When San Francisco sells an unclaimed car
If a towed car is not picked up, the City's contractor can sell it through a lien sale. The notice you get says which rules apply and how long you have.
General information, not legal advice. The papers you got from the police, the tow company, the storage lot or a state agency control your dates. Agencies change phone numbers and steps, so check the agency's own page too.
The notices and your 10 days
California law sets the notices by the car's value: REG 684 for a car worth $500 or less, REG 668 for more than $500 up to $4,000, and a DMV letter for a car worth more. Each comes with a Declaration of Opposition that must be sent within 10 days of the mailing date.
Sources: Civil Code section 3071; Civil Code section 3072; Vehicle Code section 22851.8
SFMTA's lien fees
SFMTA charges a lien fee of $35 (car worth $4,000 or less) or $50 (worth more) when a lien sale starts, and again when it is completed. State law caps lien-sale fees at $70 and $100.
Sources: SFMTA Fees and Fines effective July 1, 2026; Civil Code section 3074
Where the auctions are
City records describe a long-term storage and auction facility at 2650 Bayshore Blvd. in Daly City, and a 2022 contract change that allows online auctions. The contractor's site links San Francisco auctions to an online marketplace. We have not found an official auction calendar.
Sources: Budget and Legislative Analyst report, Feb. 7, 2025; SFMTA staff report, Sept. 6, 2022
Act early
Storage keeps adding up while a lien sale is pending. For an SFMTA tow of a car worth $500 or less that has not been picked up, the hearing request deadline is 10 days, not 30.
Sources: SFMTA tow hearing request page
Get help objecting to a lien sale
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