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

For Montana, time to count as abandoned on private property is 5 days or more on a city street, public property, or private property; owner notice process is not specified at this stage; minimum time before sale/disposal is not specified at this stage; statutory citation is 61-12-401, verified against its source on 2026-08-18.

- **State:** Montana _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Time to count as abandoned on private property:** 5 days or more on a city street, public property, or private property _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Owner notice process:** not specified at this stage _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Minimum time before sale/disposal:** not specified at this stage _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Statutory citation:** 61-12-401 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> 61-12-401 . Taking vehicle into custody. (1) The following law enforcement agencies and department of fish, wildlife, and parks personnel may take into custody any vehicle found abandoned for a period of 48 hours or more on a public highway or for a period of 5 days or more on a city street, public property, or private property:

## Source

- https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/title_0610/chapter_0120/part_0040/section_0010/0610-0120-0040-0010.html

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/).