For a car on a public El Paso street, call the EPPD non-emergency line at (915) 212-4000, and for a junked car visible in a residential yard, file a Junk Vehicles request through 311. Location decides the channel, not the car itself. Get the address, plate and how long it has sat before you call, and save the case number.
Quick Tow EP is a referral service. We connect drivers with independent local tow operators. The driver hires and pays the operator directly, and the operator quotes the price. Quick Tow EP does no towing, roadside work or storage itself.
First, decide whether it’s actually abandoned
A car sitting for two days isn’t abandoned, and a car with current tags on a legal spot usually isn’t either. Texas Transportation Code Section 683.002 gives the working definition: inoperable, more than five years old and left unattended on public property more than 48 hours; illegally on public property more than 48 hours; on private property without the owner’s consent more than 48 hours; unattended on a designated county, state or federal highway right-of-way more than 48 hours; or more than 24 hours on a controlled access highway right-of-way (Texas Transportation Code Chapter 683).
“Visible disrepair” doesn’t have a clean legal threshold, so describe what you see instead of judging it. Flat tires, a taped window, missing plates, trash piled around it, weeds growing through the wheels. Officers and code officers make the call, and your notes help them.
Proving how long a car has sat is the hard part. Take a dated photo each day, or every few days, with the car and a fixed landmark in frame. Write down the first date you noticed it. Your log is evidence even if nobody else was watching.
Who handles it depends on where the car sits
A car on a public street inside El Paso
Call the EPPD non-emergency line at (915) 212-4000 (EPPD Vehicle Towing). EPPD lists parked illegally or appearing abandoned among the reasons it may tow a vehicle. Save the case number they give you.
A junked car visible from the street in a residential yard
This is a code case, not a police case. El Paso Municipal Code 9.08.010 bars storing an uncovered junked vehicle or junk vehicle parts in a residential area where it’s visible from the street (El Paso Code Enforcement). A junked vehicle under Section 683.071 is self-propelled and wrecked, dismantled, partially dismantled, discarded, or inoperable more than 72 consecutive hours on public property or 30 consecutive days on private property, and it displays an expired plate or no plate. Section 683.072 declares a junked vehicle visible from a public place a public nuisance.
File it as a Junk Vehicles request through El Paso 311, by phone or the web app (El Paso 311). You can submit anonymously or with an account to get updates. 311 is not monitored at all hours, and emergencies transfer to 911.
A car parked on an unpaved front yard
El Paso Municipal Code 20.14.040 says vehicles may not be parked in a front or side yard unless on concrete, asphalt or another comparable dust-free surface. Report that through 311 as well. It’s a property condition case, so expect it to move on the code timeline, not the police one.
Streets outside city limits
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office handles the county outside city limits. Its Evidence & Abandoned Motor Vehicle Section, 3850 Justice St., (915) 273-3800 ext. 5431, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., stores vehicles the Sheriff impounded (EPCSO AMV Section). Ask the Sheriff’s Office which unit takes the report. Places outside city limits are not covered by El Paso City Code Chapter 12.54, so contact the agency that handled the tow. Fort Bliss is federal property, and on-post questions should go to installation authorities.
Highway right-of-way
On a designated county, state or federal highway right-of-way, the 48-hour rule applies, and on a controlled access highway it’s 24 hours under Section 683.002. Don’t stand near the shoulder to document it. Call it in from a safe spot.
What to have ready before you report
- Exact address, or the nearest cross street and a landmark
- Whether the car is on a public street, a private lot, or a yard
- Make, model, color and body style
- License plate and state, if visible
- VIN through the windshield, if you can read it
- Damage or missing parts you can see
- The first date you noticed it, plus your photo log
- Your name and callback number, unless you’re reporting anonymously
Step by step
- Confirm the exact location and whether it’s public or private property.
- Note the vehicle details: make, color, plate, damage.
- Record how long it has been sitting, with dated photos.
- Call the non-emergency line for public streets, or file a 311 Junk Vehicles request for a yard case.
- Save the case number they give you.
- Follow up with the agency if nothing changes.
- If the agency takes the car into custody, Section 683.012 requires it to notify the registered owner, who then has a window to claim it before any auction.
