The County cannot tow abandoned or derelict vehicles from PRIVATE PROPERTY.

What is an Abandoned Vehicle?

• Any vehicle left unattended for more than twenty-four hours on a public highway.
• Any vehicle left unattended for a continuous period of more than twenty-four hours and is unlawfully parked on any public highway or other public property.
• Any vehicle that has not moved outside of a 1 mile radius from the location it was posted.

What is a Derelict Vehicle?

• A vehicle is classified as derelict if major parts have been removed or material damage to the vehicle has rendered the vehicle inoperable.

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

What happens to Abandoned/Derelict Vehicles?

When a car is reported, the Police Department will place a notice 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.  ONLY moving the vehicle off the road, onto your property, will prevent it from being towed away.

• If the vehicle is not removed from the site within 24 hours, the Police Department will then ticket the vehicle and it will be classified as either an Abandoned or Derelict Vehicle.
• The Abandoned Vehicle Coordinator will be notified and will make necessary arrangements to have the vehicle towed to the Resource Recovery Solutions Center. 

If you would like to report a suspected abandoned vehicle located on a public road or public property, e-mail abandonedvehicles@kauai.gov and have the following information ready:

• Specific location of the vehicle, for example, in front of what address, the nearest cross street, distance from nearest landmark, etc.
• License plate number, if available
• Make of the vehicle
• Type and color of the vehicle
• How long the vehicle has been at this location 

In the event you are unable to e-mail, please call the Kauai Police Department Abandoned/ Derelict phone line at 808-241-1901.

Only vehicles abandoned on public property and tagged by the Kauai Police Department may be removed by the County of Kauai.  If a vehicle is abandoned on private property it is the responsibility of the property owner to remove such vehicles (HRS, Ch. 290-11)

Abandoned vehicles that have been taken into custody by the County of Kauai may be claimed at the Kauai Police Department: Records window. The office is located at:

Kauai Police Department
Records Section
3990 Kaana Street
Lihue, HI  96766

Phone:  808-241-1901

• Pay all towing charges, storage fees and other related charges.  Acceptable forms of payment are as follows: Bank's Cashier's check made out to the County of Kauai, Postal Money Order and cash.
• Remove the vehicle from the storage facility located at Resource Recovery Solutions, 3951 Puhi Rd., Puhi, HI  96766

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

Legal owners may dispose of vehicles free of charge by completing a Junking Affidavit that is available at the DMV. Owners must surrender license plates and certificate of title, and must complete forms at the DMV office. A Waiver, Release, and Indemnity Agreement form is accepted if a Junking Affidavit cannot be obtained. Once forms are complete, vehicles must be towed, at owner's expense, to Resource  Recovery Solutions for recycling.