General authority of police.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 45-202
in effectSec. 45-202. - General authority of police.
(a) Any police officer is hereby authorized to provide for the removal of a vehicle from a street or a public place to the nearest garage or other place of safety, or to a garage designated or maintained by the city, under the circumstances hereafter enumerated:
(1) When any vehicle is left unattended upon any bridge, viaduct, or causeway, or in any tube or tunnel where such vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic.
(2) When any vehicle is illegally parked so as to block the entrance to any private driveway and it is impracticable to move such vehicle from in front of the driveway to another point on the street or highway.
(3) When any vehicle is found upon a street and report has previously been made that such vehicle has been stolen or complaint has been filed and a warrant thereon issued charging that such vehicle has been embezzled.
(4) When any such officer has reasonable grounds to believe that such vehicle has been abandoned.
(5) When a vehicle upon a street is so disabled that its normal operation is impossible or impractical and the person in charge of the vehicle is incapacitated by reason of physical injury or other reason to such an extent as to be unable to provide for its removal or custody, or is not in the immediate vicinity of the disabled vehicle.
(6) When an officer arrests any person driving or in control of a vehicle for an alleged offense and such officer is by this Code or other law required to take the person arrested immediately before a magistrate.
(7) When any vehicle is illegally parked in violation of any ordinance of the city and of the laws of the state not provided for in this section.
(8) When any vehicle has remained illegally overparked at any parking meter for a period of time in excess of five times the minimum time limit which may be purchased from the parking meter where such motor vehicle is illegally overparked.
(b) When any motor vehicle has been parked or left standing on the "prisoners' parking lot" located on the grounds of the Police Administration Building, 61 Riesner Street, a public place, for a period of five days, it shall be the duty of the police officer in charge of said "prisoners' parking lot" to give written notice to the owner or claimant, at his last known address, that if said motor vehicle is not removed, or caused to be removed from such parking lot within five days from the date of notice, the vehicle will be removed under the conditions and in the manner provided by this section.
(c) Any police officer is hereby authorized to provide for the removal of any vehicle parked or standing in or on any portion of a street or highway when, in his opinion, the vehicle constitutes a hazard, or interferes with a normal function of a governmental agency, or by reason of any catastrophe, emergency or unusual circumstance, the safety of the vehicle is imperiled.
(d) To provide for the public safety and protection of motorists, a law enforcement officer is hereby specifically authorized to provide for the immediate removal of any vehicle:
(1) Parked or standing in or on any portion of any freeway within the city limits; or
(2) Parked or standing in or on any portion of a "restricted access lane," as that term is defined and used in section 45-336 of this Code, during the hours that access to such lane is so restricted.
As used in this subsection, "freeway" means the entire public right-of-way of a limited-access or controlled-access highway, including controlled access roadway lanes, ramps, shoulders and unimproved areas, but excluding frontage or service roads.
(e) A vehicle removed pursuant to subsection (d) may be taken:
(1) As directed by the owner if the owner is present;
(2) To a nearby site designated by the police chief for such purpose; or
(3) To a vehicle storage facility.
(Code 1968, § 46-183; Ord. No. 68-340, § 1, 3-5-68; Ord. No. 79-1214, § 2, 7-25-79; Ord. No. 93-514, § 106, 5-5-93; Ord. No. 04-497, § 4, 5-26-04)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH45TR_ARTVIIIREIMVE_S45-202GEAUPOFetched: 10/26/2026