- On private property, the property owner or manager starts the process. A tow company may tow only with written verification from the parking facility owner and only if the owner requested that specific tow or has a standing written agreement to enforce parking (Section 2308.255).
What happens after you report
Under Section 683.011, a law enforcement agency may take an abandoned vehicle into custody on public or private property. Section 683.012 requires the agency to send certified-mail notice to the last registered owner and lienholders within 10 days. They have until the 20th day after the notice to claim it by paying towing, preservation and storage charges. If they don’t, they waive their rights and consent to a public auction. The City of El Paso and URVMS hold public online auto auctions of unclaimed vehicles on the second Tuesday of every month (URVMS).
Follow up with the agency you reported to and keep your photo log current in the meantime. After a tow or boot without consent, the owner or operator is entitled to a hearing on whether there was probable cause. The written request must reach the court before the 14th day after the car was placed in storage or booted, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, and the court may charge a $20 filing fee (Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2308). File in any justice court in the county the car was towed from, or for a boot, the county where the parking facility is. The request must include your name, address and phone; where and when the car was removed or booted; who authorized it; the storage facility’s and tow company’s names, addresses and phones; copies of receipts or notices; and photos of any parking sign or a statement that no sign was posted. That deadline does not apply if the required notice was never given, and the 14 days do not start until the tow company or VSF provides the information needed to complete the request.
Answers to the questions people actually ask
Does reporting cost me anything? Ask the agency whether any fee applies when you call. Towing and storage charges fall on the vehicle owner.
Can I just tow it myself? Not off a public street. Section 2308.354 says a parking facility owner or towing company may not remove a vehicle from a public roadway except under that chapter, a complying city ordinance, or at the direction of a peace officer, an authorized city employee, or the vehicle’s owner (Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2308). A private property owner cannot have a car towed off the public street in front of their house on their own.
What if it blocks my driveway? Parking in front of a public or private driveway is prohibited under Section 545.302, except momentarily to pick up or drop off a passenger (Texas Transportation Code Chapter 545). Section 545.305 lets a peace officer remove or make the driver move a vehicle unlawfully parked and blocking a private driveway entrance. When a peace officer removes the vehicle under Section 545.305, the owner is liable for reasonable towing and storage fees. Call the non-emergency line, and see our post on a car blocking your driveway.
Can I take parts or the plate? No. Don’t touch the vehicle.
Who pays if towing damages it? Ask the agency handling the case and the tow operator directly, and document the car’s condition before it’s moved.
Finding a car that’s already been towed
If EPPD towed it, it may be at the City of El Paso Municipal Vehicle Storage Facility, 11615 Railroad Drive, run by UR Vehicle Management Solutions, (915) 212-0205, open 24 hours. Call or search the URVMS online database, which lists stored vehicles and their charges. Bring a valid federal or state photo ID and one of registration, title or insurance, plus the balance owed. URVMS accepts cash and Discover, Mastercard and Visa, with a 1.98% government fee added for credit cards. Our guides on towed car lookup and getting your car out of impound walk through it.
For a Sheriff-towed vehicle, the car may be at the Sheriff’s contracted towing company lot or the EPCSO Abandoned Motor Vehicle Evidence Lot at 12501 Montana Ave., Building F (lot phone 915-538-2007). Recovery requires an appointment with the AMV Office and: plate number or VIN, the incident date and case number if given, title, current registration or bill of sale, proof of insurance, and a valid driver’s license. Per the County FAQ, fees are a wrecker service fee, storage at $20 per day plus tax after hold release, a process fee of $10 plus tax, and a notification fee of $25 (El Paso County FAQ).
If a car is never claimed, a VSF must mail or publish at least two notices and wait at least 30 days after the second notice before selling it. Call the city facility at (915) 212-0205 before visiting, because some vehicles have a hold and cannot be released.
