Last Update: July 27, 2026

How To Claim an Abandoned Vehicle in Tennessee

Claiming an abandoned vehicle in Tennessee’s abandoned vehicle system is a statutory and administrative process. Compliance with state requirements for custody, ownership verification, notice, waiting periods, auction procedure, title documentation, and supporting records is necessary before ownership can be transferred.

What Qualifies As An Abandoned Vehicle In Tennessee

Tennessee uses the terms "abandoned," "immobile," and "unattended." The Department of Revenue states that a vehicle becomes subject to the process when it falls within one of the categories listed below.

An abandoned vehicle includes a vehicle that is:

• more than 4 years old and left unattended on public property for more than 10 days;
• in an obvious state of disrepair and left unattended on public property for more than 3 days;
• illegally on public property for more than 48 hours;
• left on private property without the consent of the owner or property manager for more than 48 hours; or
• stored, parked, or left in a garage, trailer park, storage lot, or parking lot for more than 30 consecutive days.

An immobile vehicle is a vehicle that cannot move under its own power because of an accident, mechanical failure, weather conditions, or another emergency.

An unattended vehicle includes a vehicle that:

• interferes with the orderly flow of traffic on public or private property when the owner or authorized driver is absent; or
• is left on public or private property because the driver was arrested.

For police-department removals, state law also authorizes towing in specified circumstances and establishes a preseizure notice and appeal process under the MOTION Act. Tennessee’s agency guidance does not describe a separate later date on which an unclaimed vehicle first becomes "abandoned"; instead, the vehicle is treated as abandoned when it satisfies one of the listed categories, and the later notice and sale deadlines then control the transfer process.

Process To Claim An Abandoned Vehicle In Tennessee

Understanding The Abandoned Vehicle Process

Tennessee does not transfer ownership by possession alone. The Department of Revenue requires the finder to follow the state abandoned vehicle procedure to identify owners and lienholders and, if the vehicle is not reclaimed, sell it at auction. Private individuals are not allowed to use this procedure, so a private purchaser ordinarily acquires ownership by buying the vehicle through the authorized sale process rather than by taking possession.

Report The Unclaimed Vehicle

The first filing step is the abandoned vehicle form, which must be submitted to the Vehicle Services Division within 3 business days of the vehicle being taken into custody.

For vehicles taken into custody by a police department, the governing statute requires ownership verification within 3 business days after custody, followed by notice to the owner and lienholders within 3 business days after that verification under the MOTION Act.

Verify Title Records And Owner Information

The Department requires verification of ownership and lien information before any sale activity begins. The state form and procedure are designed to obtain the last known registered owner and lienholder information from the Department of Revenue.

If Tennessee records do not resolve the title status, Tennessee requires that out-of-state inquiries must be made within 15 days of taking possession of the vehicle. The official materials reviewed do not authorize a sale unless the state-approved ownership search process is completed first.

Send Required Notices

After ownership information is received, Tennessee requires notice within 3 business days to the owner, lienholders, and other persons claiming an interest in the vehicle.

The notice must include:

• a complete description of the vehicle;
• an itemized statement of charges; and
• a due date for payment that is not less than 10 days from delivery of the notice.

The notice must be sent to the last known registered owner and all lienholders. If payment for towing and storage is presented, the vehicle must be released to the owner, secured creditor, lessor, or lienholder.

Allow The Statutory Waiting Period

Tennessee requires a payment deadline of at least 10 days after delivery of the notice. If the vehicle is not reclaimed and the charges are not paid by that deadline, the vehicle may proceed to sale, subject to the publication timing rules described below.

For police department impounds, the MOTION Act also provides a 20-day period in certain pre-seizure notice situations for the owner to remove the vehicle or appeal before custody is taken.

Publish Auction Notice

If the vehicle is not reclaimed, Tennessee permits advertisement for sale at auction at least 15 days after the first publication.

Publication requirements are the following:

• 1 newspaper advertisement in a local newspaper in the area where the vehicle was abandoned, immobile, or unattended; or
• if no newspaper is published in that area, posting at least 10 days before the sale in at least 6 conspicuous public places in the area where the vehicle will be sold.

