If an automobile has an expired license plate is it illegal to leave it sitting, parked, while waiting until I have the money to renew the plate? It's only ten days expired and is being towed because, as the towing company claims, it's now parked illegally. I simply don't understand how this could be the case. All of my research indicates that the only thing an expired plate prevents me from doing is driving the vehicle, and I've been under the impression (myself and quite a few others) that I have a period of thirty days after expiration to renew my plate, a period that is in place specifically because of situations like this where I simply won't have the money to renew until the 30th of this month. I would like to point out that due to my financial situation I've been walking or getting rides from friends anyways for the past couple of months because I really couldn't spend money on gas and other vehicular needs.

Call the police station and ask about the expired plate thing. The vehicle was probably reported for being parked too long and/or looking run down, etc. Apartment complexes will do this sometimes if they see an abandoned looking vehicle taking up a good parking spot and making the place look bad. Tenants may have complained.

The towing company is most likely operating under your city or county's ordinance on "junked or abandoned vehicles". If the vehicle is improperly tagged and is in the public right of way it's usually marked by law enforcement (often a bright colored sticker on the rear window) and you have x amount of time to move it (often 48 hours but could vary by where you live) or the tow company contracted by the city/county can tow it. Private property owners like apartment complexes can also have the vehicle removed as derelict if the tags are expired, and though most wouldn't rush to do this, they certainly are allowed to. These are all operating under the idea that without proper tags, you won't be driving it and so it could be considered junked or abandoned. Unless you own the property where the vehicle will be stored, you remain at the mercy of public right of way or other property owners.

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