ARTICLE 2. Vehicle Disposition [22850. - 22856.]

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH 2.

in effect

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22850. Section 22850.

Whenever an officer or employee removes a vehicle from a highway, or from public or private property, unless otherwise provided, he shall take the vehicle to the nearest garage or other place of safety or to a garage designated or maintained by the governmental agency of which the officer or employee is a member, where the vehicle shall be placed in storage. At the time of such removal, the officer or employee shall determine the amount of mileage on the vehicle.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22850.3. Section 22850.3.

(a) A vehicle placed in storage pursuant to Section 22850 shall be released to the owner or person in control of the vehicle only if the owner or person furnishes, to the law enforcement agency or employee who placed the vehicle in storage, satisfactory proof of current vehicle registration. The agency which caused the vehicle to be stored may, in its discretion, issue a notice to appear for the registration violation, if the two days immediately following the day of impoundment are weekend days or holidays. (b) At every storage facility there shall be posted in a conspicuous place a notice to the effect that a vehicle placed in storage pursuant to Section 22850 may be released only on proof of current registration or, at the discretion of the impounding agency, upon the issuance of a notice to appear for the registration violation by the local agency which caused the vehicle to be stored, specifying the name and telephone number of that local agency.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22850.5. Section 22850.5.

(a) A city, county, or city and county, or a state agency may adopt a regulation, ordinance, or resolution establishing procedures for the release of properly impounded vehicles to the registered owner or the agent of the registered owner and for the imposition of a charge equal to its administrative costs relating to the removal, impound, storage, or release of the vehicles to the registered owner or to the agent of the registered owner. Those administrative costs may be waived by the local or state authority upon verifiable proof that the vehicle was reported stolen at the time the vehicle was removed. (b) The following apply to any charges imposed for administrative costs pursuant to subdivision (a): (1) The charges shall only be imposed on the registered owner or the agents of that owner and shall not include any vehicle towed under an abatement program or sold at a lien sale pursuant to Sections 3068.1 to 3074, inclusive, of, and Section 22851 of, the Civil Code unless the sale is sufficient in amount to pay the lienholder’s total charges and proper administrative costs. (2) Any charges shall be collected by the local or state authority only from the registered owner or an agent of the registered owner. (3) The charges shall be in addition to any other charges authorized or imposed pursuant to this code. (4) No charge may be imposed for any hearing or appeal relating to the removal, impound, storage, or release of a vehicle unless that hearing or appeal was requested in writing by the registered or legal owner of the vehicle or an agent of that registered or legal owner. In addition, the charge may be imposed only upon the person requesting that hearing or appeal. No administrative costs authorized under subdivision (a) shall be charged to the legal owner who redeems the vehicle unless the legal owner voluntarily requests a poststorage hearing. No city, county, city and county, or state agency shall require a legal owner or a legal owner’s agent to request a poststorage hearing as a requirement for release of the vehicle to the legal owner or the legal owner’s agent. The impounding agency, or any person acting on behalf of the agency, shall not require the legal owner or the legal owner’s agent to produce any documents other than those specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (f) of Section 14602.6 or paragraph (3) of subdivision (e) of Section 14602.7. The impounding agency, or any person acting on behalf of the agency, shall not require any documents to be notarized.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22851. Section 22851.

(a) (1) Whenever a vehicle has been removed to a garage under this chapter and the keeper of the garage has received the notice or notices as provided herein, the keeper shall have a lien dependent upon possession for his or her compensation for towage and for caring for and keeping safe the vehicle for a period not exceeding 60 days or, if an application for an authorization to conduct a lien sale has been filed pursuant to Section 3068.1 of the Civil Code within 30 days after the removal of the vehicle to the garage, 120 days and, if the vehicle is not recovered by the owner within that period or the owner is unknown, the keeper of the garage may satisfy his or her lien in the manner prescribed in this article. The lien shall not be assigned. Possession of the vehicle is deemed to arise when a vehicle is removed and is in transit, or when vehicle recovery operations or load salvage operations that have been requested by a law enforcement agency have begun at the scene. (2) Whenever a vehicle owner returns to a vehicle that is in possession of a towing company prior to the removal of the vehicle, the owner may regain possession of the vehicle from the towing company if the owner pays the towing company the towing charges. (b) No lien shall attach to any personal property in or on the vehicle. The personal property in or on the vehicle shall be given to the current registered owner or the owner’s authorized agent upon demand and without charge during normal business hours. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, normal business hours are Monday to Friday, inclusive, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., inclusive, except state holidays. A gate fee may be charged for returning property after normal business hours, weekends, and state holidays. The maximum hourly charge for nonbusiness hours releases shall be one-half the hourly tow rate charged for initially towing the vehicle, or less. The lienholder is not responsible for property after any vehicle has been disposed of pursuant to this chapter.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22851.1. Section 22851.1.

