What is an abandoned vehicle?
How to report an abandoned vehicle
What happens to abandoned vehicles?
Collection of an abandoned vehicle
Unclaimed vehicles

Any vehicle unregistered or abandoned on the side of a Council-controlled road or within Council land may be issued with a notice or impounded under Section 100 of the Transportation Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995.

It is an offence to leave a vehicle on the roadway or footpath once the vehicle registration has expired. Vehicles that are registered and legally parked cannot be deemed as abandoned and are permitted on the road reserve.

Where a vehicle is deemed to be in a hazardous location, Council may in some instances organise for it to be removed immediately. If outside of Council hours, please contact Queensland Police.

What is an abandoned vehicle?

A vehicle is deemed ‘abandoned’ if:

• The vehicle has not moved and has been in the same location for an unusual length of time
• The owner of the vehicle is unknown
• The vehicle does not display registration plates or does not have a valid registration
• If Council considers on reasonable grounds that a vehicle has been abandoned on a road.

If the vehicle does not match the above criteria and you believe the vehicle is parked illegally, please contact Council for further advice.

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How to report an abandoned vehicle

If you know that a vehicle is abandoned, you can report it by contacting Council. A Council officer will ask vehicle details such as the make/model, colour, location, the period of time that the vehicle has been at its current location, and the condition it is in.

Report online

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What happens to abandoned vehicles?

For vehicles believed to have been abandoned, Council must follow legal procedures before the vehicle can be removed from the roadway or footpath. This process can take four to six weeks to complete. During this time, the vehicle is inspected, and surrounding properties checked to see if an owner can be located. Registration checks may also be performed to help locate the owner. Only after these checks are performed and if no owner has claimed the vehicle, will it be removed. A local law notice is displayed on the windscreen advising that the vehicle will be towed if it is not removed in seven days.

If the vehicle is not removed within this time period, it will be impounded and subsequently offered for sale by auction or as scrap metal unless claimed within a specified time frame.

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Collection of an abandoned vehicle

If a vehicle has been impounded, the owner must provide sufficient proof of identity and pay all costs incurred in the removal, advertisement and storage of the vehicle. Owners are to contact Council to organise release of the vehicle and complete a release application form.

Unclaimed vehicles

All unclaimed abandoned vehicles are housed at Council’s holding facility until they can be sold at auction or for scrap metal. All auctions are published in The Observer newspaper prior to the auction.

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