Bowie, MD Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)

Rather than a nightly curfew, Bowie regulates long-term street parking through a 72-hour continuous-parking rule at § 14-13A: once a vehicle has sat in the same spot on a City street or public space for 72 hours, the owner must move it at least a full vehicle length, and if it's a motor vehicle that move must be under its own power rather than pushed or towed into a new spot. Subsection B is stricter for an 'abandoned vehicle' as defined at § 14-1, essentially inoperative or unregistered, or on private property more than 48 hours without the owner's consent, which cannot be left on a City street for any period at all.

Enforcement follows § 14-13C: the City Manager or designee may impound a vehicle found in violation after giving notice to the driver or owner stating the Code section violated and the penalty, with the notice attached to the vehicle and directing removal within 48 hours. The fine schedule at § 14-25B(3) sets $50 for a first violation of § 14-13, Subsection A, and § 14-25B(4) sets a steeper $100 for a violation of Subsection B, the abandoned-vehicle ban, reflecting the harder line on vehicles left indefinitely rather than merely parked long.

Impoundment under § 14-14 follows the state Transportation Article's notice and public-auction procedure, and unclaimed vehicles can be sold at auction three weeks after the notice of impoundment issues.