Fort Collins, CO Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Section 1801, Authority to impound and immobilize, is Fort Collins' core abandoned-vehicle ordinance, and it defines abandonment far more specifically than a single statute citation suggests. S. S. Section 42-4-1105(7)(c). Subsection (2) separately makes it unlawful to abandon any vehicle upon public property or upon private property other than his or her own, with towing and impound carried out under Title 42, Article 4, Parts 18 and 21 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. Beyond the definitions, Section 1801 lays out an enforcement ladder that a bare citation to the state definitions statute omits entirely.

Subsection (3) lets any officer move or tow an obstructing vehicle immediately. Subsection (4) allows immobilization, a wheel boot, when an owner ignores a prior notice; the owner then has 72 hours to arrange release through Parking Services before the vehicle can be impounded, and all fines, fees and impound costs must be paid before release. Subsection (5) gives the owner a right to an administrative hearing contesting probable cause, but only by paying the full fines and fees within 72 hours and filing a motion with the Municipal Court Parking Referee within 48 hours after that payment; missing either deadline waives the hearing.

Subsection (6) limits the hearing to three narrow questions: jurisdiction, ownership, and whether probable cause existed, expressly excluding the validity of the underlying charges or amount from review. Subsections (7)-(8) make tampering with or removing an immobilization device a misdemeanor under City Code Section 1-15(a), while Subsection (10) lets officers cite, move, or tow any vehicle parked in violation of a posted tow-away zone sign. S. and 42-4-2100 et seq.