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Bucks County, PA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Removal deadline
48 hours from discovery
After deadline
Deemed abandoned, subject to towing
Exception
Director's written extended-stay permission
Owner liability
Registered owner responsible, not just driver
Enforced by
Bucks County Park Police

Summary

A vehicle left in the Bucks County Park System for more than 48 hours after Park Police or a Department employee discovers it is deemed abandoned under § 6(F) and is subject to towing, unless the Director has granted written permission for an extended stay.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Bucks County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

All vehicles must be removed from the Park System within forty-eight (48) hours of discovery by a Park Police or other Park employee. Any vehicle remaining in the Park System after 48 hours has elapsed will be considered abandoned and will be subject to towing unless written permission for an extended stay is granted by the Director or their designee.

Full Breakdown

Section 6(F) sets a firm 48-hour clock: once a Park Police officer or other Park employee discovers a vehicle sitting in the Park System, the owner has forty-eight hours to remove it. Anything still there after that window is considered abandoned and becomes subject to towing, with one exception: the Director or their designee can grant written permission for an extended stay, which stops the clock. The rule works together with § 6(A)(1)'s overnight parking ban, since a car left past sunset without a permit is already in violation before the 48-hour abandonment clock even starts running, and with § 6(E), which makes the person in whose name the vehicle is registered responsible for any parking violation when no driver is present, regardless of who actually left the car there.

§§ 6102(b) and 6109, Park Police can act on an abandoned vehicle without waiting on a municipal police department, and the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code applies to Park System roadways alongside these county-specific rules under § 6(B). An owner who wants to avoid towing during a legitimate overnight stay, such as camping, an early tournament, or an approved special event, needs to secure that written extended-stay permission from the Director in advance rather than relying on the 48-hour window as a grace period.

Violations & Fines

Leaving a vehicle in a Bucks County park past 48 hours from discovery, without the Director's written permission for an extended stay, makes it subject to towing under § 6(F). The registered owner remains responsible for the underlying parking violation under § 6(E) and faces the general § 12 penalty: a summary fine up to $600 plus restitution and up to ten days' imprisonment, or a $25 to $100 County Ordinance ticket.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can a car sit in a Bucks County park before it's towed?
Forty-eight hours from the moment Park Police or another Park employee discovers it, under § 6(F). After that window closes, the vehicle is considered abandoned and can be towed, unless the Director or a designee has granted written permission in advance for an extended stay.
Who is liable if my car gets towed from a county park?
The person the vehicle is registered to, per § 6(E), even if someone else was driving or no one was present when it was left. That liability applies whether the violation is the overnight parking ban in § 6(A)(1) or the 48-hour abandonment rule in § 6(F).
Can I get permission to leave my car longer than 48 hours?
Yes, but only the Director or their designee can grant it, and it must be in writing under § 6(F). Without that written extended-stay permission, a vehicle left past the 48-hour discovery window is treated as abandoned and can be towed at any time.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Bucks County

All Bucks County rules

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