Whether you report an abandoned vehicle to the San Antonio Police Department or the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office depends on where the vehicle is sitting. Inside San Antonio city limits, including public streets and most residential areas, SAPD handles it. On unincorporated Bexar County land, the Sheriff’s Office handles it. Here’s who to call in each case, what Texas law considers “abandoned,” and what to expect after you report it.

What Texas law considers abandoned

Texas Transportation Code Chapter 683 sets the rules for what counts as an abandoned vehicle. A vehicle is generally considered abandoned if it has been left:

  • 48 hours illegally on public property
  • On private property without the owner’s consent
  • On a highway right-of-way for 48 hours, or 24 hours on a turnpike right-of-way
  • Inoperable, more than 5 years old, and left 48 hours on public property

The 48-hour clock is what most people run into first. A car sitting on a residential street with expired tags and a flat tire can qualify as abandoned after two days of not moving, especially if it looks inoperable. A car that’s parked legally and just hasn’t moved for a week because the owner is on vacation doesn’t usually qualify.

If the vehicle is on a public street inside San Antonio city limits

Call the San Antonio Police Department’s non-emergency line at (210) 207-7273. Give the dispatcher the location, the make/model/color of the vehicle, the license plate number if you can read it, and how long it’s been there. The dispatcher creates a report and routes it to the appropriate unit.

A patrol officer may come out to verify the vehicle’s condition, run the plate, and try to contact the registered owner. If the vehicle qualifies as abandoned and the owner can’t be reached, the officer can authorize a tow under SAPD procedure. The vehicle goes to the City of San Antonio Vehicle Impound Facility at 3625 Growdon Road, and the owner has the standard 30-day window to claim it before it becomes auction-eligible.

If the vehicle is on private property inside San Antonio

A vehicle on your own property is handled differently. You have more direct authority to remove it, but you still have to follow the rules. The first step is usually a written notice to the registered owner, if you can identify them, giving them a deadline to remove the vehicle. After that, a licensed towing company can remove it under your authorization.

The towing company has to be licensed through TDLR, and you, as the property owner, are authorizing the tow rather than the police. The standard release paperwork under San Antonio City Code § 19-54 applies at the yard when the owner comes to claim the vehicle.

If the vehicle is on unincorporated Bexar County land

This is where it gets specific. If the property is in unincorporated Bexar County, meaning outside the city limits of San Antonio and outside any other incorporated city, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office handles abandoned-vehicle reports rather than SAPD. BCSO follows the state abandoned-vehicle standard and works with a contracted tow operator.

The BCSO contractor for unincorporated county tows is Texas Towing, located at 422 Steves Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78204, reachable at (210) 220-1000. BCSO does not have its own published impound lot separate from this contractor, so tows under BCSO authority end up at the Texas Towing facility.

To report an abandoned vehicle on unincorporated county land, contact BCSO through the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line. The dispatcher will create a report and route it to the appropriate unit. The same 48-hour clock and the same Texas Transportation Code Chapter 683 standards apply, but the path through BCSO is the route.

A note on BCSO payment practices

One thing worth knowing about BCSO’s tow process: the office does not accept payment by phone, and it does not accept payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency. Any call you get demanding payment through those channels is a scam. BCSO contacts vehicle owners through the mail and through posted notices on the vehicle, not through unsolicited phone calls. If someone calls claiming to be from BCSO or its contractor and asks for gift cards or crypto, hang up.

If the vehicle is on a state highway or interstate

Vehicles abandoned on a state highway right-of-way fall under TxDOT’s authority in coordination with local law enforcement. For a major interstate like I-35, I-10, or I-37 running through the metro, the typical reporting path is still SAPD for incidents inside city limits and BCSO for incidents in unincorporated county areas. TxDOT handles maintenance of the roadway itself, but the abandoned-vehicle report goes through the local agency with jurisdiction.

How to tell which agency to call

The simplest test is the city limits line. If you can see a San Antonio city limit sign nearby, or if a quick map check shows you’re inside the city, call SAPD. If you’re outside the city limits in unincorporated Bexar County, call BCSO. For other cities in Bexar County (like Alamo Heights, Converse, or Schertz), each city has its own police department and reporting process.

The exception is when you’re not sure. If you’re unsure whether you’re inside or outside the city, the SAPD non-emergency line can usually route you, and BCSO can do the same.

What happens after you report

For a city-lot tow, the vehicle goes to Growdon Road and the registered owner has 30 days from notification to claim it before auction. For a county tow through BCSO, the vehicle goes to Texas Towing at 422 Steves Avenue and follows the same notification and auction path under the state standard.

You won’t typically receive a follow-up call about the outcome, since the tow is between the agency and the registered owner. What you’ll see is the vehicle gone from where it was sitting. If it’s still there a week after your report, a second call to the same non-emergency line confirms the report and may push the action forward.

For what to do if your own vehicle ends up at the city lot, see how to get a car out of impound in San Antonio. For the abandoned-vehicle path on private property, see how to junk a car in Texas.

Frequently asked questions

Who do I call about an abandoned car in San Antonio? For a vehicle on a public street inside San Antonio city limits, call SAPD non-emergency at (210) 207-7273. For unincorporated Bexar County, contact BCSO.

How long does a car have to sit before it’s abandoned in Texas? Generally 48 hours illegally on public property, on private property without consent, or on a highway right-of-way. It’s 24 hours on a turnpike right-of-way, or 48 hours if the vehicle is inoperable and more than 5 years old.

Can I tow an abandoned car from my own property in San Antonio? Yes, but the towing company has to be licensed through TDLR, and you, as the property owner, are authorizing the tow. The standard release paperwork under City Code § 19-54 applies at the yard.

Where does BCSO send tows? Texas Towing, 422 Steves Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78204, (210) 220-1000. BCSO does not have a separate county impound lot.

Does BCSO ever call to ask for gift card or crypto payment? No. BCSO contacts owners through mail and posted notices, not unsolicited phone calls. Any call demanding payment through gift cards or crypto is a scam.

What happens to the abandoned vehicle after it’s towed? The registered owner has 30 days from notification to claim it before the vehicle becomes auction-eligible at the impound facility.