(a) If the vehicle is impounded pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 22651 and not released as provided in that subdivision, the vehicle may be sold pursuant to this chapter to satisfy the liens specified in Section 22851 and in subdivision (b) of this section. (b) A local authority impounding a vehicle pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 22651 shall have a lien dependent upon possession by the keeper of the garage for satisfaction of bail for all outstanding notices of parking violation issued by the local authority for the vehicle, when the conditions specified in subdivision (c) have been met. This lien shall be subordinate in priority to the lien established by Section 22851, and the proceeds of any sale shall be applied accordingly. Consistent with this order of priority, the term “lien,” as used in this article and in Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 3067) of Title 14 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code, includes a lien imposed by this subdivision. In any action brought to perfect the lien, where required by subdivision (d) of Section 22851.8 of this code, or by subdivision (d) of Section 3071 or subdivision (d) of Section 3072 of the Civil Code, it shall be a defense to the recovery of bail that the owner of the vehicle at the time of impoundment was not the owner of the vehicle at the time of the parking offense. (c) A lien shall exist for bail with respect to parking violations for which no person has answered the charge in the notice of parking violation given, or filed an affidavit of nonownership pursuant to and within the time specified in subdivision (b) of Section 41103.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22851.2. Section 22851.2.

(a) Excepting a vehicle removed pursuant to Section 22669, if the vehicle is determined to have a value not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) pursuant to Section 22670, the public agency that removed the vehicle shall do all of the following: (1) Within 48 hours after removal of the vehicle, notify the Stolen Vehicle System of the Department of Justice in Sacramento of the removal. (2) Prepare and give to the lienholder a report that includes all of the following: (A) The value of the vehicle estimated pursuant to Section 22670. (B) The identification of the estimator. (C) The location of the vehicle. (D) A description of the vehicle, including the make, year model, identification number, license number, state of registration, and, if a motorcycle, an engine number. (E) The statutory authority for storage. (b) If the vehicle is in a condition that there is no means of determining ownership, the public agency that removed the vehicle may give authorization to dispose of the vehicle. If authorization for disposal is not issued, a vehicle identification number shall be assigned prior to commencing the lien sale proceedings.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22851.3. Section 22851.3.

