Howard County, MD Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Maryland defines an abandoned vehicle in Transportation §25-201; Howard County enforces removal under County Code Title 17, Subtitle 6 (Towing from Private Property). On public property a vehicle is abandoned if it is inoperable and left unattended more than 48 hours, remains illegally more than 48 hours, or lacks valid registration. On private property, a vehicle that stays more than 48 hours without the owner's consent may be towed, but only after the owner or agent authorizes a registered trespass tower and posts 48-hour notice. To dispose of a vehicle abandoned on your land, file the county's Application for Authority to Dispose; the owner then has 21 days to reclaim it.