Lawrence, KS Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)

Section 17-407 sets a flat 48-hour limit on how long any motor vehicle can sit parked, stored or standing on a public street or parking lot, with no separate overnight curfew, so the clock runs continuously day and night. Section 17-202 lays out how the city acts on an overtime vehicle not otherwise covered by the immediate-impound grounds in section 17-201: a notice placed conspicuously on the vehicle must state the intent to impound, the basis for it, and the owner's right to request a hearing and to post bond, and the vehicle cannot be towed for 48 hours after that notice if the owner asks for a hearing within that window.

Section 17-201(a) still allows immediate towing without that notice period when a vehicle is an obstruction or fire hazard, appears stolen or abandoned, was driven by someone taken into custody, is disabled by a collision, or is otherwise a serious safety hazard. A contested tow goes to municipal court under section 17-207, with a hearing within three business days for a vehicle still impounded, and ten days for other disputes; the judge decides whether a sufficient factual basis justified the tow before the owner must pay towing and storage costs. Section 17-407 was last amended by Ordinance No. 10152 on August 12, 2025, and section 17-201 by Ordinance No. 10149 the same day.