# Illinois — How long before a car left on your property or towed from it can legally be sold — by US state

For Illinois, time to count as abandoned on private property is after a waiting period of 7 days or more; owner notice process is law enforcement agency having jurisdiction authorizes removal; statutory citation is 625 ILCS 5/4-201, verified against its source on 2026-08-18.

- **State:** Illinois _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Time to count as abandoned on private property:** after a waiting period of 7 days or more _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Owner notice process:** law enforcement agency having jurisdiction authorizes removal _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Statutory citation:** 625 ILCS 5/4-201 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> Abandonment of vehicles prohibited. (a) The abandonment of a vehicle or any part thereof on any highway in this State is unlawful and subject to penalties as set forth under Penalty Section 4-214 of this Chapter. (b) The abandonment of a vehicle or any part thereof on private or public property, other than a highway, in view of the general public, anywhere in this State is unlawful except on property of the owner or bailee of such abandoned vehicle. A vehicle or any part thereof so abandoned on private property shall be authorized for removal, by a law enforcement agency having jurisdiction, after a waiting period of 7 days or more, or may be removed immediately if determined to be a hazardous dilapidated motor vehicle under Section 11-40-3.1 of the Illinois Municipal Code.

## Source

- https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500050K4-201.htm

Last verified: 2026-08-18. Review by: 2027-08-18.
Part of [How long before a car left on your property or towed from it can legally be sold — by US state](https://referencesource.org/abandoned-vehicle-private-property-timelines-by-state/).