§ 18-4-512. Abandonment of a Motor Vehicle

1. Any person who abandons any motor vehicle upon a street, highway, right-of-way, or any other public property, or upon any private property without the express consent of the owner or person in lawful charge of that private property commits abandonment of a motor vehicle.
2. To “abandon” means to leave a thing with the intention not to retain possession of or assert ownership over it. The intent need not coincide with the act of leaving.
3. It is prima facie evidence of the necessary intent that:
   1. The motor vehicle has been left for more than seven days unattended and unmoved; or
   2. License plates or other identifying marks have been removed from the motor vehicle; or
   3. The motor vehicle has been damaged or is deteriorated so extensively that it has value only for junk or salvage; or
   4. The owner has been notified by a law enforcement agency to remove the motor vehicle, and it has not been removed within three days after notification.
4. [ Editor’s note: This version of subsection (4) is effective until March 1, 2022.] Abandonment of a motor vehicle is a class 3 misdemeanor.

   (4) [ Editor’s note: This version of subsection (4) is effective March 1, 2022. ] Abandonment of a motor vehicle is a petty offense.

Source: L. 71: R&RE, p. 432, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 40-4-512. L. 2021: (4) amended, (SB 21-271), ch. 462, p. 3180, § 219, effective March 1, 2022.

Editor’s note: Section 803(2) of chapter 462 (SB 21-271), Session Laws of Colorado 2021, provides that the act changing this section applies to offenses committed on or after March 1, 2022.

Cross references: For the towing and storage of abandoned and illegally parked motor vehicles, see part 18 of article 4 of title 42.