Alameda, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Alameda enforces a city-specific version of the 72-hour rule. Under AMC 8-7.8 (Leaving Vehicle on a Street in Excess of Seventy-two Hours), it is unlawful for any person to park or leave unattended any vehicle on the streets of the City of Alameda continuously for a period exceeding 72 hours. The ordinance closes the common loophole of rolling a car a few feet: for purposes of this section, a vehicle is considered parked or left unattended unless it is moved at least one mile within any continuous 72-hour period. Such vehicles may be towed to and stored at an impound facility at the owner's expense. The city's parking FAQ explains that a car may also be marked abandoned if it shows qualifying signs - cobwebs, accumulated leaves or debris, low tires, or missing/broken parts. This city rule mirrors the authority granted by California Vehicle Code Section 22651(k), which lets agencies remove a vehicle left standing over 72 hours, but the one-mile movement test is Alameda's own clarification. Genuinely abandoned and inoperable vehicles can also be addressed under the California Abandoned Vehicle Abatement provisions (CVC 22660 et seq.).