Columbus, OH Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Section 4513.60 | Vehicle left on private residential or private agricultural property without the permission of person having right to possession of property. (A)(1) The sheriff of a county or chief of a law enforcement agency of a municipal corporation, township, port authority, conservancy district, or township or joint police district, within the sheriff's or chief's respective territorial jurisdiction, upon complaint of any person adversely affected, may order into storage any motor vehicle, other than an abandoned junk motor vehicle as defined in section 4513.63 of the Revised Code, that has been left on private residential or private agricultural property for at least four hours without the permission of the person having the right to the possession of the property. The sheriff or chief, upon complaint of a repair garage or place of storage, may order into storage any motor vehicle, other than an abandoned junk motor vehicle, that has been left at the garage or place of storage for a longer period than that agreed upon. When ordering a motor vehicle into storage pursuant to this division, a sheriff or chief may arrange for the removal of the motor vehicle by a towing service and shall designate a storage facility. (2) A towing service towing a motor vehicle under division (A)(1) of this section shall remove the motor vehicle in accordance with that division. The towing service shall deliver the motor vehicle to the location designated by the sheriff or chief not more than two hours after the time it is removed from the private property, unless the towing service is unable to deliver the motor vehicle within two hours due to an uncontrollable force, natural disaster, or other event that is not within the power of the towing service. (D)(3) If a motor vehicle that is ordered into storage pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section remains unclaimed by the owner for thirty days, the procedures established by sections 4513.61 and 4513.62 of the Revised Code apply.