Private property, renters and shared lots
On private property, the parking facility owner starts the process. A tow company may tow only with written verification from the parking facility owner that signs are posted or notice was given, and only if the owner requested that specific tow or has a standing written agreement to enforce parking (Section 2308.255). Sections 2308.251 and 2308.252 allow a parking facility owner to have an unauthorized vehicle towed without the owner’s consent if compliant signs were posted at the time of towing and for the preceding 24 hours; or the driver got actual notice; or a windshield notice was posted and a certified-mail notice sent; or the car is blocking an aisle, entry or exit, a fire lane, a disabled space without a placard, is leaking hazardous fluid, or is in or obstructing a paved driveway. If you rent, loop in your property manager before calling anyone, since you may not have the authority to authorize a tow. For shared lots, document the spot and your lease terms. Our posts on someone parked in my spot and abandoned car on my property cover the private side in more detail.
One caution: El Paso’s ordinance amending Chapter 12.54, effective June 1, 2026, added Section 12.54.070, making it an offense to show up at an accident or incident scene to do a nonconsent or incident management tow without being contacted first by police, the owner, the driver or the insurer, or to solicit towing business on public streets, property or sidewalks. Fines can reach $500 under Section 12.54.040 (City of El Paso ordinance). If someone shows up unprompted, ask who called them.
Donating or disposing of a car you don’t own
You generally can’t donate a car that isn’t yours. Section 683.051 lets the recorded owner, or a person who has an abandoned vehicle in their possession or on property they own, apply to TxDMV for authority to dispose of it to a motor vehicle demolisher. A demolisher must get the title, a sales receipt, a transfer document, or a certificate of authority for disposal from whoever delivers the vehicle. If you’re the property owner stuck with a junked car, that process is your path. See junk car paperwork in Texas.
Before you call anyone to move it
Ask the operator for the price before they hook up, and confirm where the car is going. Check any operator’s TDLR license on the state license search. For a private lot tow, look for compliant signage, covered in Texas tow-away sign rules, and remember the tow company must have written verification from the property owner and the owner must have requested that specific tow or have a standing written agreement to enforce parking. If you’re in New Mexico, Texas rules don’t apply there, so contact the agency that handled it, and the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division for NM titles.
Frequently asked questions
Who do I call to report an abandoned car in El Paso?
Inside city limits, call EPPD non-emergency at (915) 212-4000 for a car on a public street, or file a Junk Vehicles request through 311 for a junked car visible in a yard. Outside city limits, contact the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office; its AMV Section at (915) 273-3800 ext. 5431 stores vehicles the Sheriff impounded.
How long does a car have to sit before it’s abandoned?
Under Section 683.002, it’s 48 hours in most public property and highway right-of-way cases, and 24 hours on a controlled access highway right-of-way. A junked vehicle under Section 683.071 means inoperable more than 72 consecutive hours on public property or 30 consecutive days on private property, with an expired or missing plate.
Can I get a car towed off my own property?
On private property, a tow is possible, but the parking facility owner must request that specific tow or have a standing written agreement to enforce parking, and must give the tow company written verification that compliant signs are posted or that notice was given under Section 2308.252 (Section 2308.255). Section 683.011 also lets a law enforcement agency take an abandoned vehicle into custody on private property. You cannot have a car towed off the public street in front of your house yourself under Section 2308.354. Renters should involve the property manager first.
What information do I need when I report it?
The exact address or nearest cross street, whether it’s public or private property, make, model, color, plate, visible VIN, damage, and the first date you noticed it. Dated photos help prove how long it has sat. Save the case number you’re given.
Does it cost anything to report an abandoned vehicle?
Ask the agency whether any fee applies when you call. Towing, preservation and storage charges apply to the owner who claims the vehicle under Section 683.012, and county storage runs $20 per day plus tax after hold release per the County FAQ.
How long until the car is actually removed?
No set timeline applies; ask the agency handling the case. If a law enforcement agency takes an abandoned vehicle into custody, Section 683.012 requires notice to the registered owner and lienholders within 10 days, and they have until the 20th day after the notice to claim it before it can be sold at public auction.
When to call for a tow
If the car is on private property, sitting in a lot you manage, and you’ve handled the property side, a tow operator is the next step. A car blocking your driveway from the public street is a different case: call the non-emergency line, and only private-property situations go to a tow operator. The same goes for a junked vehicle you own and want hauled off. Call (915) 320-5573 and Quick Tow EP will connect you with an independent local tow operator.