Is my car being sold? Lien sales and auctions in San Diego
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.
The rules, by notice
| Your notice | Deadline to object | When the car can be sold or scrapped | Can you buy it back after the sale? | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REG 668, Notice of Pending Lien Sale (car worth more than $500, up to $4,000) | 10 days from the mailing date. The Declaration of Opposition goes to the DMV. | On the date printed on the notice, which must be 31 to 41 days after it was mailed. | No buy-back period. | Civil Code section 3072(c) |
| DMV letter with a Declaration of Opposition, then REG 280 and a newspaper notice (car worth more than $4,000) | 10 days from the date the DMV mailed its letter. The Declaration of Opposition goes to the DMV. | Only after the DMV approves the sale. The yard mails a REG 280 20 days before the sale and runs a newspaper notice 5 to 20 days before it. | Yes, within 10 days after the sale, by paying the sale price, the costs of the sale and 12% yearly interest. | Civil Code section 3071(c), (f), (k) |
| REG 684 (car worth $500 or less) | 10 days from the mailing date. The Declaration of Opposition goes to the tow yard or lienholder named on the notice, not the DMV. | No auction. The car can go to a dismantler no earlier than 15 days after the notice was mailed, unless an objection is filed in time. | No. | Vehicle Code section 22851.8; Vehicle Code section 22851.10 |
- Paying the bill before the sale is the way to get the car back. An objection can stop the sale, but storage keeps adding up. For a car worth $4,000 or less, objecting raises the storage limit from 60 to 120 days. (Civil Code section 3068.1)
- State law limits the lien-sale fee to $70 for a car worth $4,000 or less and $100 for a car worth more, and no lien fee may be charged if the car is picked up within 72 hours. (Civil Code section 3074)
- If the car sold for more than the bill, the extra can be claimed from the DMV within three years. A sale that does not follow these rules is void. (Civil Code section 3073; DMV lien sales page)
Official auction pages
- City Auditor, Performance Audit of the City's Towing Program (2022): how lien sales work in San Diego. The City's contracted impound providers, not the City, send lien notices and sell unclaimed cars. About 27% of tows end in a lien sale, and the average sale brings in about 45% of what is owed. Last checked: October 7, 2026
- SDPD Vehicle Impounds and Towing (find the car; post-storage hearing). Search AutoReturn for City tows or call 619-527-4392. No auction calendar is posted. Last checked: October 7, 2026
Last checked .