State guide
Texas
Texas treats abandoned vehicles differently depending on where the vehicle sits and who has possession. TxDMV’s state abandoned-vehicle page focuses on obtaining a Certificate of Authority to dispose of the vehicle to a demolisher, while separate state materials cover storage-lien foreclosure and bonded-title situations.
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
- Texas defines an abandoned motor vehicle to include one that remains on private property without the consent of the owner or person in charge of the property for more than 48 hours, as well as several public-property and highway situations.
- Removing one from private property
- A vehicle left on private property without consent for more than 48 hours is abandoned under state law, and TxDMV’s official abandoned-vehicle process allows a person with the vehicle in possession or on owned property to apply for disposal authority.
- Getting title to an abandoned vehicle
- TxDMV’s abandoned-vehicle page provides a Certificate of Authority to dispose of the vehicle to a demolisher through Form VTR-71-2; storage facilities use storage-lien foreclosure paperwork, and bonded title is a separate TxDMV process.
- State agency
- Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Titles and Registration Division
- Official forms or instructions
- Official page →
Official resources in Texas
State overview defining abandoned motor vehicles and explaining the Certificate of Authority process for disposal to a demolisher.
Official TxDMV application for a person with an abandoned vehicle in possession or on owned property to seek authority to demolish it.
TxDMV chart summarizing notice, law-enforcement notification, timing, and title paperwork for storage-lien foreclosure.
Official foreclosure form with the owner/lienholder notice and abandoned-vehicle reporting requirements for storage facilities or claimants.
TxDMV instructions for the bonded-title path when a standard title application is rejected.
Key facts for Texas
- Texas treats a vehicle on private property without consent for more than 48 hours as abandoned.
- A vehicle illegally left on public property for more than 48 hours is abandoned.
- A vehicle left on a designated county, state, or federal highway right-of-way for more than 48 hours is abandoned.
- For a turnpike or controlled-access highway right-of-way, the abandonment period is more than 24 hours.
- If TxDMV must notify owners or lienholders on a VTR-71-2 application, they have 20 days to claim the vehicle.
- TxDMV says VTR-71-2 results in authority to dispose of the vehicle to a demolisher, not a standard reusable title.
City abandoned-vehicle reporting in Texas
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| TxDMV Vehicle Titles and Registration Division Travis | Austin | (512) 465-5659, Option 1 | State contact printed on the abandoned-vehicles page for questions about the VTR-71-2 process. |
| San Antonio 311 Bexar | San Antonio | 210.207.6000 | Official city contact for service requests and case follow-up; San Antonio’s 311 pages and app information are the city’s reporting route. |
| Dallas 311 / Department of Code Compliance Dallas | Dallas | (214) 670-5111 | Dallas Code Compliance says junk vehicles on private property should be reported to 311; street vehicles are handled by Dallas Police. |
| Vehicle Abatement Unit Travis | Austin | (512) 974-8119 | Austin Police page says to report abandoned vehicles through 311 or online; this page also publishes the Vehicle Abatement Unit number and private-property affidavit links. |
| My Fort Worth / Code Compliance Tarrant | Fort Worth | Not published* | Fort Worth reports junked vehicles on private property through Code Compliance or MyFW; abandoned vehicles on streets go to police dispatch. |
| EP311 El Paso | El Paso | Not published* | Official city service-request system listing Junk Vehicles / Abandoned Autos under code-enforcement requests. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- If the vehicle is simply abandoned on your land and you want it destroyed, start with TxDMV’s abandoned-vehicle page and Form VTR-71-2.
- If you are a storage facility or lien claimant, follow the storage-lien chart and Form VTR-265-S deadlines exactly, including certified-mail notice and law-enforcement notification.
- If you bought a vehicle but cannot get regular title evidence, review TxDMV’s bonded-title instructions instead of the abandoned-vehicle demolition process.
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 Texas's population center, for comparison only):
- Shreveport 311 - Report A Concern, Louisiana · about 232 miles
- Action Center, Oklahoma · about 298 miles
- Parking Enforcement, Oklahoma · about 298 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.TxDMV - Abandoned Vehicles
Website →Phone: (512) 465-5659 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Texas page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.