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Town of Uniontown
Parking Ordinance 17.08.2026
Summary - Expired Registration and Towing Ordinance
The ordinance establishes a procedure for the Town of Uniontown to identify, notify, remove, and impound vehicles and other registered property with expired registration when they are parked or stored on Town streets, rights-of-way, or other public property. It is intended to work alongside Washington State law, particularly Chapter 46.55 RCW, and does not give Town employees authority beyond what state law permits.
Key provisions include:
Vehicles covered: Motor vehicles, RVs, campers, trailers, and certain vessels with registration expired for more than 90 days.
Town employee authority: The Mayor may designate employees to inspect vehicles, document violations, photograph vehicles, check registration information, issue notices, maintain records, and coordinate lawful impounds.
48-hour warning: A Notice of Intent to Tow may be placed on a vehicle. The owner then has 48 hours to correct the violation by obtaining current registration or removing the vehicle from Town property.
Moving the vehicle does not avoid the warning: Moving a vehicle from one Town street or public location to another does not constitute compliance. The original 48-hour notice remains effective.
Towing: If the violation is not corrected after 48 hours, the Town may initiate removal when authorized by state law. Where required, law enforcement must direct the impound. All towing must be performed by a registered tow truck operator.
Impound procedures: The Town and tow company must follow state requirements regarding owner notification, hearings, redemption, storage, sale, auction, and disposal.
Redemption: Owners may recover an impounded vehicle if legally entitled to do so, provide required documentation, and pay lawful towing, storage, and applicable Town charges.
Fees: The ordinance allows the Town, by resolution, to establish an administrative fee of up to 50% of the applicable towing charge, plus a $5-per-day administrative storage fee, where permitted by law. The Mayor may waive these administrative fees.
Hearing rights: Vehicle owners retain all hearing and appeal rights provided under Washington law.
Abandoned vehicles: Vehicles are considered abandoned only when they meet the definition under Washington law, and any sale or disposal must follow state procedures.
Recordkeeping: The Town must document notices and enforcement actions, including photographs, vehicle information, registration expiration, notice dates, towing information, impound location, and final disposition.
State law takes priority: If any portion of the ordinance conflicts with mandatory Washington law, state law controls.
Effective date: The ordinance would become effective five days after publication of the ordinance or a summary, unless Washington law requires a different date.
In plain terms
The ordinance gives Uniontown a formal warning-and-towing process for vehicles sitting on Town property with registration expired more than 90 days:
90+ days expired - Town documents vehicle - 48-hour Notice of Intent to Tow - owner must register or remove vehicle - if not corrected, Town may arrange lawful impound - tow company follows state impound procedures.
The most important protection for the Town is that the ordinance repeatedly makes enforcement subject to Washington State law, rather than attempting to create independent towing authority.
Please contact town hall at kim_brickey@uniontownwa.org for a full copy of the ordinance.