Abandoned, towed and impounded vehicles

Under the Traffic Regulations 1999, vehicles in the NT may be removed if they are stopped, parked, or abandoned on a road, road-related area or public place.

Abandoned vehicles

A vehicle is considered abandoned if it is:

• registered under the Motor Vehicles Act 1949 (or a similar law) and has been left for over:
  • 24 hours where parking or stopping is not allowed under the Traffic Regulations 1999
  • 24 hours in a time-limited parking zone
  • 3 days in a parking area with no time limit.

• unregistered and left on a road, roadside area or public place.

Parked vehicles

An authorised officer may move or arrange the removal of a vehicle if it is:

• parked or stopped in violation of the Traffic Regulations 1999
• positioned in a way that creates a hazard, obstruction or inconvenience to others.

Vehicle removal may be carried out by a police officer or an officer of the competent authority as defined under the regulations.

How to report a stolen or abandoned vehicle

If you want to report or move an abandoned or stolen vehicle, follow the steps below.

Report a stolen vehicle

To report a stolen vehicle:

• call NT Police on 131 444
• if a crime is in progress, dial 000.

Find local police station contact details on the NT Police website.

Report or move an abandoned vehicle

Reporting or removing an abandoned vehicle depends on its location:

• if the vehicle is on an NT Government managed road, you can report it online.
• for other roads or land, check who to contact - this may be a different road authority or the landowner.

The Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) is not responsible for removing abandoned vehicles and can't give legal advice.

How to find your vehicle

If your vehicle isn't where you left it, it might have been towed.

The authority responsible for towing it depends on where the vehicle was left.

Government roads

The NT Government maintains a list of vehicles removed from road reserves that could not be traced back to their owners.

Each vehicle is advertised for 14 days. After this period, unclaimed vehicles may be disposed of.

If you are the owner or have information about a listed vehicle, contact your local Department of Logistics and Infrastructure (DLI) office within the advertisement period.

Check which roads are managed by the NT Government.

Other road authority or landowners

If your vehicle isn’t listed above, it may have been removed from land managed by another authority.

Following is a list of who to contact based on location.

How to claim your vehicle

To reclaim your vehicle, you must pay any costs incurred by the government for:

• towing
• storage
• return of the vehicle

Fees vary depending on the vehicle’s location and associated removal costs.

For more information on claiming your vehicle, contact your local DLI office.

Damage during towing

While care is taken when removing a vehicle, authorised officers are not liable for any damage caused while entering or moving a vehicle.

Contact

For more information or to claim your vehicle left on an NT Government road, call your local DLI office:

• Alice Springs – 0413 831 453
• Darwin - 8999 4699
• Katherine - 8973 8665
• Tennant Creek - 8962 4515.