Whenever a peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, or any other employee of a public agency authorized pursuant to Section 22669, removes, or causes the removal of, a vehicle pursuant to Section 22669 and the public agency or, at the request of the public agency, the lienholder determines the estimated value of the vehicle is five hundred dollars ($500) or less, the public agency that removed, or caused the removal of, the vehicle shall cause the disposal of the vehicle under this section, subject to all of the following requirements: (a) Not less than 72 hours before the vehicle is removed, the peace officer or the authorized public employee has securely attached to the vehicle a distinctive notice which states that the vehicle will be removed by the public agency. This subdivision does not apply to abandoned vehicles removed pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 22669 which are determined by the public agency to have an estimated value of three hundred dollars ($300) or less. (b) Immediately after removal of the vehicle, the public agency which removed, or caused the removal of, the vehicle shall notify the Stolen Vehicle System of the Department of Justice in Sacramento of the removal. (c) The public agency that removed, or caused the removal of, the vehicle or, at the request of the public agency, the lienholder shall obtain a copy of the names and addresses of all persons having an interest in the vehicle, if any, from the Department of Motor Vehicles either directly or by use of the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System. This subdivision does not require the public agency or lienholder to obtain a copy of the actual record on file at the Department of Motor Vehicles. (d) Within 48 hours of the removal, excluding weekends and holidays, the public agency that removed, or caused the removal of, the vehicle or, at the request of the public agency, the lienholder shall send a notice to the registered and legal owners at their addresses of record with the Department of Motor Vehicles, and to any other person known to have an interest in the vehicle. A notice sent by the public agency shall be sent by certified or first-class mail, and a notice sent by the lienholder shall be sent by certified mail. The notice shall include all of the following information: (1) The name, address, and telephone number of the public agency providing the notice. (2) The location of the place of storage and description of the vehicle which shall include, if available, the vehicle make, license plate number, vehicle identification number, and mileage. (3) The authority and purpose for the removal of the vehicle. (4) A statement that the vehicle may be disposed of 15 days from the date of the notice. (5) A statement that the owners and interested persons, or their agents, have the opportunity for a poststorage hearing before the public agency that removed, or caused the removal of, the vehicle to determine the validity of the storage if a request for a hearing is made in person, in writing, or by telephone within 10 days from the date of notice; that, if the owner or interested person, or his or her agent, disagrees with the decision of the public agency, the decision may be reviewed pursuant to Section 11523 of the Government Code; and that during the time of the initial hearing, or during the time the decision is being reviewed pursuant to Section 11523 of the Government Code, the vehicle in question may not be disposed of. (e) (1) A requested hearing shall be conducted within 48 hours of the request, excluding weekends and holidays. The public agency that removed the vehicle may authorize its own officers to conduct the hearing if the hearing officer is not the same person who directed the storage of the vehicle. (2) Failure of either the registered or legal owner or interested person, or his or her agent, to request or to attend a scheduled hearing shall satisfy the poststorage validity hearing requirement of this section. (f) The public agency employing the person, or utilizing the services of a contractor or franchiser pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 22669, that removed, or caused the removal of, the vehicle and that directed any towing or storage, is responsible for the costs incurred for towing and storage if it is determined in the hearing that reasonable grounds to believe that the vehicle was abandoned are not established. (g) An authorization for disposal may not be issued by the public agency that removed, or caused the removal of, the vehicle to a lienholder who is storing the vehicle prior to the conclusion of a requested poststorage hearing or any judicial review of that hearing. (h) If, after 15 days from the notification date, the vehicle remains unclaimed and the towing and storage fees have not been paid, and if no request for a poststorage hearing was requested or a poststorage hearing was not attended, the public agency that removed, or caused the removal of, the vehicle shall provide to the lienholder who is storing the vehicle, on a form approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles, authorization to dispose of the vehicle. The lienholder may request the public agency to provide the authorization to dispose of the vehicle. (i) If the vehicle is claimed by the owner or his or her agent within 15 days of the notice date, the lienholder who is storing the vehicle may collect reasonable fees for services rendered, but may not collect lien sale fees as provided in Section 22851.12. (j) Disposal of the vehicle by the lienholder who is storing the vehicle may only be to a licensed dismantler or scrap iron processor. A copy of the public agency’s authorization for disposal shall be forwarded to the licensed dismantler within five days of disposal to a licensed dismantler. A copy of the public agency’s authorization for disposal shall be retained by the lienholder who stored the vehicle for a period of 90 days if the vehicle is disposed of to a scrap iron processor. (k) If the names and addresses of the registered and legal owners of the vehicle are not available from the records of the Department of Motor Vehicles, either directly or by use of the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, the public agency may issue to the lienholder who stored the vehicle an authorization for disposal at any time after the removal. The lienholder may request the public agency to issue an authorization for disposal after the lienholder ascertains that the names and addresses of the registered and legal owners of the vehicle are not available from the records of the Department of Motor Vehicles either directly or by use of the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System. ( l ) A vehicle disposed of pursuant to this section may not be reconstructed or made operable, unless it is a vehicle that qualifies for either horseless carriage license plates or historical vehicle license plates, pursuant to Section 5004, in which case the vehicle may be reconstructed or made operable.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22851.4. Section 22851.4.

