Orem, UT Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Removal authority
- Peace officer may remove/impound at owner's expense (UCA 41-6a-1406)
- Abandonment trigger
- Over 48 hours on a highway (UCA 41-6a-1408)
- City impound
- Nuisance-vehicle impound and redemption (Orem 19-4-1 to 19-4-3)
- Code Section
- UCA 41-6a-1406, 41-6a-1408; Orem City Code Article 19-4
Summary
Utah Code 41-6a-1406 authorizes a peace officer to remove and impound vehicles at the owner's expense, including abandoned vehicles under 41-6a-1408, and Orem City Code Chapter 19, Article 4 declares vehicles constituting nuisances subject to City impound.
A peace officer may order the removal or impoundment of a vehicle, vessel, or outboard motor as provided under Section 41-1a-1101, 41-6a-210, 41-6a-527, 41-6a-1405, or 41-6a-1408, and such removal or impoundment shall be at the expense of the owner. In addition to the authority to remove a vehicle, vessel, or outboard motor under this section, a peace officer may remove or cause to be removed a vehicle found on a highway to the nearest garage or other place of safety when: the vehicle has been reported stolen or taken without the consent of its owner; the person responsible for the vehicle is unable to provide for its custody or removal; or the person operating the vehicle is arrested for an alleged offense for which the peace officer is required by law to take the person arrested before a proper magistrate without unnecessary delay.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Removal of abandoned and nuisance vehicles in Orem is driven by Utah state law and the City's impound article. Utah Code 41-6a-1406 lets a peace officer order the removal or impoundment of a vehicle as provided under several statutes (including 41-6a-1408 for abandoned vehicles), with removal at the owner's expense by a qualified tow-truck motor carrier; the officer may also remove a vehicle reported stolen, where the responsible person cannot arrange custody, or where the operator is arrested. Utah Code 41-6a-1408 sets the 48-hour highway abandonment threshold and authorizes removal of abandoned vehicles. At the City level, Orem City Code Chapter 19, Article 4 (Impounding) addresses vehicles constituting nuisances (19-4-1), the notice procedure (19-4-2), and prerequisites to redemption (19-4-3). Together these provisions let the City and law enforcement tag, tow, and impound long-parked or abandoned vehicles and recover the cost from the owner.
Violations & Fines
An abandoned or nuisance vehicle may be towed and impounded at the owner's expense under Utah Code 41-6a-1406 and Orem City Code Article 19-4; the owner must satisfy redemption prerequisites (including fees) before the vehicle is released.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays to tow an abandoned vehicle in Orem?
Can the City impound a car parked too long on an Orem street?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orem
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Utah County handle abandoned vehicles.