Albany County, NY Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- L.L. No. 2-1970, Code Ch. 288 Art. I
- No-plates threshold
- 6 hours (highway/public place)
- Illegally parked threshold
- 24 hours
- Legally parked-turned-illegal threshold
- 48 hours
- Private property w/o permission
- 7 days
- Redemption window
- 3 days after removal
- Designated storage authority
- County Health Department
Summary
Albany County Code Chapter 288, Article I, adopted in 1970, defines when an unattended vehicle counts as abandoned on county highways or private property and lets the county post notice, remove the vehicle after five days, hold it three more days for redemption, and then sell it as scrap if unclaimed.
A motor vehicle shall be deemed to be an abandoned vehicle if left unattended: ... For more than 24 hours on any highway or other public place except a portion of a highway or public place on which parking is legally permitted; ... For more than seven days on property of another if left initially without permission of the owner ... No person shall cause any vehicle to be an abandoned vehicle. ... Upon the expiration of a five-day period after posting of such notice, the County of Albany may cause such abandoned vehicle to be removed to a storage place designated by the Health Department of the County of Albany and there held for three days.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4022468; v11 updated 2024-07-21).
Full Breakdown
Section 288-2 sets time thresholds for 'abandoned vehicle': no plates for more than six hours on a highway or public place; more than 24 hours in a public place where parking isn't legally permitted; more than 48 hours where parking became illegal on an otherwise legal spot; more than seven days on another's property left without the owner's permission; or more than seven days on private property with no plates and not fit for legal highway use, absent a county Clerk of Legislature license or city/town/village permit.
Section 288-3 flatly prohibits causing any vehicle to become abandoned under those definitions. Once a threshold is met, a county officer or authorized agent may post notice conspicuously on the vehicle (§288-4). Five days after that notice, the county may have the vehicle removed to a storage site designated by the County Health Department, where it is held for three more days (§288-5). Within that three-day window the owner or agent can reclaim it by paying the towing, removal and storage charges, and must then move it at their own expense to a Commissioner of Health-approved storage location (§288-6).
If nobody claims the vehicle, ownership is deemed forfeited and the county may sell it for scrap, with the proceeds going to the county general fund and no towing, removal, storage or disposal charge assessed against the former owner in that scenario (§288-7). Article I took effect June 15, 1970 (§288-8) and runs on the Legislature's own finding, stated in §288-1, that abandoned, junked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles on private property are a health, welfare and safety hazard and a visual blight county-wide.
Violations & Fines
There is no separate fine schedule in Article I; the mechanism itself is the consequence. An abandoned vehicle is noticed, then removed at county direction after five days, held three more days, and released only on payment of towing, removal and storage charges. Unclaimed vehicles are forfeited to the county and sold as scrap, with sale proceeds credited to the general fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a car count as 'abandoned' in Albany County?
How long before the county tows an abandoned vehicle?
Can I get my car back after it's towed as abandoned?
What happens if nobody claims the abandoned vehicle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albany County
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