State guide
Alabama
Alabama has a state-run unclaimed/abandoned vehicle process through the Department of Revenue, including a public portal and a public list of vehicles in that process. For private-property removals, Alabama law ties together local law-enforcement notice, ALDOR reporting, and owner/lienholder notice before an unclaimed vehicle can be sold as abandoned.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- How to find a towed car
- Yes, Alabama has a statewide ALDOR portal with a public list of vehicles in the unclaimed/abandoned vehicle process.
- Statewide towed-vehicle search
- Official page →
- State rules on tow and storage fees
- Statewide law gives the remover a lien for a reasonable removal fee and storage charges, but no statewide numeric cap on private-property non-consent tow/storage fees was found on the official pages reviewed.
- Notice rules (police and owner)
- For private-property removal, the property owner/lessee or agent must notify the local county or municipal law-enforcement agency within 24 hours; ALDOR materials also require owner/lienholder notice with a 30-day redemption warning in the unclaimed process.
- Who regulates tow companies
- Not published by an official source we could verify. Ask the office.
Official resources in Alabama
Explains Alabama’s statewide unclaimed/abandoned vehicle process, reporting steps, holds, notice, auction timing, and public portal.
State portal used to report unclaimed vehicles and view the public list of vehicles in the unclaimed/abandoned process.
Current Alabama code section describing owner/lienholder notice contents, redemption warning, and forfeiture of some storage claims for noncompliance.
Key facts for Alabama
- ALDOR says a public list of unclaimed/abandoned motor vehicles is available through the state portal.
- ALDOR places a 60-day hold on the title record after an unclaimed vehicle is reported.
- Alabama Code § 32-8-84 requires notice to include the vehicle location, business hours, accrued charges, daily storage rate, and contact information.
- The owner/lienholder notice must warn that the vehicle becomes abandoned if not redeemed within 30 calendar days from the notice date.
- Alabama law gives the remover a lien for a reasonable removal fee and storage, but no statewide numeric private-property tow/storage cap was found.
- For private-property removals, the owner or lessee or agent must give written notice to local county or municipal law enforcement within 24 hours of removal.
City towed-car lookups and impound lots in Alabama
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division | Montgomery | 334-242-9000 | Handles the state unclaimed/abandoned vehicle process and title-record holds. |
| Huntsville Police Department Records & Reports Madison | Huntsville | 256-722-7100 | Official records page notes the contracted wrecker service for vehicle towing and impound services is Roadside Towing. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Check the ALDOR portal first; Alabama’s statewide public listing is for vehicles already in the unclaimed/abandoned process, not necessarily every fresh tow.
- Ask the storage yard for the exact notice date, daily storage rate, and a copy of the owner/lienholder notice required by Alabama law.
- If the tow began on private property, ask which local law-enforcement agency received the 24-hour notice and confirm the yard also reported the vehicle through ALDOR.
Not seeing your city or county?
Not every city publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Alabama's population center, for comparison only):
- Atlanta Police Department Property Control Unit / Find My Vehicle, Georgia · about 144 miles
- Atlanta Police Department Impound/Repossession Company Services, Georgia · about 144 miles
- Chattanooga Police Department, Tennessee · about 165 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.ALDOR Unclaimed/Abandoned Motor Vehicle Law and Procedures
Website →Phone: (334) 242-9000 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Alabama local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Alabama page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.