Jersey City, NJ Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

A: abandoning a vehicle on a street or on public property, parking a vehicle on a street or public property without license plates, and parking a vehicle on private property for 48 hours or more without the property owner's consent, or for any period at all without plates. A vehicle sitting on a street or public property for 48 hours or longer may be presumed abandoned under this subsection, which lets the city act without proving intent. The Municipal Court penalty schedule set out in the chapter's violations table is steep: a first violation draws a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 plus suspension of driving privileges for up to two years, and any additional violation draws a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000 plus suspension of driving privileges for up to five years.

Once a vehicle is identified as abandoned, § 332-73 authorizes the Department of Public Safety to tow, impound, or boot it, including through a private towing contractor, and the city and its agents are not liable for loss of or damage to a towed or impounded vehicle. Section 332-74 requires the police to notify a known owner by registered mail of the removal, the reason, and where the vehicle was taken; if the owner cannot be identified within three days, the department must report the vehicle to the New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles.

Section 332-75 lets police impound any apparently abandoned vehicle found in the city, charges owners the towing and storage fees set in Chapter 160, and waives the charge only when an uninsured vehicle was taken without consent and later recovered within the city.