Dane County, WI Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

03, enacted under Wis. 40, defines an abandoned vehicle as any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or mobile home left unattended on a public street or highway, or on private or public property, without the property owner's, agent's, or lessee's permission, for such time and circumstances that it reasonably appears abandoned, codified at more than 48 hours. Once a municipal, county, or state officer discovers such a vehicle, the officer notifies the Dane County Sheriff Department, which orders it towed to a licensed salvage yard or other authorized impound lot.

The Sheriff Department sends certified mail notice to the titled owner and any secured party of record; the vehicle is held 15 days from that notice and may be reclaimed on payment of all accrued towing, storage, and notice charges plus presentation of title or other proof of ownership. If unclaimed after 15 days, a vehicle worth less than $100 is sold directly to a licensed salvage dealer; one worth $100 or more is sold at public sale or by sealed bid after a published Class 1 Notice listing the vehicle description and owner information.

Within 5 days of any sale or disposal, the Sheriff Department must report it to the Wisconsin DOT Division of Motor Vehicles and give a copy of the sale form to the purchaser. Under sub. (10), the owner, unless the vehicle was stolen, is responsible for all towing, storage, and disposal costs, and the County may recover any shortfall from the sale proceeds in a civil action against the owner.