Connecticut Statewide Rule
Connecticut Abandoned Motor Vehicle Statewide Rules
Key Facts
- Statute
- Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 14-150
- Public removal threshold
- 24 hours
- Notice required
- Certified mail
- Sale waiting period
- 15 to 45 days
- Lien applies
- Yes, on owner
Summary
Connecticut state law defines abandoned motor vehicles and authorizes police and municipalities to remove them. Vehicles left on public property over 24 hours, or on private property without consent, may be towed and sold by statute.
Sec. 14-150. Abandoned or unregistered motor vehicles and motor vehicles which are a menace to traffic. Notice. Removal. Storage. Hearing. Lien. Affidavit of compliance. Sale. Regulations re title to abandoned motor vehicles and re disposal of motor homes or recreational vehicles abandoned at campgrounds. (a) Any person who abandons any motor vehicle within the limits of any highway or upon property other than such person's own without the consent of the owner thereof for a period longer than twenty-four hours shall have committed an infraction and shall be fined not less than eighty-five dollars. The last owner of record of a motor vehicle found abandoned, as shown by the files of the Department of Motor Vehicles, shall be deemed prima facie to have been the owner of such motor vehicle at the time it was abandoned and the person who abandoned the same or caused or procured its abandonment.
Full Breakdown
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 14-150, any motor vehicle left on a highway, public property, or private property without the owner's permission may be deemed abandoned and removed. After 24 hours on public property, police may authorize towing. Owners must be notified by certified mail. If unclaimed for 15 days (or 45 days for vehicles worth more than $1,500), the vehicle may be sold at public auction. Storage and towing fees become a lien against the owner. Municipalities apply state procedures uniformly across Connecticut.
Violations & Penalties
Owners face towing, storage fees, and potential sale at auction. Costs typically range from several hundred to several thousand dollars in accrued fees plus administrative penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a city in Connecticut shorten the abandonment timeframe?
Who pays the towing and storage costs?
Sources
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