If the vehicle is determined to have a value exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) pursuant to Section 22670, the lien shall be satisfied pursuant to Sections 3067 to 3074, inclusive, of the Civil Code.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22851.5. Section 22851.5.

(a) The Counties of Alameda and Los Angeles may implement a program to dispose of recreational vehicles subject to the requirements described in subdivision (b). (b) Whenever a peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, or any other employee of a public agency authorized pursuant to Section 22669, removes, or causes the removal of, a recreational vehicle pursuant to Section 22669, and the public agency or, at the request of the public agency, the lienholder determines the estimated value of the recreational vehicle is four thousand dollars ($4,000) or less, the public agency that removed, or caused the removal of, the recreational vehicle shall cause the disposal of the recreational vehicle subject to all of the following requirements: (1) Not less than 72 hours before the recreational vehicle is removed, the peace officer or the authorized public employee has securely attached to the recreational vehicle a distinctive notice which states that the recreational vehicle will be removed by the public agency and that if the recreational vehicle is towed, it can be recovered for at least 30 days after the public agency notifies the registered owner of the recreational vehicle pursuant to paragraph (4). The notice shall also include contact information for an individual to learn where their recreational vehicle and other possessions may be recovered. This subdivision does not apply to abandoned recreational vehicles removed pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 22669 which are determined by the public agency to have an estimated value of three hundred dollars ($300) or less. (2) Immediately after removal of the recreational vehicle, the public agency which removed, or caused the removal of, the vehicle shall notify the Stolen Vehicle System of the Department of Justice in Sacramento of the removal. (3) The public agency that removed, or caused the removal of, the recreational vehicle or, at the request of the public agency, the lienholder shall obtain a copy of the names and addresses of all persons having an interest in the recreational vehicle, if any, from the Department of Motor Vehicles either directly or by use of the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System. This paragraph does not require the public agency or lienholder to obtain a copy of the actual record on file at the Department of Motor Vehicles. (4) Within 48 hours of the removal, excluding weekends and holidays, the public agency that removed, or caused the removal of, the recreational vehicle or, at the request of the public agency, the lienholder shall send a notice to the registered and legal owners at their addresses of record with the Department of Motor Vehicles, and to any other person known to have an interest in the recreational vehicle. A notice sent by the public agency shall be sent by certified or first-class mail, and a notice sent by the lienholder shall be sent by certified mail. The notice shall include all of the following information: (A) The name, address, and telephone number of the public agency providing the notice. (B) The location of the place of storage and description of the recreational vehicle, which shall include, if available, the vehicle make, license plate number, vehicle identification number, and mileage. (C) The authority and purpose for the removal of the recreational vehicle. (D) A statement that the registered owner has up to 30 days from the date of notice to claim the recreational vehicle. (E) A statement that the owners and interested persons, or their agents, have the opportunity for a poststorage hearing before the public agency that removed, or caused the removal of, the recreational vehicle to determine the validity of the storage if a request for a hearing is made in person, in writing, or by telephone within 10 days from the date of notice; that, if the owner or interested person, or their agent, disagrees with the decision of the public agency, the decision may be reviewed pursuant to Section 11523 of the Government Code; and that during the time of the initial hearing, or during the time the decision is being reviewed pursuant to Section 11523 of the Government Code, the recreational vehicle in question may not be disposed of. (5) If the agency performing the removal is unable to collect the information necessary to identify the registered and legal owner of the recreational vehicle, including, but not limited to, the vehicle identification number, and is consequently unable to send the notice described in paragraph (4), the agency shall instead place and affix at least two copies of the notice within close geographic proximity to the removal location within 48 hours of the removal. (6) (A) A requested hearing shall be conducted within 48 hours of the request, excluding weekends and holidays. The public agency that removed the recreational vehicle may authorize its own officers to