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CURRENT RULEDelawareShop operations✓ Human reviewed

Is your Delaware garage lien and lien-sale file complete?

Delaware gives garage owners and other qualifying businesses a lien on motor vehicles for covered repair, labor, service, material, storage, safekeeping, or towing charges and a right to detain the vehicle to secure payment. A lienholder seeking a lien sale applies to the Justice of the Peace Court and must provide the required property, owner/lienholder, lien-amount, storage-rate, and proposed-sale information. Separate notice and sale requirements apply before disposition.

Quick check

Document the lien amount and any storage rate, identify all owners/lienholders, and use Delaware's Justice of the Peace Court notice/sale process before selling the vehicle.

At a glance
JurisdictionDelaware
TopicShop operations
VerifiedOct 5, 2026
Review cadenceReview before enforcing a garage lien or whenever Delaware Chapter 39 lien procedures change.
When this applies

Your Delaware garage or repair operation has unpaid charges for repairs, labor, services, materials, storage, safekeeping, or towing and may retain or sell the vehicle to satisfy the debt.

Before retaining or pursuing sale of an unpaid vehicle, document the covered charges and daily storage rate, identify owners and lienholders, and follow the Justice of the Peace Court lien-sale and notice process rather than using an informal sale procedure.

Official evidence

Source and verification

Verified
Oct 5, 2026
Applies to
All shop types

Quick-reference compliance planning only; not legal advice or an exhaustive statement of every applicable Federal, state, or local rule. Always verify the official source.

Regulatory history

Related Delaware changes

View state page →
ADOPTEDAug 29, 2024Delaware shortened manufacturers' warranty audit window to 180 daysDealer fixed-ops and warranty administrators should treat claims older than 180 days after payment as outside the audit/chargeback w…Open update →EFFECTIVEJan 11, 2023Delaware aligned Sussex County emissions testing with the rest of the stateDelaware shops doing emissions repairs should apply the new vehicle coverage (including heavier light trucks), tell Sussex customers…Open update →