Abandoned Vehicle Information
Vehicles left unattended that pose a public safety hazard are subject to being immediately impounded. Vehicle owners can be given a reasonable amount of time to move their vehicles, based on the discretion of the officer.
To reduce the possibility of getting impounded, JPD suggests that you contact Dispatch at (907) 586-0600 and let the dispatcher know what your plans are to move the vehicle. It is also a good idea to leave a note on the vehicle so responding officers will know when you plan on returning. Providing JPD with this information does not guarantee that your vehicle will not be impounded, but it will aid the officer in their decision as to whether your vehicle should be impounded immediately.
Vehicles left unattended on public property for over 48 hours are subject to being impounded as an “abandoned vehicle”.
JPD will not impound vehicles abandoned on private property. If a vehicle is abandoned on private property, a JPD Community Services Officer (CSO) can aid the property owner after the vehicle has been left for over 24 hours. The CSO will attempt to locate the vehicle owner and tell them to move the vehicle. If the vehicle’s registered owner is not located, or refuses to move the vehicle, the property owner will be referred to the Alaska Department of Motor Vehicles to start the 6 month forfeiture process. Even though the vehicle will not be impounded, the registered owner can still be issued a citation for abandoning a vehicle.