conduct the hearing if the hearing officer is not the same person who directed the storage of the recreational vehicle. (B) Failure of either the registered or legal owner or interested person, or their agent, to request or to attend a scheduled hearing shall satisfy the poststorage validity hearing requirement of this section. (7) The public agency employing the person, or utilizing the services of a contractor or franchiser pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 22669, that removed, or caused the removal of, the recreational vehicle and that directed any towing or storage, is responsible for the costs incurred for towing and storage if it is determined in the hearing that reasonable grounds to believe that the recreational vehicle was abandoned are not established. (8) The public agency that removed, or caused the removal of, the recreational vehicle and that directed any towing and storage pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 22669, is responsible for the costs incurred for towing and storage if it is determined in the hearing that the recreational vehicle was not inoperable or was not a hazard to public health, safety, and welfare. (9) An authorization for disposal may not be issued by the public agency that removed, or caused the removal of, the recreational vehicle to a lienholder who is storing the recreational vehicle prior to the conclusion of a requested poststorage hearing or any judicial review of that hearing. (10) (A) If, after 30 days from the notification date, the recreational vehicle remains unclaimed and the towing and storage fees have not been paid, and if no poststorage hearing was requested or a poststorage hearing was not attended, the public agency that removed, or caused the removal of, the recreational vehicle shall provide to the lienholder who is storing the recreational vehicle, on a form approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles, authorization to dispose of the recreational vehicle. Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the authorization to dispose of the recreational vehicle shall include a verification that the recreational vehicle is inoperable. The lienholder may request the public agency to provide the authorization to dispose of the recreational vehicle. (B) If the recreational vehicle is operable, the public agency may authorize the disposal of the recreational vehicle only if it was towed due to it posing an environmental or public safety hazard. (11) If the recreational vehicle is claimed by the owner or their agent within 30 days of the notice date, the lienholder who is storing the vehicle may collect reasonable fees for services rendered, but may not collect lien sale fees as provided in Section 22851.12. (12) Disposal of the recreational vehicle by the lienholder who is storing the vehicle may only be to a licensed dismantler or scrap iron processor. A copy of the public agency’s authorization for disposal shall be forwarded to the licensed dismantler within five days of disposal to a licensed dismantler. A copy of the public agency’s authorization for disposal shall be retained by the lienholder who stored the recreational vehicle for a period of 90 days if the recreational vehicle is disposed of to a scrap iron processor. (13) (A) If the names and addresses of the registered and legal owners of the recreational vehicle are not available from the records of the Department of Motor Vehicles, either directly or by use of the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, the public agency may issue to the lienholder who stored the recreational vehicle an authorization for disposal at any time after the removal. (B) The lienholder may request the public agency to issue an authorization for disposal after the lienholder ascertains that the names and addresses of the registered and legal owners of the recreational vehicle are not available from the records of the Department of Motor Vehicles either directly or by use of the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System. (14) A recreational vehicle disposed of pursuant to this section may not be reconstructed or made operable, unless it is a vehicle that qualifies for either horseless carriage license plates or historical vehicle license plates, pursuant to Section 5004, in which case the vehicle may be reconstructed or made operable. (15) Local public agencies authorized and designated to remove recreational vehicles pursuant to this section shall annually report to their governing body the following information regarding recreational vehicles removed pursuant to this section for the preceding year: (A) The number of recreational vehicles removed. (B) The number of people found in recreational vehicles prior to removal. (C) The number of recreational vehicles that were operable. (D) The number of recreational vehicles that were inoperable. (c) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) A “recreational vehicle” has the same meaning as defined in Section 18010 of the Health and Safety Code. (2) A recreational vehicle is “inoperable” if it can only be moved by a tow truck. (d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22851.6. Section 22851.6.

