Arlington, TX Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Arlington's abandoned-vehicle enforcement operates under two tracks. On public streets, Texas Transportation Code §683.002 defines an abandoned vehicle as one left on public property more than 48 hours, or one left on a roadway that is inoperable or missing license plates. Arlington Code Compliance and Police can tag such vehicles with a 24-hour warning sticker and tow them to the city's contracted impound. Registered owners recover vehicles by paying storage (roughly $20 per day), tow fee (approximately $175), and any citations. Vehicles unclaimed after 30 days proceed to auction under Chapter 683 procedures. On private property — including driveways, yards, and private lots — Arlington Code Chapter 10 requires inoperable vehicles (flat tires, no current registration, wrecked, or missing major components) to be removed from public view within 72 hours of written notice. Acceptable compliance includes storing inside an enclosed garage, behind a six-foot opaque fence, or repairing and re-registering. Failure to comply allows the city to remove the vehicle and lien costs against the property. A property may store one operable but unregistered vehicle behind screening indefinitely; more than one triggers junkyard zoning rules. Stolen or suspicious vehicles should be reported to Arlington Police rather than Code Compliance.