St. Tammany Parish, LA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Section 26-43(a) makes it a public nuisance and misdemeanor for an abandoned motor vehicle to remain on public property more than three days; subsection (b) extends the same misdemeanor status to junk, wrecked, or used vehicles kept on occupied or unoccupied private property unless the vehicle is "secured" or falls under an exception. Section 26-42 defines a secured vehicle as one fully enclosed in a building, garage, or carport, or covered and placed out of view at the rear of the property, and defines an abandoned public-property vehicle as one left inoperable for more than 24 hours.

Section 26-44 exempts vehicles at a licensed storage or zoning-compliant business, drag-racing vehicles, registered antique vehicles 25 years or older kept for collection, and vehicles belonging to active-duty service members. Under section 26-45, a posted notice on a public-property vehicle gives 72 hours to remove it before the parish tows and stores it at the owner's expense; a posted notice on unoccupied private property allows 15 days, and occupied private property owners get 15 days of certified-mail notice to remove or secure the vehicle, or to request an administrative hearing.

Section 26-47 authorizes enforcement officers to enter private property without consent to investigate, post, or remove a qualifying vehicle. Removed vehicles are stored at a parish facility, and section 26-49 requires notice before disposal; unclaimed vehicles after three months are sold at auction following published notice.