Who should you contact first?
NCDMV directs property owners to law enforcement for a stolen-vehicle check and the State Highway Patrol Investigative Services Unit for process guidance. A removal request does not itself transfer ownership.
What reporting deadline applies to a landowner?
G.S. 20-77 requires a landowner to report a vehicle abandoned on the property for more than 30 days within five days after that period expires. Public repair, parking or storage businesses have a different 10-day unclaimed-vehicle threshold. The subsequent sale must follow the applicable lien-enforcement process.
Keep the facts together
Record the vehicle’s location, how long it has been there and any owner or towing information you already hold. Do not treat access to the keys as proof that you can sell it.
Arrange a purchase only after authority is resolved
Use the official process applicable to your situation. Tell the purchasing partner whether a facility or another person controls the vehicle’s release.
Official sources.
Sources reviewed September 26, 2026. Use the current instructions for your vehicle and transaction.