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Fountain, CO Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)

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

Key Facts

Time limit
72 hours in one location on public property
Governing law
Fountain Municipal Code § 10.12.010
Owner notice window
Within 5 working days of tow
Hearing request deadline
10 days from notice
Unclaimed vehicle
Sold after 30 days

Summary

Fountain Municipal Code § 10.12.010 lets police and code enforcement tow any vehicle left unattended on public property or a public right-of-way for 72 hours, and a vehicle parked in the same spot continuously for 72 hours is deemed 'left unattended' even if someone is technically using it. The city council declares such a vehicle a public nuisance.

Members of the police department or such code enforcement officers as designated by the city manager are hereby authorized to remove or have removed at their direction any vehicle from any public property, including any portion of a public road right-of-way, under any of the circumstances hereinafter enumerated. The city council hereby finds and determines that any vehicle under any such circumstances constitutes a public nuisance and a threat to the health, safety and welfare of the public. ... 1.Any vehicle left unattended on public property, including any portion of a public road right-of-way, for a period of 72 hours. For the purposes of this provision, any vehicle parked in the same place on a public right-of-way continuously for a period of 72 hours shall be deemed to have been left unattended.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).

Full Breakdown

010, adopted by Ord. No. 842 in 1989, gives Fountain police officers and city-manager-designated code enforcement officers authority to remove any vehicle from public property, including any part of a public road right-of-way, once it has sat unattended for 72 hours. The ordinance treats continuous 72-hour occupancy of the same spot on a public right-of-way as 'left unattended' by definition, so a car does not need to be abandoned in the ordinary sense to trigger removal; the city council has already found in the ordinance itself that any vehicle meeting these circumstances is a public nuisance and a threat to health, safety and welfare.

Towed vehicles can be taken to a city-maintained lot, another location the police department designates, or a contracted storage lot. 030, the registered owner must be notified by certified mail or personal service within five working days of the tow, and the notice must state where the vehicle is stored, why it was towed, and that it will be sold if unclaimed within 30 calendar days. 040, where the police department bears the burden of proving probable cause for the impoundment by a preponderance of the evidence; a hearing must then be held within 72 hours of the request, excluding weekends and holidays.

Violations & Fines

Leaving a vehicle unattended on public property or right-of-way for 72 hours, or parking it in the same place continuously for that long, exposes the owner to towing and impoundment under § 10.12.020, and neither the officer nor the city is liable for damage from the removal. Storage and towing costs fall on the owner unless a hearing finds no probable cause for the impoundment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can a car sit on a Fountain street before it's towed?
Fountain Municipal Code § 10.12.010 authorizes removal of any vehicle left unattended on public property or right-of-way for 72 hours. A vehicle parked in the same spot continuously for 72 hours is treated as 'left unattended' regardless of whether anyone is using it.
How do I get my towed car back in Fountain?
Under § 10.12.030, the police department must notify the registered owner within five working days with the vehicle's storage location and reclaim instructions. You have ten days from that notice to request a municipal court hearing under § 10.12.040 challenging the tow, or the vehicle can be sold after 30 days if unclaimed.
Who has to prove the tow was legal?
At a requested hearing under § 10.12.040, the police department or code enforcement officer must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that probable cause existed for the impoundment. If the municipal court judge finds no probable cause, the city releases the vehicle and pays the towing and storage costs.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Fountain

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