Atlantic County, NJ Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Deemed abandoned after
- 21 calendar days unclaimed
- Owner notice
- Required before removal
- Governing state process
- N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 to 39:10-7
- Disposal method
- Public auction or junked
- Junk title issued only if
- Inoperable or uneconomical to repair
Summary
A vehicle towed under Atlantic County's contract towing program and left unclaimed at a contractor's lot for 21 calendar days or more may be deemed abandoned. The Sheriff's Office must notify the registered owner before removal, then the County follows N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 through 39:10-7 to sell it at public auction or issue a junk title.
Any unclaimed vehicle that has been stored in a towing contractor's lot under the direction of the County Sheriff's Office for 21 calendar days or more may be deemed abandoned. No vehicle shall be removed until the vehicle's registered owner has been notified. ... For any vehicle towed and stored in a towing contractor's lot that has been deemed abandoned (other than those vehicles that have been towed from an accident scene), the County is to then follow the procedures and file applications pursuant to N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 through 39:10-7. The abandoned vehicle must be offered for sale at public auction or junked. A junk title will only be issued if the vehicle is inoperable or cannot be put in a safe operational condition, except at a cost in excess of the value of the vehicle.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4863463; v25 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 126 defines an abandoned vehicle as one left unattended under circumstances indicating the owner has no intention of reclaiming or moving it, and the term also covers any vehicle on County property or roadways that violates another County ordinance or state statute (§ 126-1). Towing abandoned passenger automobiles, trucks, and motor vehicles found on County property or County-designated roadways is one of the services an approved towing operator must supply to the County (§ 126-2B). Once a towed vehicle sits unclaimed in a towing contractor's lot for 21 calendar days or more under direction of the Sheriff's Office, it may be deemed abandoned, but no vehicle may be removed for disposal until the registered owner has been notified (§ 126-7M(1)).
A. 39:10A-1 through 39:10-7 before disposing of it (§ 126-7M(2)). The vehicle must ultimately be offered for sale at public auction or junked, and a junk title issues only if the vehicle is inoperable or cannot be restored to safe operating condition except at a cost exceeding the vehicle's value (§ 126-7M(3)). Separately, if a vehicle stored under the chapter ends up abandoned or unclaimed, the approved towing operator has no recourse against the County for the towing fees, storage fees, or any other charges it never collected from the owner (§ 126-4K).
Violations & Fines
An operator or the County cannot skip straight to disposal: § 126-7M(1) requires the 21-day unclaimed period and mandatory owner notice before a vehicle is removed for sale or junking. Skipping the N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 through 39:10-7 process required by § 126-7M(2) exposes any resulting sale or junk title to challenge. An abandoned vehicle's owner remains on the hook for the towing operator's uncollected towing and storage charges even after the County disposes of the vehicle, since § 126-4K only bars the operator from billing the County for those unpaid amounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the County consider a towed car abandoned in Atlantic County?
Will I be notified before my vehicle is sold as abandoned?
What happens to an abandoned vehicle after the 21-day period?
Am I still liable for towing and storage fees on an abandoned vehicle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Atlantic County
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