Vehicles that have been parked on a public street and which have not moved for a period of 60 days or more may be unregistered.
How to report an unattended vehicle
- All motor vehicles irrespective of their registration status can be reported. However, it will assist Council if you include in your report whether the reported vehicle's registration is valid or expired. You can carry out a free vehicle registration check online through Service NSW
- Provide exact details of vehicle and how long it has been parked at the location
- Ensure the reported vehicle is on public land and not on private property
- Ensure the vehicle is not already displaying a notice from Council to indicate it is currently under investigation. (This may be placed on the front windscreen or on the main body of the vehicle if a trailer type vehicle)
- Not all reports to Council of unattended motor vehicles may be actioned. For additional information please refer to the Public Space (Unattended Property Act 2021) link below.
Report an unregistered vehicle
What happens next?
Council's Ranger Services team will:
- Check whether the vehicle is registered and/or stolen
- Attempt to contact the last known owner to move the vehicle
- Regularly monitor and assess the vehicle until contact is made with the owner
- May impound and/or remove the vehicle
The investigation and impounding/removal process can take up to 60 business days.
Surrender your vehicle to Council for free
- Council can arrange the disposal of unwanted motor vehicles at no cost to Inner West Council residents
- An authority form must be completed by the owner(s) of the vehicle before Council can arrange vehicle removal. A blank copy of the form is available at the bottom of this page
- Residents can submit a completed authority form to Council via email: council@innerwest.nsw.gov.au
- The original registration papers or number plate surrender receipt must also be produced with the authority form. If accepted by Council, the vehicle will generally be removed within 5 working days
Has your vehicle been towed?
If you suspect your vehicle has been towed, please contact us on 02 9392 5000. Our team will help you locate your vehicle and will provide further instructions.
Click here to see a register of impounded vehicles or items.
Public Spaces (Unattended Property) Act 2021
On 1 November 2022, the new Public Spaces (Unattended Property) Act 2021 came into effect repealing and replacing the Impounding Act 1993.
For more information see Public Spaces (Unattended Property) Frequently asked questions. (PDF, 668.06KB)
- stronger regulatory and enforcement powers to deal with property left unattended in public
- higher penalties for offences
- greater ability to recover regulatory costs from those responsible
- greater flexibility to temporarily store or care for unattended items and animals
- reduced costs for compliance and storage
- easier way to work with other authorities across jurisdictional boundaries
- Class 1 items – small to medium sized capable of ownership that can be ordinarily collected by one or two persons without the need for machinery to lift, tow or move them (e.g., baggage, personal equipment such as surfboards or kayaks that are not available for hire).
- Class 2 items – items available for use by the public at large, whether on payment of a fee or other benefit, including as part of a sharing service (e.g., share-bikes and shopping trolleys).
- Class 3 items – motor vehicles, including hire cars, caravans, trailers, and boat trailers.
Unattended is defined in the Act as ‘not under the direct control or supervision of the responsible person’ and specific rules apply to each class of item when assessing whether they can be legally determined to be unattended or not. Owners and others responsible for unattended items may be liable to on-the spot-fines and/or Court action if they do not remove their property from public property.