Mississippi Statewide Rule
Mississippi Abandoned Vehicle Law: Five Days on Public Property
Key Facts
- Abandonment trigger
- 5 days on public property
- Governing statute
- Miss. Code § 63-23-3 et seq.
- Minimum before auction
- 30 days after removal
- Owner notice
- Registered or certified mail required
- Sale proceeds
- Escheat to county general fund
Summary
Under Mississippi Code Section 63-23-3, a motor vehicle left unattended on any public street, road, highway, or other public property for at least five days is legally abandoned. It may be towed, held, and sold at public auction thirty days after removal.
63-23-3. For the purposes of this chapter, an "abandoned motor vehicle" shall mean a motor vehicle as defined by the Mississippi Motor Vehicle Title Law: [...] (b) Which is left unattended on a public street, road or highway or other public property for a period of at least five (5) days. (c) Which has been lawfully towed onto the property of another at the written request of a law enforcement officer and left there for a period of not less than forty (40) days without any one having made claim thereto.
Full Breakdown
Section 63-23-3(b) fixes the trigger at five days: a motor vehicle sitting unattended on a public street, road, highway, or other public property becomes an "abandoned motor vehicle." Law enforcement can have it towed, and the custodian may sell it at public auction, but Section 63-23-5 bars any sale at auction until thirty days after removal. The last-known registered owner and every lienholder of record must be notified by registered or certified mail under Section 63-23-9, and the owner may reclaim the vehicle before sale by paying towing, storage, and repair costs (Section 63-23-11). Sale proceeds above expenses escheat to the county general fund.
Violations & Penalties
Leave a car on a public roadway or public lot for five days and it can be towed, impounded, and auctioned thirty days after removal; reclaiming it requires paying all towing, storage, and repair charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long before a car on a public street is considered abandoned in Mississippi?
Can I get my towed vehicle back before it is auctioned?
What happens to the money when an abandoned vehicle is sold?
Sources
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