Abandoned Vehicles

Reporting an Abandoned Vehicle

If you would like to report a suspected abandoned vehicle located on a public road or public property, go to the Abandoned and Derelict Online Report and have at minimum the following information ready:

  • Specific location of the vehicle
  • License plate number, if available
  • Make, type and color of the vehicle

All reports must be made online. However, if you are unable to complete the Online Report and require additional assistance, please contact the Derelict and Abandoned Vehicle Coordinator at 808-241-1965 (Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm). If you need to report an abandoned vehicle after business hours and are unable to complete the online form, please contact KPD Dispatch at 808-241-1711. 

Reclaiming an Abandoned Vehicle

After tow the owner of the vehicle is sent a Notice to Owner via USPS Certified mail.

To reclaim the vehicle the owner must:

  • Present the Notice to Owner and valid ID to the KPD Records Department
  • Pay all towing charges with a cashier's check or money order made out to the Director of Finance, at the KPD Records Department at 3990 Kaana Street, Lihue.
  • Pay storage charges at Resource Recovery Solutions, 3951 Puhi Rd., Lihue, HI 96766. The vehicle must be reclaimed at that time.

If you have not received the Notice to Owner contact the Derelict and Abandoned Vehicle Coordinator at:

Phone: 808-241-1965

E-mail: abandonedvehicles@kauai.gov

If the vehicle is not reclaimed within ten days (twenty days for out-of-State Registered Owners) after the mailing of the Notice to Owner, the vehicle shall be disposed of in accordance with Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 290.

Whether a vehicle is claimed or not, the registered owner will be responsible for all citations.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is an Abandoned Vehicle?

Any vehicle left unattended for a continuous period of more than twenty-four hours and is parked on any public road or other public property.

What is a Derelict Vehicle?

If a vehicle that has been left unattended on public property has been rendered inoperable AND the owner cannot be identified or contacted (see HRS§290-8) the vehicle can be ticketed, removed and destroyed immediately.

LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO KEEP
OUR ROADWAYS FREE OF SUCH VEHICLES!

What happens to Abandoned/Derelict Vehicles?

When a car is reported, a notice will be placed on the vehicle stating that it must be removed within 24 hours or it will be towed.

  • Removing the Abandoned vehicle sticker will NOT prevent your vehicle from being towed.
  • Any vehicle that has not moved outside of a 1 mile radius from the location it was posted will still be towed (Kauai County Code Section 16-9.6)

ONLY moving the vehicle off the road, onto your property, or farther than 1 mile from posting location will prevent it from being towed.

If an Abandoned vehicle is not removed from the site within 24 hours, the Police Department will then ticket the vehicle, and the Abandoned Vehicle Coordinator will make necessary arrangements to have the vehicle towed to Resource Recovery Solution.

Derelict vehicles can be ticketed, removed and destroyed immediately. Vehicles that are rendered inoperable after being posted Abandoned can be reclassified to Derelict and addressed accordingly.

What if an Abandoned/Derelict Vehicle is abandoned on PRIVATE PROPERTY?

The County cannot tow abandoned or derelict vehicles from private property.

If a vehicle is abandoned on private property, it is the responsibility of the property owner to remove such vehicles (HRS§290-11). When there is no posted notice prohibiting vehicles to park on the property without authorization, the vehicle needs to be reported by the owner of the property and posted as Abandoned by the Police Department prior to removal.

How do I dispose of / junk my vehicle?

The Police Department DOES NOT handle vehicle disposal for anything other than vehicles towed by the Police Department. To dispose of your vehicle please refer to the Vehicle Disposal page for more information.

My vehicle was towed as Abandoned and I don’t want to retrieve it. I want to dispose of it. Do I need to do anything?

You need to pay all towing charges. When paying storage charges at Resource Recovering Solutions let them know you wish to dispose of the vehicle, and your storages fees will be prorated to the first week.

You are also responsible for all citations. To check outstanding citations for your vehicle or in your name, contact Fifth District Court https://www.courts.state.hi.us/general_information/contact/kauai

My vehicle was towed as Abandoned. I only want to get my belongings.

To retrieve your belongings, you need to retrieve your vehicle, or pay applicable towing and storage charges and fill out paperwork for disposal.

The vehicle and its contents are disposed of at the same time.

I sold or gave away my vehicle, but the Police Department says I am the Registered Owner. Why?

We get ownership information from the Director of Finance. Ownership discrepancies need to be addressed with the Director of Finance, Motor Vehicle Department.

Only the registered owner and the legal owner (lien holder) can retrieve the vehicle. The registered owner is responsible for all citations.

The Police Department says I am not the Registered Owner. Why?

We get ownership information from the Director of Finance. Ownership discrepancies need to be addressed with the Director of Finance, Motor Vehicle Department.

Only the registered owner and the legal owner (lien holder) can retrieve the vehicle.


Forms & Handouts

Title Description
Instructions(PDF, 43KB) Instructions for completing the waiver, release and indemnity agreement
Property Waiver(PDF, 17KB) Waiver form for abandoned vehicles left on private or public property; Notary Public required
Waiver(PDF, 69KB) Waiver, Release, and Indemnity Agreement