Abandoned vehicle removal in Colonial Heights
A car sitting too long on a street or lot near Colonial Heights can get flagged and removed. Here's how Virginia's rules and Richmond's process actually work.
What Virginia law says
Virginia doesn't leave "abandoned" to guesswork. Under § 46.2-1213, a vehicle counts as abandoned on public property if it's a traffic hazard, illegally parked, left unattended more than 10 days without permission, or immobilized on a public roadway by weather or an emergency. On private property, § 46.2-1215 sets a different clock: a car left without the owner's consent for more than 72 hours can be removed at the property owner's request, and any lot normally open to public parking has to post warning signs about that 72-hour policy first. In Richmond, an abandoned-vehicle tow runs through the same city towing contract as any other city-directed tow, currently handled by Seibert's Towing, so start with the non-emergency line at (804) 646-5100 or check the online listing at apps.richmondgov.com/applications/towviewing. Henrico County runs its own Tag N Tow Program instead: Community Maintenance or police post a brightly colored warning tag on the vehicle, reinspect after 48 hours, and arrange a tow if it hasn't moved, only one inoperable vehicle is allowed per property outdoors, and it has to be screened from view, a tarp doesn't count, with a civil penalty up to $500 for violating the rule. Reach Henrico's program at the police non-emergency line, (804) 501-5000, or the Community Maintenance hotline, (804) 501-4757, staffed 24/7. Chesterfield handles abandoned-vehicle reports through its own police non-emergency line, (804) 748-1251, or [email protected], using its rotation of approved towing companies rather than a dedicated program. Once a car removed from private property is finally unclaimed, state law requires it be held at least 60 days after a diligent search and notice before final disposal. Quick Tow Richmond also offers junk car removal for owners who'd rather skip the process entirely on a car that isn't worth reclaiming.
How it works in Colonial Heights
- 1 Know what counts as abandoned
Under Virginia law, a car on public property counts as abandoned if it's a traffic hazard, illegally parked, left unattended more than 10 days, or immobilized by weather or an emergency. On private property, the clock is 72 hours without consent.
- 2 Report it in Richmond
Call the non-emergency line at (804) 646-5100. The tow runs through the same city contract as any other Richmond-directed tow.
- 3 Report it in Henrico
Henrico's Tag N Tow Program posts a warning tag and reinspects after 48 hours. Reach it through the police non-emergency line, (804) 501-5000, or the 24/7 Community Maintenance hotline, (804) 501-4757.
- 4 Report it in Chesterfield
Call the police non-emergency line at (804) 748-1251 or email [email protected]. Chesterfield uses its own rotation of approved towing companies.
- 5 Find out where your car went, if it's yours
Check Richmond's online listing at apps.richmondgov.com/applications/towviewing, or call the non-emergency line for the jurisdiction that ordered the tow.
- 6 Consider junk car removal instead
If the car isn't worth reclaiming, ask Quick Tow Richmond about pickup for an unwanted vehicle instead of paying to get it out.
What this looks like around Colonial Heights
{c} sits south of Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield's systems, in a corridor where I-95 and I-85 split. The local police department's non-emergency line is the right call to report an abandoned vehicle here.
Colonial Heights is a small independent city wedged between Petersburg and Chesterfield, built around the I-95/US-1 retail corridor and the Southpark Mall shopping district. That corridor generates its own steady lot-towing volume, separate from the highway calls that run through the rest of the Tri-Cities. The city runs its own municipal fleet, and Violet Bank, Robert E. Lee's headquarters during the 1864 Siege of Petersburg, sits right here as a reminder of how long this small stretch of ground has mattered to whoever controlled the roads through it. Colonial Heights sits in the Appomattox River floodplain and shares Petersburg's fog-belt exposure on I-95, so a foggy morning here means the same reduced-visibility driving conditions as the interstate just south of it. We reach Southpark Mall, the I-95/US-1 interchange, and downtown Colonial Heights in about 25 to 35 minutes, running wheel-lift for the ordinary lot or roadside call and flatbed for the highway-speed work.
Common Colonial Heights questions
How do I report an abandoned vehicle in Colonial Heights?
In Richmond, call the non-emergency line at (804) 646-5100. In Henrico, call (804) 501-5000 or the Community Maintenance hotline at (804) 501-4757. In Chesterfield, call (804) 748-1251.
How long can a car sit before it counts as abandoned in Colonial Heights?
On public property, Virginia's rule is more than 10 days unattended, or sooner if it's a traffic hazard. On private property, it's more than 72 hours without the owner's consent.
What happens after an abandoned vehicle is removed in Colonial Heights?
It goes into the same towing and storage process as any other nonconsensual tow, and state law requires at least a 60-day hold, after notice and a diligent search, before it can be finally disposed of.
Does Quick Tow Richmond buy or remove junk cars in Colonial Heights?
Yes, we offer junk car removal for owners who'd rather skip the process entirely. Contact us about pickup for an old or unwanted vehicle.
Related help for Colonial Heights
Abandoned vehicles in the rest of the Tri-Cities area
Need your car towed once it's released in Colonial Heights?
We can't waive the yard's fees. We can tow it home the moment it clears.