Fitchburg, WI Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Abandonment threshold
- 48 hours unattended, any location
- Governing state statute
- Wis. Stats. § 342.40, adopted locally
- Reclaim window
- 30 days after certified mail notice
- First-offense forfeiture
- $25 to $500 (§ 1-21)
- Disposal authority
- City administrator approves junking
Summary
Fitchburg, Wisconsin treats any vehicle left unattended on a public highway, public property, or private property without the owner's permission for more than 48 hours as abandoned under Wis. Stats. § 342.40, a public nuisance the police department and city administrator can tow, store, and eventually sell or junk if the owner never reclaims it.
(a)Whenever any vehicle has been left unattended on any public highway, public property or private property without the permission of the property owner, for more than 48 hours the vehicle is deemed abandoned within the meaning of Wis. Stats. § 342.40, adopted in this chapter, and constitutes a public nuisance. ... (c)Whenever any vehicle has been abandoned as defined in subsection (a), or has been taken into custody pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 968.19 and is no longer required for evidence or use in further investigation, certified mail notice shall be sent to the owner and lienholders of record to permit reclamation of the vehicle after payment of accrued charges of towing and impoundment, if any. ... The notice shall state that the failure of the owner or lienholders to exercise their rights to reclaim the vehicle within 30 days is a waiver of all right, title, and interest in the vehicle and consent to the sale, donation, or junking of the vehicle.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30).
Full Breakdown
Under Fitchburg City Code § 68-208, in Dane County, Wisconsin, a vehicle qualifies as abandoned the moment it sits unattended for more than 48 hours on a public highway, on city property, or on private property without the landowner's consent. That 48-hour threshold triggers Wis. 40, which the city has adopted into its own code, and the vehicle becomes a public nuisance the moment the clock runs out. Separately, subsection (b) lets any Fitchburg traffic officer who finds a vehicle violating a stopping, standing, or parking restriction move it to a place of safekeeping by towing at the owner's expense, or simply order the driver to reposition it; towing never excuses the underlying parking penalty.
Once a vehicle is abandoned, or has been seized as evidence under Wis. 19 and is no longer needed, subsection (c) requires certified mail notice to the registered owner and any lienholders describing the vehicle's year, make, model, and VIN, where it is being held, and the 30-day window to reclaim it after paying towing and impoundment charges. Letting that 30-day window lapse waives all ownership rights and authorizes the city to sell, donate, or junk the vehicle. Subsection (d) lets the police chief and finance director route a low-value vehicle straight to junking, with the city administrator's approval, rather than paying to store and re-title it.
None of this authority comes from Dane County: county general zoning and nuisance rules under Wis. 69 stop at the city line, so Fitchburg's own police department and finance department run the entire process.
Violations & Fines
Fitchburg City Code § 68-341 routes nonmoving violations, including a Sec. 68-208 abandonment citation, to the general penalty in § 1-21: a forfeiture of not less than $25.00 nor more than $500.00 plus prosecution costs for a first offense, rising to $50.00 to $1,000.00 for a second offense of the same provision within one year, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a car sit before Fitchburg calls it abandoned?
What happens after Fitchburg tows my abandoned vehicle?
Can Dane County tow my car from a Fitchburg street?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fitchburg
Compare Fitchburg to another location·View the Wisconsin parking rules overview
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dane County handle abandoned vehicles.