Birmingham, AL Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- City Code Sec. 11-8-41 to 11-8-50
- Owner-request threshold
- 10 consecutive days on the land
- Impoundment processing fee
- $40.00 (Sec. 11-8-43)
- Unclaimed sale deadline
- 45 days in depository
- Surplus claim window after sale
- 90 days
Summary
Birmingham declares lost, stolen or abandoned automobiles left on private parking lots or land to be health and safety hazards and public nuisances, letting police impound and store them, and sell unclaimed vehicles at auction after 45 days.
Lost, stolen or abandoned automobiles, and other motor vehicles left upon private parking lots, private parking areas and other private land are hereby declared to be health and safety hazards and public nuisances and any police officer of the city, after being advised by or on behalf of the chief of police that the requirements of section 11-8-43 have been complied with, is hereby authorized to cause any such automobile or other motor vehicle to be removed to, and impounded in the depository provided by the city and for such purpose, all under the provisions of this article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
Article C of Chapter 8 (Sec. 11-8-41 through Sec. 11-8-50) governs abandoned vehicles on private property. Sec. 11-8-41 declares that lost, stolen or abandoned automobiles and other motor vehicles left on private parking lots, private parking areas or other private land are health and safety hazards and public nuisances, and authorizes any city police officer, once the chief of police confirms the requirements of Sec. 11-8-43 are met, to have the vehicle removed to and impounded in the city's depository. Sec. 11-8-42 lets the property owner or person in control of the land request impoundment in writing once the vehicle has sat for at least ten consecutive days and the owner cannot be located after a reasonable search.
Sec. 00 to defray impoundment costs and to submit an affidavit describing how long the vehicle sat there, the effort made to find its owner, and the vehicle's make, model and year. Sec. 11-8-47 gives the city a lien on the impounded vehicle for towing and storage charges set under Sec. 10-14-6, and bars release of the vehicle to any claimant before the charges are paid. If no one claims the vehicle within 45 days of impoundment, Sec. 11-8-48 directs the city purchasing agent to publish five days' notice and sell it at public sale to the highest cash bidder; sale proceeds go to the city treasury, with any surplus above towing, storage and advertising costs returned to the vehicle's former owner if claimed within 90 days. An owner who disputes an impoundment can file a complaint under Sec. 00 cost against the complainant.
Violations & Fines
Article C itself is a civil impoundment and nuisance-abatement scheme rather than a fine schedule: the operative consequences are towing, storage liens under Sec. 11-8-47, and public sale after 45 days under Sec. 11-8-48. A complainant who loses a contested-impoundment hearing under Sec. 11-8-49 is assessed $3.00 in costs before the vehicle is released.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can have an abandoned car towed off private land in Birmingham?
What does it cost to get an abandoned vehicle impounded?
How long before the city can sell an unclaimed abandoned vehicle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Birmingham
Compare Birmingham to another location·View the Alabama parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle abandoned vehicles.