Cal. VEH § 22851.2
This is the official text of Cal. VEH § 22851.2, part of California’s Vehicle Code — governs traffic laws, driver's licenses, and vehicle registration.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Official statutory text
(a) Excepting a vehicle removed pursuant to Section 22669, if the vehicle is determined to have a value not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) pursuant to Section 22670, the public agency that removed the vehicle shall do all of the following:
(1) Within 48 hours after removal of the vehicle, notify the Stolen Vehicle System of the Department of Justice in Sacramento of the removal.
(2) Prepare and give to the lienholder a report that includes all of the following:
(A) The value of the vehicle estimated pursuant to Section 22670.
(B) The identification of the estimator.
(C) The location of the vehicle.
(D) A description of the vehicle, including the make, year model, identification number, license number, state of registration, and, if a motorcycle, an engine number.
(E) The statutory authority for storage.
(b) If the vehicle is in a condition that there is no means of determining ownership, the public agency that removed the vehicle may give authorization to dispose of the vehicle. If authorization for disposal is not issued, a vehicle identification number shall be assigned prior to commencing the lien sale proceedings.
(1) Within 48 hours after removal of the vehicle, notify the Stolen Vehicle System of the Department of Justice in Sacramento of the removal.
(2) Prepare and give to the lienholder a report that includes all of the following:
(A) The value of the vehicle estimated pursuant to Section 22670.
(B) The identification of the estimator.
(C) The location of the vehicle.
(D) A description of the vehicle, including the make, year model, identification number, license number, state of registration, and, if a motorcycle, an engine number.
(E) The statutory authority for storage.
(b) If the vehicle is in a condition that there is no means of determining ownership, the public agency that removed the vehicle may give authorization to dispose of the vehicle. If authorization for disposal is not issued, a vehicle identification number shall be assigned prior to commencing the lien sale proceedings.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in California?
Find a California lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.