Maui County, HI Business Licensing & Operations: Towing Companies (2026)
Key Facts
- Vehicle-posted notice period
- 24 hours before tow
- Owner mail notice before disposal
- 10 days
- Auction wait after publication
- 5 days minimum
- Auction waived below
- $250 appraised value
- Excess-proceeds claim window
- 1 year
Summary
Maui County Code section 20.20.060 lets a property owner or occupant tow an unauthorized abandoned or derelict vehicle from private property, but only after posting a no-parking notice on the property or a 24-hour tow warning on the vehicle itself, followed by certified-mail notice to the registered owner.
Any abandoned or derelict vehicle on public place or private property without authorization of the owner or occupant of the property may be towed away at the expense of the owner of the vehicle, by order of the owner, occupant, or person in charge of the property, provided that:1.There is a posted notice prohibiting vehicles to park on the property without authorization. The notice shall state where the vehicle will be towed and held. ... or2.A notice is posted on the abandoned or derelict vehicle for a period of twenty-four hours which states that the vehicle will be towed after the expiration of the twenty-four-hour period. The notice shall include the location where the vehicle will be towed.
Full Breakdown
060A conditions non-consent towing on one of two postings: a permanent, reasonably visible sign on the property stating vehicles will be towed without authorization and where they will be held, or a notice affixed to the specific vehicle for 24 hours warning it will be towed once that period expires. Once a vehicle is in custody, subsection B requires written notice sent by certified or registered mail with a return receipt to the vehicle's legal and registered owner at the address on file with the department of finance, describing the vehicle, where it is held, and that it will be disposed of if not reclaimed within ten days of mailing; no notice is required if the owner's identity or address cannot be determined.
Subsection C sends unclaimed vehicles to public auction, oral tender or sealed bid after one newspaper advertisement, held no sooner than five days after publication, with unsold vehicles eligible for negotiated sale, junking or donation to a government agency. Subsection D lets the rightful owner reclaim the vehicle before auction by paying all towing, storage, appraisal and advertising costs, and lets anyone unable to post that security petition the director of finance for a reduction, with a decision due within 24 hours or the owner may reclaim the vehicle free.
Subsection E waives the public-auction steps entirely for vehicles the director of finance appraises under $250, which may go straight to negotiated sale, junking or donation after one newspaper notice.
Violations & Fines
Under subsection G, sale proceeds are deposited in the county's section 3.25.030 fund, and the registered or legal owner has one year from the sale agreement to file a claim for any proceeds exceeding the towing and storage expenses, with the registered owner's lien given payment priority; the county may likewise pursue the owner within that same year for any shortfall between the sale price and its costs. A director of finance decision on a security-reduction petition may be appealed to the board of variances and appeals under subsection D.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Maui property owner tow a vehicle without the driver's permission?
How is a vehicle owner notified after a non-consent tow in Maui County?
Does every towed vehicle in Maui County go to public auction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Maui County
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