This website and the documents it makes are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.
Is my car being sold? Lien sales and auctions in Austin
If a tow company or storage lot keeps a car and the bill is not paid, the car can be sold after the notices and waiting periods the law sets. The notice you get tells you which rules apply and how much time you have.
General information, not legal advice. Check your notice: the dates printed on it are the ones that count. Count calendar days unless the rule says business days.
How a towed car can be sold
Local steps
Abandoned on a street: an APD officer puts an orange sticker on a vehicle that is visibly inoperable or illegally parked. After 48 hours it is rechecked and, if still in violation, impounded. APD says the owner then has 20 days to redeem it before it is sold at public auction.
Source: APD Vehicle Abatement page
Junked vehicle on private property: a green sticker gives the owner 10 days to fix the problem or move the vehicle out of public view. APD says that once a vehicle is impounded as junked, it is titled that way and the owner cannot redeem it.
Source: APD Vehicle Abatement page
Police tows: since 2015 APD's tows are dispatched and tracked by its contractor AutoReturn (Autura), which says it also handles release to owners and disposition of unclaimed vehicles. The cars are held at the tow companies' own licensed storage lots.
Source: Autura (AutoReturn) support page: Austin, TX; Austin City Council, May 21, 2015 regular meeting (items 5 and 17)
Private-property tows: the car goes to the tow company's licensed storage lot, which follows the state storage-lot notice and sale steps.
Source: Texas Occupations Code ch. 2303 (Vehicle Storage Facility Act)
Where sales happen
| Tow yard or lot | Sale day | Times | Address and phone | List of cars and notes | Sources | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APD Vehicle Abatement Unit (abandoned and junked vehicles) Service area City of Austin | Not published | Times not published. Call the lot. | 3-1-1 or (512) 974-8119 | No public auction schedule or list of vehicles found on APD's pages. Ask the unit or 3-1-1 which lot holds the vehicle. | APD Vehicle Abatement page | October 7, 2026 |
| AutoReturn (APD towing management vendor) Service area APD tows in the City of Austin | Not published | Times not published. Call the lot. | 888-217-9731 | Search by plate or VIN at search.autoreturn.com. No auction calendar for Austin was found on its public pages. | Autura (AutoReturn) support page: Austin, TX; AutoReturn vehicle search; APD Wrecker Enforcement page | October 7, 2026 |
| Travis County Sheriff's Office, Wrecker Enforcement & Impound Unit Service area Unincorporated Travis County | Not published | Times not published. Call the lot. | 512-854-7430 | The Sheriff's page says vehicles not recovered in the set period can be sold at public auction; no schedule is posted. Sources disagree: The Sheriff's impound page was tagged 'Expired' when we read it on October 7, 2026. | Travis County Sheriff's Office: vehicle impound | October 7, 2026 |
Texas-wide items (Texas Library)
Last checked .