Who Do You Call to Report an Abandoned Vehicle in Arizona?

Who you call to report an abandoned vehicle in Arizona depends on where the vehicle is sitting. For a car left on a city street or local road, call your local police non-emergency line. For a vehicle left on your own private property, the process runs through the Motor Vehicle Division by mail using Form 46-4402 and a $10 fee, not a phone call. For a vehicle on Arizona State Trust Land, call the Arizona State Land Department at 602-542-4631.¹ If the vehicle is creating an immediate safety hazard on any road, call 911.

Vehicles on Public Streets and Roads

Local law enforcement handles removal from public roadways. Call the non-emergency line for the city where the vehicle sits:

Phoenix: 602-262-6151 (Crime Stop non-emergency line)
Tucson: 311
Mesa: 480-644-2061 (Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or 480-644-3399 after hours
Chandler: 480-782-4130 (Police Department)

If the vehicle is on a state highway, call local law enforcement for non-emergency situations. Use 911 when the vehicle is blocking a lane, leaking fuel, or sitting in a curve with poor visibility. The Arizona Department of Transportation’s Abandoned Vehicle Unit handles the administrative paperwork for abandoned vehicles but does not dispatch tow trucks or arrange removal, so calling ADOT will not get a car taken off the road.²

Once an officer confirms the vehicle appears abandoned, it is typically tagged with a notice giving the owner a deadline to move it. If the owner does not respond, law enforcement authorizes a towing company to remove it. The officer who removes the vehicle must inspect it, complete a vehicle identification form, and check whether it has been reported stolen.³

Vehicles Left on Your Private Property

You have two paths, and the right one depends on what you want to happen.

If you just want the car gone, call your local law enforcement non-emergency line or hire a licensed towing company directly. You do not have to go through the state’s formal process to clear your land.⁴

If you want to claim ownership of the vehicle, you work through the MVD’s formal abandoned vehicle process by mail:

Complete the Abandoned Vehicle Application (Form 46-4402), available on the AZDOT website.
Have the vehicle inspected. You will need to tow or haul it to an MVD office or an authorized third-party provider for a physical inspection.⁵
Mail the completed application with a $10 check or money order payable to MVD to: Abandoned Vehicle Unit, Mail Drop 553M, PO Box 2100, Phoenix, AZ 85001-2100.⁵
MVD reviews the application, conducts a title search, and sends a formal notice to the last known owner and any lienholders, who then have 30 days to reclaim the vehicle.²
If no one claims the vehicle within that 30-day window, ownership transfers free and clear to you.²

The full process averages about 60 days, and incomplete applications cause delays.⁴ You cannot file if the vehicle was purchased or gifted to you, if you have a written or verbal contract for storage or repairs, or if someone has already contacted you claiming ownership.⁵ Repair facilities have an added requirement: they must prove they sent a certified letter to the registered owner requesting pickup before they can file.

If the owner shows up and reclaims the vehicle after you have filed, notify MVD within 24 hours by emailing ABVPublic@azdot.gov.⁵

One financial point worth knowing before you decide which path to take. In counties with fewer than 1.5 million residents, if you report an abandoned vehicle on your property to law enforcement within 48 hours and follow the legal notice process, the owner or lienholder must reimburse you up to $5 per day for storage, capped at $500, plus the state’s abandoned vehicle processing fee, when they reclaim the vehicle. Miss the 48-hour reporting window and you lose the right to collect those storage fees.³

Anyone who removes an abandoned vehicle from private property must get written authorization from the property owner or lessee on a form prescribed by the MVD director, then submit that form along with the vehicle identification information to the department.³ That requirement protects you from an unauthorized tow operator hauling vehicles off your land without permission.

Vehicles on State Trust Land

Arizona State Trust Land has its own enforcement path. Call the Arizona State Land Department at 602-542-4631 to report a vehicle on trust land.¹ Officers who believe a vehicle on state trust land has been abandoned have the authority to remove or arrange for the removal of that vehicle.³

What to Have Ready Before You Call

A short list of details speeds the call up and helps officers find the vehicle. Have the exact location ready, using cross-streets or highway mileposts. Note the license plate number and issuing state if plates are attached. Give the make, model, and color.

The Vehicle Identification Number is the most useful identifier, especially when plates are missing. The 17-character code is stamped on the lower dashboard near the windshield on the driver’s side and often appears on the driver’s side door jamb as well. You can read the dashboard VIN through the glass without opening the vehicle.

Do not approach a vehicle that looks like it may have been involved in a crime or that appears to have fluid leaks around it. Abandoned vehicles can leak gasoline, brake fluid, and battery acid, all of which pose health risks.⁶ If you see fluid pooling under the vehicle, mention it when you file the report, since it can escalate the priority of removal.

1
Arizona State Land Department. Contact Us
2
Arizona Department of Transportation. Abandoned Vehicles
3
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-4834 – Vehicle Removal
4
AZ MVD Now. Abandoned Vehicle Report FAQ
5
Arizona Department of Transportation. Abandoned Vehicle Application – Form 46-4402
6
Environmental Protection Agency. Developing an Abandoned Vehicle Cleanup Program for Tribal Governments