Cheyenne's Parking Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles parking rules a little differently. In Cheyenne, Wyoming, there are 8 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Abandoned Vehicles

Cheyenne prohibits abandoning a vehicle on any highway or on public or private property without the owner's consent, with nuisance officers authorized to impound noncompliant vehicles.

Key details: Abandonment ban: Highway or property without consent. Presumed abandoned: Inoperable, unregistered, or 5+ days. Removal notice: 24 hrs posted before towing. Private property limit: 3 or fewer visible 30+ days. Max penalty: $750 fine, 6 months jail.

Misdemeanor under the Chapter 1.24 general penalty: fine up to $750 and/or up to 6 months jail; each day is a separate offense. Vehicle may be impounded at owner's expense; redemption requires paying towing, storage and notice costs (10.76.100).

Snow Removal Parking Rules

Cheyenne can declare a snow emergency after 2 inches of snow, clearing designated routes first and towing vehicles left on them.

Key details: Trigger: 2 inches of snow forecast. Route clearing priority: Designated routes plowed first. Tow threshold: Unattended 2+ hours on route. Sidewalk deadline: 24 hours after snowfall.

General penalty under 1.24.010, plus towing and storage costs for vehicles removed from snow emergency routes.

Street Parking Limits

Cheyenne requires curb-parallel parking headed with traffic and bans standing within 5 feet of a driveway, alley, or accessibility ramp on any public street.

Key details: Curb clearance: wheels within 12 inches. Driveway/ramp buffer: 5 feet minimum. Fire hydrant buffer: 15 feet. Intersection buffer: 30 feet from curb line. Direction requirement: headed with traffic flow.

Municipal citation under Chapter 10.16; vehicles may also be tagged, immobilized, or towed under the scofflaw and impoundment provisions of Chapter 10.12.

RV & Boat Parking

Cheyenne only allows an RV or trailer to be parked on the street directly adjacent to the owner's own property, and bans oversized vehicles over 25 feet long from any public roadway between Labor Day and Memorial Day.

Key details: Street RV/trailer parking: must be adjacent to owner's own property. Oversized vehicle size threshold: over 25 ft long, 9 ft tall, or 8'6" wide. Seasonal roadway ban: Labor Day to Memorial Day. Temporary permit fee: $15, police chief approval. Enforcement: nuisance abatement, Chapter 10.16 citations.

Illegally parked oversized vehicles are a nuisance under 8.60.080 subject to abatement, and general parking violations are cited under Chapter 10.16; a temporary oversized-vehicle permit costs $15 through the city clerk with police chief approval.

Towing & Impound Rights

Cheyenne controls the price and the handover of police-ordered tows through the tow rotation list in Chapter 5.78 of the city code. A rotation operator may not bill above the fee schedule the governing body adopts by resolution, must release the vehicle as soon as that amount is paid, must take cash and at least two major credit cards, and must hand back the personal property inside the car at no charge once police authorize it.

Key details: Rate ceiling: Rotation tow charges may not exceed the fee schedule adopted by resolution of the governing body (Sec. 5.78.040(F)). Schedule review: The governing body must reevaluate the fee schedule in calendar year 2028 and every four years after. Charging above the cap: Requires police department written approval before the work plus documentation within 15 calendar days (Sec. 5.78.040(G)). Release hours: Staff must be available to release vehicles or property Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excepting approved city holidays. Payment methods: Cash and at least two major credit cards must be accepted.

Enforcement runs against the tow operator rather than the driver. A written public complaint under Section 5.78.050(B), or an inquiry the chief of police starts independently, requires the police department to fully investigate within ten business days and to contact the operator for its version of the facts, after which the investigating officer files a report and the chief notifies the operator of the result within ten business days. Under Section 5.78.060(C), a first violation of the rotation list requirements brings immediate suspension from the list for six months, although the chief may allow 30 calendar days to cure an equipment or facility defect instead; a second violation brings a twelve-month suspension; a third brings immediate and permanent removal. The chief may also summarily remove a participant under Section 5.78.050(B). A penalized operator has seven calendar days from receiving the notice to petition the city clerk in writing for a contested case hearing under Chapter 2.92 of the city code, and failing to petition in time waives the hearing. Separately, Section 5.78.070 makes any violation of the chapter a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $750, imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. Tampering with a city immobilization device is a misdemeanor under Section 10.12.170(G).

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Cheyenne prohibits parking any ten-plus-wheel tractor unit, with or without a semi-trailer, on any street or alley in the city, and bans oversized vehicles over 25 feet from public roadways between Labor Day and Memorial Day.

Key details: Big-rig ban: 10+ wheel tractor units citywide. Oversized threshold: 25 ft long, 9 ft tall, 8'6" wide. Seasonal ban: Labor Day to Memorial Day. Permit fee: $15 for five-day exception. Enforcement: Cheyenne Police parking administration.

Violating the parking rules is a misdemeanor punishable under Cheyenne City Code Chapter 10.16's general parking penalties; oversized vehicles parked in violation of the seasonal ban can also be declared a nuisance and abated under Chapter 8.60.

This is one of the stricter rules in Cheyenne's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Loading Zones

Cheyenne's traffic engineer designates and signs curb loading zones for freight and passengers; vehicles may stop there only to load or unload, and standing is capped at 30 minutes during posted hours.

Key details: Standing limit: 30 minutes max. Permit fee: $250 per year per space. Max zone length: 24 feet per space. Who designates zones: City traffic engineer.

Standing in a loading zone past 30 minutes, or without an active loading purpose, is a parking violation subject to citation and civil sanction under the city's parking fine schedule (Ch. 10.16); an unpaid permit can be revoked.

Overnight Parking

Cheyenne repealed its blanket overnight parking ban in 2012. On-street parking is now restricted only where the city traffic engineer has posted time-limit signs.

Key details: Blanket ban: Repealed 2012 (Ord. 3957). Current rule: Only where signs posted. Exempt days: Sundays, public holidays. Snow emergency: Tow after 2 hrs unattended. Sets sign zones: City traffic engineer.

No ticket for overnight parking absent posted signs. Where signs exist, overstaying the posted limit draws a parking citation under the fine schedule set by the governing body per 10.60.040.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Cheyenne gives residents more flexibility on overnight parking.

The Bottom Line

Cheyenne's parking rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Cheyenne is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Cheyenne can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.