Sioux City, IA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Sioux City's abandoned-vehicle framework combines Iowa state statute and local ordinance. On the public street, Section 10.30.130 of the Sioux City Municipal Code (Title 10, Traffic) prohibits any vehicle from remaining in the same location on a street, alley or public ground for more than 24 hours, requires movement of at least 30 feet within each 24-hour period, and deems any vehicle in violation for 48 or more hours abandoned and subject to towing without further notice. Iowa Code Section 321.89 (Abandoned Vehicles) defines an abandoned vehicle to include a vehicle left unattended on public property for more than 24 hours that lacks current registration plates or two or more wheels or other structural parts that render it inoperable, and authorizes police authorities and private property owners to have abandoned vehicles removed. Iowa Code Section 321.90 (Disposal of Abandoned Motor Vehicles) governs the disposal process: a police authority issues a certificate of authority to the applicant, who must apply to the county treasurer for a junking certificate within a defined window (commonly cited as 25 days after the certificate is issued); vehicles in commercial garages have a 10-day reclaim period after certified-mail notice to the owner. On private property, abandoned and inoperable vehicles are regulated under the Sioux City Municipal Code's housing and nuisance provisions in Title 20 (Chapter 20.05 Housing Maintenance Code and Chapter 20.06 Dangerous and Dilapidated Structures) and the relevant Title 25 zoning rules; Inspection Services and Neighborhood Services administer this side of the program.