(a) Lienholders who acquire a vehicle subject to Section 22851.2 shall satisfy their lien pursuant to Sections 22851.8 and 22851.10 if the vehicle has a value not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500), as determined pursuant to Section 22670. (b) All forms required by Sections 22851.8 and 22851.10 shall be prescribed by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The language used in the notices and declarations shall be simple and nontechnical.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22851.8. Section 22851.8.

(a) The lienholder shall, within 15 working days following the date of possession of the vehicle, make a request to the Department of Motor Vehicles for the names and addresses of all persons having an interest in the vehicle. A storage charge may not accrue beyond the 15-day period unless the lienholder has made a request to the Department of Motor Vehicles as provided for in this section. (b) By certified mail with return receipt requested or by United States Postal Service Certificate of Mailing, the lienholder shall immediately, upon receipt of this information, send the following prescribed forms and enclosures to the registered owner and legal owner at their addresses of record with the Department of Motor Vehicles, and to any other person known to have an interest in the vehicle: (1) A completed form entitled “Notice of Intent to Dispose of a Vehicle Valued at $500 or Less.” (2) A blank form entitled “Declaration of Opposition.” (3) A return envelope preaddressed to the lienholder. (c) All notices to persons having an interest in the vehicle shall be signed under penalty of perjury and shall include all of the following: (1) A description of the vehicle, including make, year, model, identification number, license number, and state of registration. For motorcycles, the engine number shall also be included. (2) The names and addresses of the registered and legal owners of the vehicle and any other person known to have an interest in the vehicle. (3) The following statements and information: (A) The amount of the lien. (B) The facts concerning the claim that gives rise to the lien. (C) The person has a right to a hearing in court. (D) If a hearing in court is desired, a Declaration of Opposition form shall be signed under penalty of perjury and returned to the lienholder within 10 days of the date the notice form specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) was mailed. (E) If the Declaration of Opposition form is signed and mailed, the lienholder shall be allowed to dispose of the vehicle only if the lienholder obtains a court judgment or a subsequent release from the declarant or if the declarant cannot be served as described in subdivision (e). (F) If a court action is filed, the declarant shall be notified of the lawsuit at the address shown on the Declaration of Opposition form, and the declarant may appear to contest the claim. (G) The declarant may be liable for court costs if a judgment is entered in favor of the lienholder. (4) A statement that the lienholder may dispose of the vehicle to a licensed dismantler or scrap iron processor if it is not redeemed or if a Declaration of Opposition form is not signed and mailed to the lienholder within 10 days of the date the notice form specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) was mailed. (d) If the lienholder receives a completed Declaration of Opposition form within the time prescribed, the vehicle shall not be disposed of unless the lienholder files an action in court within 20 days of the date the notice form specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) was mailed and a judgment is subsequently entered in favor of the lienholder or unless the declarant subsequently releases his or her interest in the vehicle. If a money judgment is entered in favor of the lienholder and the judgment is not paid within five days after becoming final, then the lienholder may dispose of the vehicle through a dismantler or scrap iron processor. (e) (1) Service on the declarant in person or by certified mail, return receipt requested, signed by the addressee at the address shown on the Declaration of Opposition form, shall be effective for the serving of process. (2) If the lienholder has served the declarant by certified mail, return receipt requested, at the address shown on the Declaration of Opposition form and the mail has been returned unclaimed, or if the lienholder has attempted to effect service on the declarant in person with a marshal, sheriff, or licensed process server and the marshal, sheriff, or licensed process server has been unable to effect service on the declarant, the lienholder may proceed with the judicial proceeding or proceed with the lien sale without a judicial proceeding. The lienholder shall notify the Department of Motor Vehicles of the inability to effect service on the declarant and shall provide the Department of Motor Vehicles with a copy of the documents with which service on the declarant was attempted. Upon receipt of the notification of unsuccessful service, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall send authorization of the sale to the lienholder and send notification of the authorization to the declarant. If service is effected on the declarant, the proof of service shall be submitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles with the documents specified in Section 22851.10.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22851.10. Section 22851.10.

(a) A vehicle determined to have a value not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) pursuant to Section 22670 that was stored pursuant to this chapter, and that remains unclaimed, or for which reasonable towing and storage charges remain unpaid, shall be disposed of only to a licensed dismantler or scrap iron processor not earlier than 15 days after the date the Notice of Intent to Dispose of a Vehicle Valued at $500 or Less form required pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 22851.8 was mailed, unless a Declaration of Opposition form has been signed and returned to the lienholder. (b) If the vehicle has been disposed of to a licensed dismantler or scrap iron processor, the lienholder shall forward the following forms and information to the licensed dismantler or scrap iron processor within five days: (1) A statement, signed under penalty of perjury, that a properly executed Declaration of Opposition form was not received. (2) A copy of the notice sent to all interested parties. (3) A certification from the public agency that made the determination of value pursuant to Section 22670. (4) The proof of service pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 22851.8 or a copy of the court judgment, if any in favor of the lienholder entered pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 22851.8. (5) The name, address, and telephone number of the licensed dismantler or scrap iron processor who received the vehicle. (6) The amount the lienholder received for the vehicle. (c) A vehicle disposed of pursuant to this section shall not be reconstructed or made operable, unless it is a vehicle that qualifies for either horseless carriage license plates or historical vehicle license plates, pursuant to Section 5004, in which case the vehicle may be reconstructed or made operable.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22851.12. Section 22851.12.

