Council Bluffs, IA Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)

Council Bluffs Municipal Code § 9.32.290, in Chapter 9.32 (Stopping, Standing and Parking), makes it unlawful to park or store a motor vehicle or any other property on any public street or avenue in the city for a continuous period exceeding 24 hours, unless a separate city ordinance already regulates parking on that particular street or avenue. The rule applies citywide and is not limited to residential blocks; it covers any vehicle left standing in place, whether or not it is being actively driven. CBMC § 9.32.320 backs the limit with a removal remedy: any vehicle parked in violation of § 9.32.290 is towed and impounded by the city under the impound procedures set out in CBMC Chapter 9.08, which governs release of the vehicle to its owner and any storage charges.

CBMC § 9.32.330 supplies the criminal penalty, tying a violation of any provision in Chapter 9.32, including the 24-hour limit, to the fine schedule in CBMC § 8.02.020, and it specifically provides that each day a violation continues counts as a separate and distinct offense, so a vehicle left in place for a week can generate multiple counts. The city attorney also has discretion to pursue a violation as a municipal infraction under CBMC § 1.95 instead of criminal prosecution, which shifts the case to a civil citation and fine process rather than municipal court.