State guide
New York
New York’s statewide abandonment thresholds are set in Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1224 and vary by where the vehicle is left and whether parking is otherwise legal there. The official DMV material I found is strongest on disposal paperwork, especially form MV-37 for older, low-value vehicles and the DMV’s garageperson’s-lien instructions for tow, storage, or repair charges.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- When a vehicle counts as abandoned
- New York law deems a vehicle abandoned after more than six hours with no plates on a highway or public place, more than twenty-four hours where parking is illegal, more than forty-eight hours after otherwise legal parking becomes illegal, or more than ninety-six hours on another’s property without permission.
- Removing one from private property
- Under § 1224, a vehicle left on property of another without permission for more than ninety-six hours is an abandoned vehicle; the statewide DMV form I found for property owners is MV-37 for disposal of qualifying older, low-value vehicles.
- Getting title to an abandoned vehicle
- NY DMV’s MV-37 lets a property owner transfer a qualifying abandoned vehicle to a vehicle dismantler or itinerant vehicle collector, while MV-901C provides the DMV lien-sale instructions for garagepersons seeking payment of storage, repair, or towing charges.
- State agency
- New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
- Official forms or instructions
- Official page →
Official resources in New York
Official state statute defining when a vehicle is abandoned on highways, public places, and another person’s property.
DMV form property owners use to transfer certain abandoned vehicles to a dismantler or itinerant vehicle collector.
Official DMV forms index listing MV-37 and garageperson’s-lien materials.
DMV instructions for foreclosing a garageperson’s lien for storage, repair, or towing charges.
Official title and registration page linking to abandoned and unclaimed vehicle ownership situations.
Key facts for New York
- A vehicle with no plates is abandoned after more than six hours on a highway or other public place.
- A vehicle is abandoned after more than twenty-four hours on a highway or public place where parking is not legally permitted.
- A vehicle is abandoned after more than forty-eight hours where parking was legal but later became illegal.
- A vehicle is abandoned after more than ninety-six hours on another person’s property without permission.
- MV-37 can be used only if the vehicle is at least ten model years old, worth $1,250 or less, and abandoned at least one month.
- MV-37 says the vehicle may never be titled again and must be dismantled or scrapped.
City abandoned-vehicle reporting in New York
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYC311 Abandoned Vehicle | New York City | 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) | Official NYC311 page for reporting abandoned vehicles on public property and requesting DSNY removal of certain plate-less vehicles from private property. |
| Buffalo 311 Erie | Buffalo | Not published* | City call center for service requests and non-emergency police matters; outside city limits dial 716-851-4890. |
| 311 Live / Contact 311 Monroe | Rochester | Not published* | Rochester’s 311 handles abandoned vehicles on streets or public rights of way; outside city limits call 585-428-5990. |
| Abandoned Autos Westchester | Yonkers | 914-377-7391 | Yonkers Police directory lists a dedicated abandoned-autos contact within Special Investigations / Special Operations. |
| Problem Solver Westchester | Yonkers | 914-377-6000 | City report-a-concern form residents can use for complaints and problems. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Match the facts to § 1224’s time threshold before reporting or disposing of a vehicle, because New York uses different clocks for different locations.
- If you are a property owner using MV-37, verify the vehicle’s age, value, and one-month abandonment period first.
- If the vehicle is tied to towing, storage, or repair charges, use DMV’s garageperson’s-lien instructions instead of MV-37.
Not seeing your city or county?
Not every city publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from New York's population center, for comparison only):
- Citizen Request Tracker, New Jersey · about 58 miles
- Stamford Police Department - How Do I / Parking Enforcement, Connecticut · about 61 miles
- Resident Response Center, New Jersey · about 61 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1224
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the New York page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.