§ 1204 — Officers authorized to remove illegally stopped vehicles

§ 1204. Officers authorized to remove illegally stopped vehicles. (a)\nWhenever any police officer, or in a city having a population in excess\nof one million any person designated by the commissioner of traffic of\nsuch city or on highways under the jurisdiction of the New York state\nthruway authority, the office of parks and recreation, a county park\ncommission, a parkway authority, a bridge authority or a bridge and\ntunnel authority any person designated by such office, commission or\nauthority, finds a vehicle standing upon a highway in violation of any\nof the foregoing provisions of this article such officer is hereby\nauthorized to move such vehicle, or require the driver or other person\nin charge of the vehicle to move the same to a position off the paved or\nmain-traveled part of such highway.\n (b) 1. Whenever any police officer, or in a city having a population\nin excess of one million any person designated by the commissioner of\ntraffic of such city or on highways under the jurisdiction of the New\nYork state thruway authority, the office of parks and recreation, a\ncounty park commission, a parkway authority, a bridge authority or a\nbridge and tunnel authority any person designated by such office,\ncommission or authority finds a vehicle unattended where it constitutes\nan obstruction to traffic, or any place where stopping, standing or\nparking is prohibited, such officer is hereby authorized to provide for\nthe removal of such vehicle, semitrailer or trailer to a garage,\nautomobile pound or other place of safety.\n 2. In any city with a population of one million or more, whenever any\npolice officer, or any person designated by the commissioner of traffic,\nfinds a semitrailer or trailer without a tractor or towing vehicle\nattached, parked or unattended on any city street, such officer or\nperson designated by the commissioner of traffic is hereby authorized to\nprovide for the removal of such semitrailer or trailer to a garage,\nautomobile pound or other place of safety.\n (c) The owner or other person lawfully entitled to the possession of\nsuch vehicle may be charged with a reasonable cost for removal and\nstorage, payable before the vehicle is released.\n (d) No police officer or other public, state or municipal employee\nshall release a motor vehicle impounded because of any traffic or\nparking violation to any person who does not have a currently valid\ndriver's license and an insurance identification card or other\nacceptable evidence indicating current insurance coverage on such\nvehicle. The provisions of this subdivision with respect to insurance\ncoverage shall not apply to a motor vehicle which will not be moved\nunder its own power but will be transported by a tow truck or upon\nanother vehicle, provided that the registration for such impounded\nvehicle has been surrendered to the commissioner and proof of such\nsurrender is presented to the police officer or other public, state or\nmunicipal employee.\n