1. (a) Under an ordinance of a municipality regulating the parking of vehicles in the municipality, to aid in the enforcement of the ordinance, an employee designated by the municipality may be authorized to:

   1. (1) immobilize a vehicle parked in the municipality;
   2. (2) remove an immobilized vehicle from a public roadway in the municipality; and

   3. (3) request the removal and storage of a vehicle that is located in an area where on-street parking is regulated by the ordinance and that:

      1. (A) is parked illegally; or

      2. (B) is parked legally and:

         1. (i) has been unattended for more than 48 hours; and
         2. (ii) the employee has reasonable grounds to believe is abandoned.

2. (b) A parking facility owner or towing company may not remove a vehicle from a public roadway except under:

   1. (1) this chapter or a municipal ordinance that complies with Section 2308.208; or
   2. (2) the direction of a peace officer, a municipal employee under Subsection (a)(3), or the owner or operator of the vehicle.
3. (c) Subsection (a) does not apply to a vehicle owned by an electric, gas, water, or telecommunications utility while the vehicle is parked for the purpose of conducting work on a facility of the utility that is located below, above, or adjacent to the street.

Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 301, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

Renumbered from Transportation Code, Section 684.054 and amended by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1046 (H.B. 2094), Sec. 2.05, eff. September 1, 2007.

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1298 (H.B. 2346), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2009.

Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 231 (H.B. 914), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2021.