Sedgwick County, KS Parking Rules: Snow Removal Parking Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county snow emergency routes
- Route designation
- By county commission resolution
- Sign wording
- "Snow Emergency Route"
- Impound fee
- $25.00 plus towing/storage
- Default fine class
- Class F: $50/$100/$150
- Ending the prohibition
- Chair's public announcement, road-by-road
Summary
Sedgwick County designates specific unincorporated roads as snow emergency routes by resolution and posts them with 'Snow Emergency Route' signs. Once the county chair proclaims a snow emergency, parking on those marked roads is prohibited until the proclamation is lifted, and stalled or abandoned vehicles can be impounded.
No person shall park or allow to remain parked any vehicle on any portion of a snow emergency route while a snow emergency proclamation is in effect, except that any roadway which has become substantially clear of snow and ice for a reasonable distance shall be automatically excused therefrom. Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit parking at any time or place where it is forbidden by any other provisions of law.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 22 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Article II of Chapter 26 covers snow emergency routes in unincorporated Sedgwick County (city streets, including Wichita's, are handled separately). Routes are established by county commission resolution (Sec. 26-27) and marked with 'Snow Emergency Route' signs posted by the Department of Public Works (Sec. 26-28). Sec. 26-35 lists dozens of specific named roads by mile-marker cross streets, among them Broadway from the Wichita city limits to 125th Street North, Greenwich Road (111th Street East) through several segments, Rock Road (79th Street East) from Wichita's south limits to Mulvane, and 21st Street North between Ridge Road and Zoo Boulevard.
Once the chair of the board of county commissioners issues a snow emergency proclamation, Sec. 26-31 bars parking on any part of a marked route, though a stretch that has become substantially clear of snow and ice is automatically excused. The chair can terminate the prohibition in whole or in part by public announcement once conditions clear (Sec. 26-30). Drivers on a proclaimed route must not let a vehicle become stalled for want of tire chains, snow tires, fuel, or a working battery (Sec. 26-32); a vehicle that does stall must be pushed or towed off the route onto the nearest cross street that is not itself a snow route, and cannot be abandoned there except briefly to seek help (Sec.
26-33). The sheriff's office may remove and impound a vehicle that is parked in violation of the prohibition, stalled and not being cleared, or otherwise interfering with plowing (Sec. 26-34).
Violations & Fines
Impounded vehicles are released to the identified owner on payment of a $25.00 impounding fee plus any storage or towing charges actually incurred (Sec. 26-34(b)). Chapter 26, Article II carries no separate penalty clause, so a parking or stalling violation defaults to the county's general schedule of fines under Sec. 8-5: a Class F offense punishable by $50 for a first conviction, $100 for a second, and $150 for a third within a 12-month period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park on a Sedgwick County road during a snow emergency?
What happens if my car gets stuck on a snow emergency route in Sedgwick County?
How much does it cost to get a vehicle back after it's towed from a snow emergency route?
Which Sedgwick County roads are snow emergency routes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sedgwick County
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