If You See An Orange Sticker On An Abandoned Car, Here's What It Means

• Cars

It's not unusual to see a car sitting on the side of the road. Maybe the driver ran out of gas. Perhaps it was in an accident, which is a red flag you can't ignore on a Carfax report. Sometimes there may even be an orange sticker on the window, which means police have identified it as being abandoned. In that case, the clock's ticking and the owner must take action.

The sticker is meant to communicate that the car shouldn't be where it is and authorities want it moved to the owner, who then has a set amount of time to take care of it. If the car is still there after that timeframe, it will likely be towed at the owner's expense. Once that happens, it's up to the owner to track it down, and settle the bill. If for some reason police can't find the owner, and the car remains in the impound lot, it could be put up for auction, where you can even sell a junk car without a title.

Exactly how long car owners have to move a tagged vehicle depends on the state. For example, in Minnesota, drivers have three days to move an abandoned car. After that, residents can contact authorities to have the vehicle removed. However, in the state of New York, a car is considered abandoned if left longer than two days, and that timeframe actually decreases based on the car's physical location.

Tips for leaving your car safely

A car doesn't have to be stranded on the side of a highway to be considered abandoned. If it's parked on private property and the driver didn't get permission to leave it there, it can get an orange sticker. The same goes for vehicles left at a garage by drivers that don't pay the repair costs. At that point, the garage owner can reach out to local police for help.

There are ways to signal to authorities that your car is broken down, like tying a white cloth on the door handle. Not only does it give you the chance to communicate to others that your vehicle is basically unmovable, it could possibly buy you some time until you can get it towed. Some states like Texas even encourage the practice, while also suggesting that you turn on your hazard lights, as flashing emergency lights will cause drivers to take action.

But leaving a white cloth doesn't mean authorities will back off. The best thing to do is take care of the situation as soon as possible. If you don't, then you could come back the next day and find an orange sticker on your window, if the car's still there at all. If you're unsure how of long you'll have to leave your car, contact your local police. Explain the situation to them and hopefully, they will steer you in the right direction.