Ames, IA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Ames Municipal Code Sec. 30.5(21), part of the Public Nuisances chapter, targets vehicles the code defines in Sec. 30.4 as Junked Vehicles: any vehicle, trailer or semitrailer rendered inoperable by a missing windshield, fender, door, bumper, wheel, engine or other component, or one that has become vermin habitat, is used for storage, contains flammable fuel while inoperable, or otherwise threatens public health or safety. Storing a junked vehicle outdoors on private property for more than 48 hours is declared a nuisance outright. Three narrow exceptions apply: a junked vehicle kept inside a garage or other enclosed structure is exempt entirely; one junked vehicle per property may sit outdoors for up to 30 cumulative days per calendar year if it complies with Sec.

29.304(3) Prohibited Uses and is concealed behind an opaque wall at least six feet tall or fully covered by a tight-fitting opaque cloth cover or tarpaulin; and vehicles stored at a duly authorized salvage or junk yard meeting Ames code requirements are exempt. Once a nuisance is identified, Sec. 30.6 puts the duty to abate on the owner or person in charge of the property, and Sec. 30.7 authorizes the City to abate an uncorrected nuisance itself after written notice, billing the owner for removal, investigation and administrative costs, with an emergency abatement track and cost-recovery through the property tax rolls under Iowa Code Section 364.12(3)(h) for imminent hazards.