NOTICE BEFORE IMPOUNDMENT OF AN ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLE.
Austin City Code § 9-1-8
in effect§ 9-1-8 - NOTICE BEFORE IMPOUNDMENT OF AN ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLE.
(A) Not later than 48 hours before impounding an abandoned motor vehicle under this chapter, an employee designated by the chief of police or the city manager shall securely affix a visible, dated, brightly colored notice to the vehicle. The police chief or the city manager designee, as applicable, shall maintain a record of the date and time each notice is affixed.
(B) Proof that the motor vehicle was not removed from the public or private property after the notice was attached to the vehicle is prima facie proof in any court that:
(1) the vehicle was left unattended and abandoned for the period of time between the affixing of the notice and the impounding of the motor vehicle; and
(2) the owner of the vehicle allowed the motor vehicle to remain at the place where the motor vehicle was impounded for the period of time between the affixing of the notice and the impounding of the motor vehicle.
(C) In areas where the City regulates on-street parking, and after providing notice under Subsection (A), an employee designated by the chief of police or the city manager is authorized to request from the police department the removal and impoundment of a vehicle that is parked legally and:
(1) has been unattended for more than 48 hours; and
(2) the employee has reasonable grounds to believe the vehicle is an abandoned motor vehicle.
Source: 1992 Code Section 10-3-8; Ord. 031023-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20250925-045, Pt. 2, 10-6-25.
Source: City of Austin, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT9PRAC_CH9-1ABPRVE_S9-1-8NOBEIMABMOVEFetched: 10/27/2026