Colorado law treats a vehicle left unattended on public property outside city limits for 48 hours or more as abandoned, allowing law enforcement to tag and tow it. In Fort Collins, the city applies its own abandoned vehicle definition and impound process.
In unincorporated Larimer County, Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-1802 defines an abandoned motor vehicle to include one left unattended on public property, including a highway right-of-way, outside city limits for 48 hours or longer. The Sheriff or Colorado State Patrol can tag, report, and tow such vehicles, with storage and towing costs charged to the owner. Within Fort Collins city limits, the local abandoned vehicle standard in the Traffic Code (Section 1801) governs, and Parking Services and Police handle enforcement. Inoperable or junk vehicles on private property are additionally addressed under county and city nuisance and property-maintenance codes.
Abandoned vehicles are tagged, then towed and impounded; the registered owner is liable for towing and storage fees and may face a nuisance citation.
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See how Larimer County's abandoned vehicles rules stack up against other locations.
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