New Hanover County, NC Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Under Sec. 23-114, it is unlawful to abandon or junk a vehicle in the county, or to let a partially dismantled, nonoperating, junked or otherwise discarded vehicle remain, unless it belongs to a licensed business operator. Sec. 23-113 separately declares a vehicle a hazard if it obstructs traffic on a public way, holds pooled water, shows rodent harborage, or is overrun by weeds and vegetation over eight inches high; the board of commissioners can add other vehicles to that list. Under Sec. 23-115, a law enforcement officer may remove any abandoned or junked vehicle from a street, public place, or private property to a designated storage garage, but removal from private land requires the written request of the owner, lessee or occupant unless the vehicle has already been declared a hazard.

Whoever requests the removal must indemnify the county for the cost of the tow, storage or sale. Towing and storage charges become a lien on the vehicle under Sec. 23-116, and it will not be released until the lien is paid to the county revenue collector or the storage garage. When a registered vehicle is towed, Sec. 23-117 requires notice to the last known owner within 24 hours, or 72 hours for an out-of-state vehicle, and the owner may demand a probable-cause hearing before a magistrate, who must set the hearing within 72 hours of the request.

An owner can reclaim the vehicle at any stage by paying the towing fee or posting bond for double that amount under Sec. 23-118. Unclaimed abandoned vehicles may be sold after the county holds them 30 days; unclaimed junked vehicles may be sold or destroyed after just 15 days under Sec. 23-121.