Gautier, MS Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Jackson County enforces abandoned vehicle rules under state law and county nuisance ordinances. MS Code §63-23-1 defines an abandoned motor vehicle as one left on public property for more than 48 hours (in some contexts 72 hours) or without current registration or license plates. Code Enforcement tags suspected abandoned vehicles, gives registered owners 10 days to respond, and if not removed, tows and impounds under MS Code §63-23-5. On private property, inoperable vehicles, vehicles with flat tires, missing parts, or expired registration visible from the street are considered public nuisances under MS Code §19-5-9 and may be cited by Jackson County Code Enforcement. Vehicles must be stored inside a garage or screened behind an opaque fence at least 6 feet tall. Junkyard exceptions apply to properly zoned and licensed parcels. Post-hurricane exemption: following federally declared disasters (Hurricane Katrina 2005, Zeta 2020, Ida 2021), the county typically grants 60 to 120-day extensions for hurricane-damaged vehicles to allow insurance processing and salvage operations. Owners must affirmatively request the extension in writing.