The sale certification used after the auction requires proof of the notice of sale, 1 newspaper advertisement, and an itemized statement of charges.

Conduct The Public Auction Or Other Authorized Sale

After notice and publication are complete and the vehicle remains unclaimed, the vehicle may be sold at auction.

For police department auctions, the MOTION Act requires that the vehicle be sold at a public auction and that the purchaser take title free and clear of prior liens and ownership claims. The Department’s post-sale certification form similarly requires a sworn statement that the legal prerequisites were satisfied and that the purchaser received good title.

Complete The Bill Of Sale And Title Documents

After the sale, the principal state document is the Certification Of Sales Under Special Conditions. For an abandoned vehicle transaction, that form calls for:

• proof of delivery of the notice of sale;
• 1 newspaper advertisement; and
• an itemized statement of charges.

Depending on the transaction presented to the county clerk, the title file may also require the standard title application used for Tennessee title work and, when applicable, an odometer disclosure.

Apply For Title

A Tennessee purchaser ordinarily applies for title through the local county clerk. The Department collects a $14 title fee, with additional county fees possibly applying, on the multipurpose title form.

The application packet should include the abandoned-vehicle sale certification and its supporting proof, plus any standard title documents required by the county clerk for the vehicle involved. The official materials reviewed do not identify a separate statewide filing deadline specifically for an abandoned-vehicle purchaser after auction, so prompt filing with the county clerk is the prudent administrative course.

Special Rules For Salvage, Rebuilt, Or Inoperable Vehicles

If the vehicle has a salvage or non-repairable history, separate branding and inspection rules apply.

Key points include:

• a salvage certificate prevents operation on Tennessee roads;
• a non-repairable certificate prevents titling and registration in Tennessee; and
• a rebuilt title requires the salvage conversion process, supporting receipts, inspection, and state approval before road use is allowed.

Those rules do not replace the abandoned-vehicle sale requirements; they apply in addition to them when the vehicle’s title history requires salvage handling.

Maintain Records

The official documents reviewed require retention or submission of the core proof supporting the sale, including:

• ownership-verification records;
• notice documents;
• proof of delivery;
• publication proof;
• itemized towing and storage charges; and
• the sale certification submitted for title.

When a county clerk or the Department requests supporting proof, the auction file should be complete and internally consistent.

Tennessee Storage Fees And Financial Considerations

Storage Fee Rules

Tennessee places specific limits on storage-related recovery in the Department’s abandoned vehicle procedure:

• if a garagekeeper or tow firm does not verify ownership within 3 business days after taking possession, storage recovery is limited;
• if the owner is not notified by mail within 6 days after possession is taken, the garagekeeper or tow firm cannot collect more than 6 days of storage-related expenses; and
• storage charges exceeding 60 days are not permitted without owner or lienholder consent, and notice of storage beyond 60 days must be sent by registered mail with return receipt requested.

Disputes Over Charges

For vehicles towed by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the THP appeal rules provide an administrative review process.

The rules state that:

• an owner or lienholder may appeal within 20 days after receipt of notice;
• the appeal is filed with the THP district headquarters for the county involved;
• the hearing date must be set within 2 business days after the appeal is received, although the hearing itself may be scheduled later;
• the hearing generally may not be set more than 2 weeks after receipt of the appeal unless the appealing party agrees; and
• if THP determines that towing was improper or charges were unreasonable, the vehicle must be released without charge or for a reasonable amount fixed in the written decision.

A further internal review, followed by judicial review in the chancery court, is also available under the rules.

Sale Proceeds And Excess Funds

Tennessee’s police department auction statute directs the application of sale proceeds in a fixed order.

For department-administered abandoned-vehicle sales handled outside the police department process, the official guidance reviewed focuses on notice, publication, itemized charges, and title documentation. A separate statewide surplus-remittance instruction for every such transaction was not identified in the materials reviewed.

Contact Information

Tennessee Department of Revenue
500 Deaderick Street, Nashville, TN 37242
Phone: (615) 741-3101
Official Website: Tennessee Department of Revenue