Abandoned vehicles
Reporting abandoned vehicles
An authorised council officer or the police will decide if a vehicle is abandoned. Abandoning a vehicle is an offence under the Refuse disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 and carries a maximum fine of £2,500 and/or 3 months imprisonment.
We follow government guidance in assessing how we respond to reported abandoned DVLA registered vehicles.
Find out more on how we respond to reported abandoned DVLA registered vehicles
What classes as an abandoned vehicle
Vehicles that are:
- causing an obstruction on the highway
- suspicious and may have been stolen
- burnt out
- in a dangerous position at the roadside after a road traffic accident
- lost or stolen
- being used while untaxed or uninsured
Abandoned vehicles should be reported to the police by calling 101 or online.
Vehicles that are causing parking issues
Vehicles causing parking issues include:
- Blocked drive or dropped curb
- car parks
- parking permits
- inconsiderate parking
- double or single yellow lines
- pavement parking
- carers permits
- traders permits
These should be reported to Colchester North Essex Parking Partnership.
Untaxed vehicles
If a vehicle is untaxed and parked on the highway it should be reported to the DVLA - whether you believe it to be abandoned or not.
Report an untaxed vehicle to the DVLA
Signs that a vehicle may not be abandoned:
- It is still being used.
- It is taxed or has SORN status (Statutory Off-Road Notification).
- It has a valid MOT.
- It is insured.
- It is maintained (or in a reasonable condition).
- Inconsiderate parking such as dropped curbs or blocking a driveway.
Enter the registration number of the vehicle to check if a vehicle is taxed and has an MOT.
Signs that a vehicle has been abandoned:
- Broken windows
- Missing number plates
- Flat or missing tyres
- It doesn't look roadworthy.
- It looks damaged or run-down.
- It appears to have no owner or in trade.
How to report an abandoned vehicle
To report an abandoned vehicle, you will need:
- your name, address and contact details
- the vehicle, including the make, registration number, colour and whether it is taxed
- to know where the vehicle is located
- to know how long the vehicle has been there
- to know the condition of the vehicle
- photos or evidence of the problem, if you have it
How we deal with abandoned vehicles
Once we receive your report we will investigate the vehicle to find out if it is abandoned.
We will:
- try to contact the owner of the vehicle
- or place a notice on the vehicle, giving the owner 14 days to tell us the vehicle is not abandoned
If the vehicle is a potential danger to the public we may remove it without notice.
How to get rid of your unwanted vehicle
There are charity schemes that let you to turn your old vehicle into a donation to a cause of your choice (you can find these using an internet search engine).
You can also dispose of your vehicle, normally for free, through an authorised treatment facility.
There are charity schemes that can turn your old vehicle into a donation to a cause of your choice, such as:
Data protection
We take our responsibilities under data protection seriously to ensure that any personal information we collect and use is done so proportionately, correctly and safely.
Records of this information will be kept in line with our retention schedule.
Page last reviewed: 22 July 2025