Tex. Transp. Code § 683.016 · Subchapter B. ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLES: SEIZURE AND AUCTION
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY USE OF CERTAIN ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLES.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) The law enforcement agency that takes an abandoned motor vehicle into custody that is not claimed under Section 683.012 may:
(1) use the vehicle for agency purposes; or
(2) transfer the vehicle to any other municipal or county agency, a groundwater conservation district governed by Chapter 36, Water Code, or a school district for the use of that agency or district.
(b) The law enforcement agency shall auction the vehicle as provided by this subchapter if the law enforcement agency or the municipal or county agency, groundwater conservation district, or school district to which the vehicle was transferred under Subsection (a) discontinues use of the vehicle.
(c) This section does not apply to an abandoned vehicle on which there is a garagekeeper's lien.
(d) This section does not apply to a vehicle that is:
(1) taken into custody by a law enforcement agency located in a county with a population of 3.3 million or more; and
(2) removed to a privately owned storage facility.
(e) A law enforcement agency must comply with the notice requirements of Section 683.012 before the law enforcement agency may transfer a vehicle under Subsection (a)(2).
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Amended by:
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 446 (H.B. 195), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 941 (H.B. 3140), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1163 (H.B. 2702), Sec. 178, eff. September 1, 2011.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.683.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 f903fafefb44138eddb166401cbd36e42db2cdaaf734e876aa6fd2e395afc9e7
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Cited by 2 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Transp. Code § 683.016. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.