A vehicle that is in roadworthy condition, has tax and MOT is unlikely to be considered to be abandoned unless it has not been moved for a period of months.
You can check the tax status of a vehicle at the GOV.UK website. You will need the registration number and make of the vehicle.
Reporting an abandoned vehicle if it is untaxed, but in roadworthy condition
Report an untaxed vehicle to the DVLA and provide the registration number, make and location of the vehicle.
Report an abandoned vehicle if it is still taxed and not in roadworthy condition
Where a vehicle is believed to be abandoned and is still taxed, or untaxed but cannot be removed by the DVLA for other reasons (for example where it has been damaged) the council will determine if it meets the criteria for an abandoned vehicle and if it does, establish ownership details and make contact with the owner.
If the owner cannot be traced then other arrangements will be made to remove the vehicle.
If the vehicle is on private land there are other criteria that need to be met before the council can remove it, which means the process may take longer or may mean that the vehicle cannot be removed at all.
Caravans and trailers
It is an offence to keep any non-motorised vehicles such as caravans and trailers on the public highway for longer than 24 hours. Caravans and trailers that have been left on the public highway for over 7 days and are believed to have been abandoned can be reported for investigation.
You can report:
- a vehicle that you believe has been abandoned which is still taxed and has not been moved for more than 6 weeks (unless there is a serious safety concern in which case this can be reported sooner)
- untaxed vehicles which are believed to be abandoned, when they cannot be removed by the DVLA due to being significantly damaged
- a caravan or trailer on the public highway for longer than 7 days
