 102 That presumption is rebuttable, but it gives police the legal basis to act on a report filed under Section 7311.1 of the Vehicle Code. Once you file, the department has five business days to process the vehicle as abandoned and dispatch a salvor.3Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PennDOT Salvor Manual
What Has to Happen Before MV-956 Can Be Filed
The salvor cannot submit MV-956 the day the car is picked up. Several steps have to run first, and every one of them has a deadline attached.
Within 48 hours of taking possession, the salvor sends an abandoned vehicle information report to PennDOT. If the vehicle is a salvage vehicle, the report must include a photograph prepared the way PennDOT prescribes.4New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 Section 7304 – Reports to Department of Possession of Abandoned Vehicles A nonrepairable vehicle with no identifiable registration plate, no current inspection, and no readable VIN can be flattened or crushed immediately, and no report is required.
PennDOT then mails notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last registered owner and any lienholders on record. The notice describes the vehicle, states where it is being held, and gives the owner 30 days from the mailing date to reclaim it.5Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 Section 7305 – Notice to Owner or Lienholder If the owner or lienholder cannot be identified with reasonable certainty, the salvor publishes the notice once in a local newspaper of general circulation. Failing to reclaim within the 30-day window is treated as consent to the vehicle’s destruction, sale, or other disposal, and as consent by lienholders to the dissolution of their liens.
Before completing MV-956, the salvor must also contact the law enforcement agency that declared the vehicle abandoned and confirm that no appeal was filed regarding the abandonment.1Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Abandoned Vehicle Form MV-956 Skipping that verification can invalidate the entire filing.
Choosing the Right Box at the Top of the Form
MV-956 handles four different scenarios, and the box you check controls which sections you complete.1Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Abandoned Vehicle Form MV-956
- Salvage Vehicle — Owner Known: the vehicle is salvage, PennDOT identified the owner, and the owner did not reclaim within 30 days. Complete Sections A, C, and D.
- Unclaimed Salvage Vehicle — No Owner: the vehicle is salvage and no owner or lienholder could be identified. Complete Sections A, C, and D, and attach a copy of the newspaper advertisement.
- Reclaimed Abandoned Vehicle: the owner returned and picked up the vehicle. Complete Sections A, B, and D.
- Unclaimed Vehicle With Value: the vehicle is not salvage but still was not reclaimed. Complete Sections A, C, and D.
Any certificate of salvage or title issued through this process will carry a “formerly abandoned” brand.
Filling Out Each Section
Section A — Vehicle Information
Enter the Abandoned Vehicle Control Number that was assigned during the earlier reporting process. Then list the vehicle’s make, model, year, body type, color, and VIN. Include the title number and registration plate number with state if available. Record the odometer reading and indicate whether it reflects actual mileage, exceeds the odometer’s mechanical limits, or is not the actual mileage.
Section B — Reclaimed Vehicle
Complete this section only if the owner reclaimed the vehicle. Enter the date of reclaim and have the owner or their authorized representative sign. Attach a check for the reclaim fee; $25 of it is forwarded to PennDOT.
Section C — Vehicle Disposition
Choose one of three disposition options. For a vehicle with value, request authorization to dispose of it by public auction. For a salvage vehicle where the owner was notified but did not respond, request a certificate of salvage and $15 reimbursement for towing. For a salvage vehicle where no owner could be found and a newspaper notice was published, the same certificate and reimbursement apply, and a copy of the published advertisement must be attached.3Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PennDOT Salvor Manual
Section D — Certification
The salvor signs and dates, then provides the business name, full address, salvor’s certificate number, and phone number. The certification carries a penalty of law: any misstatement is a third-degree misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 and possible imprisonment.
Where to Send the Form and What to Pay
Mail the completed MV-956 to:
Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Abandoned Vehicle Unit
P.O. Box 68594
Harrisburg, PA 171061Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Abandoned Vehicle Form MV-956
Any required fee is paid by check or money order made payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Do not send cash. There is no single flat filing fee; what you pay depends on the scenario. When an owner reclaims a vehicle, the reclaiming party pays $50 in total, of which the salvor forwards $25 to PennDOT.6Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 Section 7306 – Payment of Costs Upon Reclaiming Vehicle For the full fee schedule, PennDOT directs filers to Form MV-70S on the PennDOT website. Electronic filing is not available for MV-956.
If the Owner Reclaims Before the 30 Days Run
An owner or lienholder who receives the certified-mail notice has 30 days to reclaim the vehicle from the salvor. Reclaiming requires paying the towing and storage charges that accumulated from the date the salvor submitted the abandoned vehicle report, plus the $50 reclaim fee.6Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 Section 7306 – Payment of Costs Upon Reclaiming Vehicle The owner may also owe penalties under 75 Pa. C.S. § 3712 for abandoning the vehicle in the first place.
The notice also tells the owner and lienholders they have the right to request a copy of the abandoned vehicle information report from the police department that processed the vehicle, and to request a hearing before a civilian officer or employee of the municipality where the vehicle was reported abandoned.5Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 Section 7305 – Notice to Owner or Lienholder If the hearing determines the vehicle was not actually abandoned, the owner can retrieve it within 48 hours without paying any fees or penalties.
When the owner does pick the vehicle up, the salvor still files MV-956, but checks the Reclaimed Abandoned Vehicle box and completes Sections A, B, and D rather than requesting disposition.
What PennDOT Authorizes After the 30 Days
Once 30 days pass with no reclaim, the salvor submits MV-956 and PennDOT decides what happens next based on whether the vehicle has value or is classified as salvage.
For a non-salvage vehicle nobody claimed, PennDOT reviews the submission and, if everything is in order, authorizes a public auction. The resulting certificate of title carries the “formerly abandoned” brand.
For a salvage or nonrepairable vehicle, the police officer and salvor note that classification in the initial report, and the salvor applies for a certificate of salvage or a nonrepairable vehicle certificate.7New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 Section 7309 – Processing of Nonrepairable or Salvage Vehicles When no owner or lienholder can be identified, PennDOT can issue the certificate immediately upon receiving the salvor’s report, with no notice period required. Once the certificate is issued, all rights of the previous owner and all liens are extinguished.
Within 60 days of receiving evidence that a salvor removed the vehicle at a police department’s request, PennDOT reimburses the salvor $15 from the Motor License Fund for towing expenses. No portion of that $15 may be kicked back to any government agency or municipality.
Timeline a Property Owner Should Expect
Between the 24-hour abandonment threshold on your property, the five-business-day police processing window, the salvor’s 48-hour reporting deadline, and the 30-day notice period for the owner, at least five to six weeks will pass before a final disposition is authorized. Cases where the owner cannot be located and newspaper publication is required run longer.
While you wait, keep your copy of the police report, save any correspondence, and hold on to dated photographs of the vehicle showing the VIN, license plate, and condition. If someone later disputes whether the vehicle was truly abandoned, those records are what you have. Do not move, strip, or tamper with the vehicle in the meantime, and do not try to hold it yourself as collateral for storage costs — that is only permitted for a bona fide warehouseman under the Uniform Commercial Code.8Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PennDOT Fact Sheet – Disposal of Abandoned Vehicles From Private Property The salvor handles removal, and the salvor files MV-956 when the waiting periods are done.