The lienholder may charge a fee for lien-sale preparations not to exceed seventy dollars ($70) in the case of a vehicle having a value determined to be four thousand dollars ($4,000) or less and not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100) in the case of a vehicle having a value determined to be greater than four thousand dollars ($4,000), from any person who redeems the vehicle prior to disposal or is sold through a lien sale pursuant to this chapter. These charges may commence and become part of the possessory lien when the lienholder requests the names and addresses of all persons having an interest in the vehicle from the department. Not more than 50 percent of the allowable fee may be charged until the lien sale notifications are mailed to all interested parties and the lienholder or the registration service agent has possession of the required lien processing documents. This charge shall not be made in the case of any vehicle redeemed prior to 72 hours from the initial storage.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22852. Section 22852.

(a) Whenever an authorized member of a public agency directs the storage of a vehicle, as permitted by this chapter, or upon the storage of a vehicle as permitted under this section (except as provided in subdivision (f) or (g)), the agency or person directing the storage shall provide the vehicle’s registered and legal owners of record, or their agents, with the opportunity for a poststorage hearing to determine the validity of the storage. (b) A notice of the storage shall be mailed or personally delivered to the registered and legal owners within 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays, and shall include all of the following information: (1) The name, address, and telephone number of the agency providing the notice. (2) The location of the place of storage and description of the vehicle, which shall include, if available, the name or make, the manufacturer, the license plate number, and the mileage. (3) The authority and purpose for the removal of the vehicle. (4) A statement that, in order to receive their poststorage hearing, the owners, or their agents, shall request the hearing in person, writing, or by telephone within 10 days of the date appearing on the notice. (c) The poststorage hearing shall be conducted within 48 hours of the request, excluding weekends and holidays. The public agency may authorize its own officer or employee to conduct the hearing if the hearing officer is not the same person who directed the storage of the vehicle. (d) Failure of either the registered or legal owner, or his or her agent, to request or to attend a scheduled hearing shall satisfy the poststorage hearing requirement. (e) The agency employing the person who directed the storage shall be responsible for the costs incurred for towing and storage if it is determined in the poststorage hearing that reasonable grounds for the storage are not established. (f) This section does not apply to vehicles abated under the Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program pursuant to Sections 22660 to 22668, inclusive, and Section 22710, or to vehicles impounded for investigation pursuant to Section 22655, or to vehicles removed from private property pursuant to Section 22658. (g) This section does not apply to abandoned vehicles removed pursuant to Section 22669 that are determined by the public agency to have an estimated value of five hundred dollars ($500) or less.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22852.5. Section 22852.5.

(a) Whenever the possessory lien upon any vehicle is lost through trick, fraud, or device, the repossession of the vehicle by the lienholder revives the possessory lien, but any lien so revived is subordinate to any right, title, or interest of any person under any sale, transfer, encumbrance, lien, or other interest acquired or secured in good faith and for value between the time of the loss of possession and the time of repossession. (b) It is a misdemeanor for any person to obtain possession of any vehicle or any part thereof subject to a lien pursuant to the provisions of this chapter by trick, fraud, or device. (c) It is a misdemeanor for any person claiming a lien on a vehicle to knowingly violate any provision of this chapter.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22853. Section 22853.

