Tennessee Abandoned Vehicle Portal and MOTION Act Deadlines

The timeline, from custody to sale

Take custody. From January 25, 2027, vehicles taken into custody under the Act are entered in the portal within one hour; garagekeepers enter the vehicles they will store for more than 21 days.[2][5]
Check ownership within three business days of taking custody.[2]
Send notice within three business days after that check, by three-day delivery: a national carrier with electronic tracking.[2][1]
Wait 20 days from the date the owner and lienholders receive the notice. They can reclaim the vehicle by paying the charges, or appeal.[2]
Sell at public auction if nobody reclaims it.[4]

Every step runs on a short clock, and the clock starts at custody. Build the portal entry, the ownership check and the tracked notice into your intake, not your end-of-week paperwork.

What the notice has to say

The notice must be in plain language and include the vehicle's year, make, model and VIN, where it is being held, and the right to reclaim it within 20 days after receipt by paying the charges. It also explains the right to appeal, and that not reclaiming the vehicle counts as a waiver and consent to its sale.[2]

Storage charges and the deadlines that cap them

Miss a deadline, lose storage

A garagekeeper that misses either the three-day ownership check or the three-day notice deadline can charge no more than six days of storage.[3]

Long storage and rates

The Act also limits storage beyond 21 days without consent or portal notice, caps rates for non-consensual tows at the Tennessee Highway Patrol district maximum, and caps release fees at $100.[1]

Repair shops holding vehicles (2026)

A 2026 amendment lets a garagekeeper store a vehicle without written authorization after a good-faith attempt to get the owner's consent to repairs plus notice by three-day delivery. The lien becomes enforceable 30 days after that notice is received.[8]

The Abandoned Vehicle Portal

Dates: live October 27, 2026; mandatory January 25, 2027.[5]
Who registers: towing companies, law enforcement, garagekeepers, and title service and salvage companies.[5]
Garagekeepers: enter vehicles they will charge storage on for more than 21 days.[5]
Advertising: from January 25, 2027, sales are advertised on the portal and newspaper ads no longer count. The same change applies to garagekeeper and artisan lien sales of titled vehicles.[5][6][7]
Fees: none at launch. The Department of Revenue says a per-transaction fee for non-law-enforcement users starts January 25, 2027. Public searches stay free.[5]

The sale, the title and the surplus

Unclaimed vehicles are sold at public auction, and a garagekeeper sale must be commercially reasonable. The buyer takes the vehicle free and clear and is issued a title based on the sales receipt. Any surplus is held for 60 days for the owner or lienholder, then goes to a special fund.[4]

A sale that draws real bidders protects you twice: it answers any question about whether the price was reasonable, and it maximizes the surplus owed back to the owner. FALCO routes vehicles to licensed Tennessee auction firms that sell them, so your yard turns over faster.

No cost to you. The buyer pays a 10% premium on top of the winning bid, and FALCO is paid from that premium. Your notices and portal entries remain your responsibility.

If it is your vehicle that was towed

Watch for a tracked notice. You have 20 days from receiving it to reclaim the vehicle by paying the charges, or to appeal, and not acting is treated as consent to the sale.[2] If a sale does happen, any surplus is held for 60 days for the owner or lienholder.[4] For other lien sales, including repair shops, marinas and storage units, see our lien sales guide.

Questions

Common questions

When does the Tennessee Abandoned Vehicle Portal become mandatory?

The portal went live on October 27, 2026. Starting January 25, 2027, towing companies, law enforcement and garagekeepers must use it, and sales of these vehicles are advertised on the portal instead of in newspapers.

How long does an owner have to reclaim a towed vehicle in Tennessee?

Under the MOTION Act, the owner and lienholders have 20 days after the date they receive the notice to reclaim the vehicle by paying the charges, or to appeal. Failing to reclaim it is treated as a waiver and consent to the sale.

What notice does a Tennessee towing company have to send?

The holder must verify ownership within three business days of taking custody and send notice within three business days after that, by three-day delivery, which means a national carrier with electronic tracking. The notice must be in plain language and include the vehicle's year, make, model and VIN, where it is, and the owner's right to reclaim and to appeal.

What happens if a garage misses the MOTION Act notice deadlines?

A garagekeeper that misses either the ownership-check or the notice deadline can charge no more than six days of storage.

How does a buyer get a title to an abandoned vehicle sold at auction in Tennessee?

Unclaimed vehicles are sold at public auction. The buyer takes the vehicle free and clear and is issued a title based on the sales receipt.

What does it cost a towing company or garage to use FALCO?

No cost to you. The buyer pays a 10% premium on top of the winning bid, and FALCO is paid from that premium. The licensed auction firm runs the sale. Your notices and portal entries stay your responsibility.

Sources

Portal fees and procedures are set by the Department of Revenue and may change. Check the portal page before January 25, 2027.

Keep reading

Tennessee lien sales Vehicles, boats and equipment How FALCO handles lien sales Tell us what you are holding

Tennessee's abandoned vehicle portal and the MOTION Act