Abandoned vehicle removal in Memphis
A car sitting too long on a street or lot near Memphis can get flagged and removed. Here's how Tennessee's rules actually define that.
What Tennessee law says
Tennessee defines "abandoned" with more precision than most people assume. Under § 55-16-103, an abandoned motor vehicle is generally one over four years old left unattended on public property for 10 or more days, or any vehicle in an obvious state of disrepair, meaning inoperable, missing wheels, burned, or with multiple broken windows, left unattended more than 3 days. A separate category, an immobile vehicle, covers one that can't move under its own power because of an accident, mechanical failure, weather, or an emergency, and an unattended vehicle is one left without its owner present in a way that impedes traffic, whether on public or private property, or one left behind because the driver was arrested. Under § 55-16-104, police departments, which the statute defines to include the highway patrol, sheriff's departments, and municipal police, have the authority to take possession of a vehicle that meets one of these definitions. Inside Memphis city limits, that tow runs through the same city process as any other MPD-directed tow, landing at the Vehicle Storage Lot at 465 Klinke Avenue, reachable at (901) 636-8200. If a car sits unreclaimed after the notice process under § 55-16-105, state law requires it be sold at public auction under § 55-16-106, with any leftover proceeds held for the owner or lienholder for 45 days before the money reverts to a state fund. Operationally, Shelby County government and Sheriff's Office surplus and seized vehicles show up on third-party auction platforms like HiBid.com and GovDeals.com, listed as-is, where-is. Quick Tow Memphis also handles junk car removal for owners who'd rather skip the whole process on a car that isn't worth reclaiming.
How it works in Memphis
- 1 Know what counts as abandoned
Tennessee's rule covers a vehicle over 4 years old left unattended on public property 10+ days, or any vehicle in obvious disrepair left more than 3 days. A car that impedes traffic or was left after an arrest also counts as unattended.
- 2 Confirm who has the authority to tow it
Under § 55-16-104, police departments, including the highway patrol and sheriff's departments, have authority to take possession of a vehicle meeting that definition.
- 3 Report it in Memphis
A tow inside city limits runs through the standard MPD process. Call the Vehicle Storage Lot at (901) 636-8200 to check whether it's already been flagged.
- 4 Report it outside city limits
Call the local police department covering your area. Tennessee's statewide definitions still apply, but the process outside Memphis doesn't run through 465 Klinke Avenue.
- 5 Know what happens if it's unreclaimed
State law sends an unreclaimed vehicle to public auction, with leftover proceeds held for the owner or lienholder for 45 days before reverting to a state fund.
- 6 Consider junk car removal instead
If the car isn't worth reclaiming, ask Quick Tow Memphis about pickup for an unwanted vehicle instead of paying to get it out.
What this looks like around Memphis
An abandoned vehicle in {c} routes through Memphis's standard process, landing at the Vehicle Storage Lot at 465 Klinke Avenue if MPD tows it. Call (901) 636-8200 to check on a car already flagged.
Memphis is our hub city, the busiest call area on the map, running from Downtown and Midtown through North Memphis, Berclair, and the Airport District out to the Shelby County suburbs and across two state lines into DeSoto County, Mississippi and Crittenden County, Arkansas. Each of those areas carries its own dedicated page. The city's defining call type comes from the two river crossings: I-40 crosses the Mississippi on the Hernando de Soto Bridge and I-55 crosses it a few miles south on the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge, and a breakdown mid-span on either one is a real hazard, not an inconvenience, since neither bridge has a shoulder to pull into. The FedEx World Hub at Memphis International Airport runs roughly 250 flights a night, mostly between 10pm and 5am, so we staff a genuine overnight shift to cover the logistics and shift workers who keep the Superhub moving. A poverty rate above 23 percent citywide skews the vehicle fleet older and more breakdown-prone than the national average, and winter ice storms, the kind that knocked MLGW power to over 200,000 customers in both February and December 2022, strand cars on bridges and overpasses most winters. We also run a steady share of theft-recovery tows tied to MPD's Vehicle Storage Lot at 465 Klinke Ave, and we treat the driver getting their car back as the customer, not a suspect, no judgment attached. Most calls reach Downtown, the FedEx/airport corridor, and the I-240 loop in about 20 to 35 minutes, running flatbed for bridge calls and anything with sensitive electronics, wheel-lift for the ordinary breakdown everywhere else.
Common Memphis questions
How long can a car sit before it counts as abandoned in Memphis?
Under Tennessee law, a vehicle over 4 years old counts as abandoned after 10+ days unattended on public property, or after 3 days if it's in obvious disrepair.
How do I report an abandoned vehicle in Memphis?
Inside Memphis, call the Vehicle Storage Lot at (901) 636-8200. Outside city limits, call the local police department covering your area.
What happens after an abandoned vehicle is removed in Memphis?
It goes into the standard towing and storage process, and if it's unreclaimed, state law sends it to public auction with leftover proceeds held 45 days for the owner or lienholder.
Does Quick Tow Memphis buy or remove junk cars in Memphis?
Yes, we offer junk car removal for owners who'd rather skip the process entirely. Contact us about pickup for an old or unwanted vehicle.
Related help for Memphis
Abandoned vehicles in the rest of the Memphis Core area
Need your car towed once it's released in Memphis?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can tow it home the moment it clears.