Jackson, TN Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Jackson Municipal Code § 13-202 makes it unlawful to park, store or leave a wrecked, junked, partially dismantled or abandoned motor vehicle on public or private property anywhere in the City of Jackson for longer than five (5) days, unless the vehicle is tied to a lawfully licensed and operating business under the § 13-213 exemption. Section 13-203 spells out what counts as 'wrecked, junked, or abandoned,' covering flat or missing tires and wheels, missing or disassembled drivetrain or body parts, a vehicle lying on the ground or up on blocks, or one whose interior has become a container for scrap metal, glass, wood or debris so full that no driver could sit in it; the same definition extends to boats, campers, recreational vehicles and storage trailers left in that condition.

Every vehicle meeting that definition is declared a public nuisance the moment it sits past five days. Removal follows §§ 13-206 through 13-209: the city gives a twenty-four (24) hour preliminary notice to correct the violation, and if that fails, a formal notice at least two (2) days before the compliance deadline, after which the owner or resident has two (2) days to request a hearing before the Environmental Court. If the violation is not fixed within five (5) days of that notice, or the Environmental Court affirms the violation after a hearing, the vehicle is towed away, with the mayor, police chief, fire chief or health officer authorized to order immediate removal in an emergency.

Section 13-205 applies the same five-day limit to business properties, unless the vehicles sit behind a solid masonry wall or sight-proof fence at least six feet (6') high covering no more than twenty percent (20%) of the lot.