Kalamazoo, MI Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Section 22-13, amended in 1991, 2004 and again in 2022, declares it unlawful to park, store, abandon, discard or permit to remain any inoperable, wrecked or partially dismantled motor vehicle, or vehicle parts, on any premises in the City of Kalamazoo, including public and private rights-of-way, streets and public property. An 'inoperable vehicle' is one that does not mechanically function or cannot lawfully be driven on City streets, and the absence of current license plates creates a rebuttable presumption of inoperability. The rule exempts vehicles inside an enclosed building, vehicles needed for a lawfully operated business on its own premises, and vehicles in a City-maintained storage depository.

Enforcement runs through a stickering process: the Department of Public Safety affixes a violation sticker, and towing cannot occur until at least 10 days after that sticker is applied, giving the owner a window to comply. If a vehicle is stickered, brought into compliance, and falls back into violation within 60 days, the City can tow it immediately without stickering again. The City Manager or a designee may grant a special permit extending the time limits where strict enforcement would cause undue hardship. Anyone who owns, controls or resides where a violating vehicle sits after abatement action begins is responsible for a municipal civil infraction, and the City can add an administrative fee, set by City Commission resolution, that becomes a lien on the property with 6% annual interest if unpaid 30 days after assessment.