Montgomery, AL Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited
- Storing a junked/inoperable vehicle in the open
- Removal deadline
- 5 days after written notice
- Reclaim window
- 90 days after city receives vehicle
- Storage fee
- $25.00 flat, plus removal/storage costs
- Unclaimed disposition
- City may sell as junk after 90 days
- Unregistered vehicles
- May be deemed abandoned on others' land
Summary
Montgomery, Alabama bars keeping a dismantled, junked or inoperable vehicle in the open on any property. City Code Sec. 27-13 gives the owner five days to remove it after written notice, and lets the city tow, store and eventually sell an unclaimed vehicle after 90 days.
No person shall deposit, store, keep or permit to be deposited, stored or kept in the open, upon property, a dismantled, unserviceable, junked or abandoned vehicle, or one legally or physically incapable of being operated under its own power. The owner of any vehicle described in this section shall remove the vehicle within five days after being ordered so to do in writing by the owner, lessee or occupant of the premises... The owner of any vehicle so removed may regain possession of it from the city by making application therefor within 90 days after its receipt by the city, upon paying to the city all reasonable costs of removal and storage... plus an additional charge of $25.00 for storage charges of such vehicle while in the possession of the city. If no claim for the vehicle is made within 90 days after receipt of such application, the city may sell such vehicle for the best price obtainable, as junk or otherwise.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 27-13 defines the target broadly: a 'dismantled, junked or abandoned vehicle' includes bare parts such as bodies, engines, transmissions and rear ends, and a vehicle counts as legally or physically incapable of operating if it lacks a current license plate or the equipment required by law to run. No one may deposit, store or keep such a vehicle in the open on any property. Once the property owner, lessee or occupant, or the police department, issues written notice to remove it, the vehicle's owner has five days to comply; if the owner can't be found, notice may simply be attached to the vehicle itself, and the police department will help track down an owner on request.
An unregistered vehicle sitting on property the owner doesn't occupy can be deemed abandoned outright. If the five-day window lapses, the premises occupant or the police department can have the vehicle towed to a city-designated storage location. 00 storage charge. If no one claims it within that 90-day window, the city may sell the vehicle for the best price obtainable, as junk or otherwise, depositing any balance above expenses into the city's general fund. Neither the property owner nor the city is liable for damage occurring during removal, storage, or a later sale.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a junked or inoperable vehicle in the open past the five-day removal notice exposes the vehicle to city-ordered towing at the owner's expense. Reclaiming it requires paying all removal and storage costs plus the $25.00 storage charge; missing the 90-day reclaim window means the city can sell the vehicle outright as junk, with only the leftover proceeds after expenses returned to the general fund rather than the owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to remove a junked car in Montgomery, Alabama after getting notice?
What happens if I don't reclaim my towed abandoned vehicle?
What does it cost to get my vehicle back from the city?
Can an unregistered car on someone else's property be treated as abandoned?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery
Compare Montgomery to another location·View the Alabama parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.