Chapter 2. Reports Of Stored Vehicles of California Vehicle Code >> Division 4. >> Chapter 2.

(a) Every operator of a towing service and every keeper of a garage or trailer park shall keep a written record of every vehicle of a type subject to registration under this code stored for a period longer than 12 hours.
  (b) The record shall contain the name and address of the person storing the vehicle or requesting the towing, the names of the owner and driver of the vehicle, if ascertainable, and a brief description of the vehicle including the name or make, the motor or other number of the vehicle, the nature of any damage to the vehicle, and the license number and registration number shown by the license plates or registration card, if either of the latter is attached to the vehicle in a clearly discernible place.
  (c) All records shall be kept for one year from the commencement of storage and shall be open to inspection by any peace officer.
  (d) Upon termination of the storage, a statement shall be added to the record as to the disposition of the vehicle, including the name and address of the person to whom the vehicle was released and the date of such release.

Whenever any vehicle of a type subject to registration under this code has been stored in a garage, repair shop, parking lot, or trailer park for 30 days, the keeper shall report such fact to the Department of Justice by receipted mail, which shall at once notify the legal owner as of record. This section shall not apply to any vehicle stored by a peace officer or employee designated in Section 22651 pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 22850) of Chapter 10 of Division 11.

(a) Whenever the name and address of the legal owner of a motor vehicle is known, or may be ascertained from the registration records in the vehicle or from the records of the Department of Motor Vehicles, no fee or service charge may be imposed upon the legal owner for the parking and storage of the motor vehicle except as follows: (1) The first 15 days of possession and (2) following that 15-day period, the period commencing three days after written notice is sent by the person in possession to the legal owner by certified mail, return receipt requested, and continuing for a period not to exceed any applicable time limit set forth in Section 3068 or 3068.1 of the Civil Code.
  (b) The costs of notifying the legal owner may be charged as part of the storage fee when the motor vehicle has been stored for an indefinite period of time and notice is given no sooner than the third day of possession. This subdivision also applies if the legal owner refuses to claim possession of the motor vehicle.
  (c) In any action brought by, or on behalf of, a legal owner of a motor vehicle to which subdivision (a) applies, to recover a motor vehicle alleged to be withheld by the person in possession of the motor vehicle by demanding storage fees or charges for any number of days in excess of that permitted pursuant to subdivision (a), the prevailing party shall be entitled to reasonable attorney's fees, not to exceed one thousand seven hundred fifty dollars ($1,750). The recovery of those fees is in addition to any other right, remedy, or cause of action of that party.
  (d) This section is not applicable to any motor vehicle stored by a levying officer acting under the authority of judicial process.

Whenever any vehicle of a type subject to registration under this code which shows evidence of having been struck by a bullet is stored in a garage or repair shop, the keeper thereof shall within 24 hours after receiving the vehicle report such fact to the sheriff's office of the county or police department of the city wherein the garage or repair shop is located, giving the motor or other number of the vehicle, the license number if ascertainable, and the name and address of the person storing the same or the name and address of the owner shown by the registration card, if the same is attached to the vehicle in a clearly discernible place.

Every person other than the keeper of a garage renting any private building used as a private garage or space therein for the storage of a vehicle of a type subject to registration under this code, when the agreement to rent includes only the building or space therein, shall within 24 hours after the vehicle is stored therein report such fact together with the name of the tenant, and a description of the vehicle, including the name or make, the motor or other number of the vehicle, and the license number to the sheriff's office of the county or the police department of the city wherein the building is located. "Private garage" as used in this section does not include a public warehouse or public garage.

No person required to keep a record or make a report under this chapter shall wilfully fail, refuse, or neglect to comply with this chapter.

The director, deputy director, registrar, deputy registrar, investigators of the department, and members of a city police department or county sheriff's office whose primary responsibility is to conduct vehicle theft investigations, may inspect any vehicle of a type required to be registered under this code in any garage, repair shop, parking lot, used car lot, automobile dismantlers lot, or other similar establishment for the purpose of investigating the title and registration of vehicles and inspection of vehicles wrecked or dismantled.

(a) The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to the storage of any recreational vehicle owned by a mobilehome park resident and stored in a mobilehome park.
  (b) As used in this section, "recreational vehicle" shall have the same meaning as defined in Section 18215.5 of the Health and Safety Code, and "mobilehome park" shall have the same meaning as defined in Section 18214 of the Health and Safety Code.