(a) Whenever an officer or an employee removing a California registered vehicle from a highway or from public property for storage under this chapter does not know and is not able to ascertain the name of the owner or for any other reason is unable to give notice to the owner as required by Section 22852, the officer or employee shall immediately notify, or cause to be notified, the Department of Justice, Stolen Vehicle System, of its removal. The officer or employee shall file a notice with the proprietor of any public garage in which the vehicle may be stored. The notice shall include a complete description of the vehicle, the date, time, and place from which removed, the amount of mileage on the vehicle at the time of removal, and the name of the garage or place where the vehicle is stored. (b) Whenever an officer or an employee removing a vehicle not registered in California from a highway or from public property for storage under this chapter does not know and is not able to ascertain the owner or for any other reason is unable to give the notice to the owner as required by Section 22852, the officer or employee shall immediately notify, or cause to be notified, the Department of Justice, Stolen Vehicle System. If the vehicle is not returned to the owner within 120 hours, the officer or employee shall immediately send, or cause to be sent, a written report of the removal by mail to the Department of Justice at Sacramento and shall file a copy of the notice with the proprietor of any public garage in which the vehicle may be stored. The report shall be made on a form furnished by that department and shall include a complete description of the vehicle, the date, time, and place from which the vehicle was removed, the amount of mileage on the vehicle at the time of removal, the grounds for removal, and the name of the garage or place where the vehicle is stored. (c) Whenever an officer or employee or private party removing a vehicle from private property for storage under this chapter does not know and is not able to ascertain the name of the owner or for any other reason is unable to give the notice to the owner as required by Section 22852 and if the vehicle is not returned to the owner within a period of 120 hours, the officer or employee or private party shall immediately send, or cause to be sent, a written report of the removal by mail to the Department of Justice at Sacramento and shall file a copy of the notice with the proprietor of any public garage in which the vehicle may be stored. The report shall be made on a form furnished by that department and shall include a complete description of the vehicle, the date, time, and place from which the vehicle was removed, the amount of mileage on the vehicle at the time of removal, the grounds for removal, and the name of the garage or place where the vehicle is stored.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22854. Section 22854.

The Department of Justice upon receiving notice under Section 22853 of the removal of a vehicle from a highway, or from public or private property, shall notify the registered and legal owner in writing at the addresses of such persons as shown by the records of the Department of Motor Vehicles, if the vehicle is registered in this state, of the removal of such vehicle, and give the name of the officer reporting such removal, the grounds upon which the removal was authorized and the location of the vehicle. If the vehicle is not registered in this state, the department shall make reasonable effort to notify the legal or registered owner of the removal and location of the vehicle. The notice to the registered or legal owner shall list the amount of mileage on the vehicle at the time of removal.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22854.5. Section 22854.5.

Whenever an officer or employee of a public agency directs the storage of a vehicle under this chapter, the officer, employee, or agency directing that storage may notify the National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System by transmitting by any means available, including, but not limited to, electronic means, the vehicle identification number, the information listed in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 22852, and the information described under Section 22853.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22855. Section 22855.

The following persons shall have the authority to make appraisals of the value of vehicles for purposes of this chapter, subject to the conditions stated in this chapter: (a) Any peace officer of the Department of the California Highway Patrol designated by the commissioner. (b) Any regularly employed and salaried deputy sheriff, any reserve deputy sheriff listed under Section 830.6 of the Penal Code, or any other employee designated by the sheriff of any county. (c) Any regularly employed and salaried police officer, any reserve police officer listed under Section 830.6 of the Penal Code, or any other employee designated by the chief of police of any city. (d) Any officer or employee of the Department of Motor Vehicles designated by the director of that department. (e) Any regularly employed and salaried police officer, or reserve police officer, or other employee of the University of California Police Department designated by the chief of the department. (f) Any regularly salaried employee of a city, county, or city and county designated by a board of supervisors or a city council pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 22669. (g) Any regularly employed and salaried police officer, or reserve police officer, or other employee of the police department of a California State University designated by the chief thereof. (h) Any regularly employed and salaried security officer or other employee of a transit district security force designated by the chief thereof. (i) Any regularly employed and salaried peace officer, or reserve peace officer, or other employee of the Department of Parks and Recreation designated by the director of that department.

Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 22856. Section 22856.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no cause of action for despoliation of evidence shall arise against any towing company that sells any vehicle at, or disposes of any vehicle after, a lien sale, unless the company knew, or should have known, that the vehicle will be needed as evidence in a legal action.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026