Booting of improperly parked cars is allowed by ordinance in Marietta but outlawed in Cobb County. Atlanta allows it by ordinances, while Alpharetta allows it by neglect.

As a result, Georgia is a patchwork of laws and lawlessness when it comes to the booting of cars on private property, which can leave drivers feeling confused.

State law allows private property owners to tow improperly park cars and towing is a highly regulated activity as a result. Booting isn't mentioned, so companies and their clients are often free to make up the rules as they go.

That has some thinking the State Legislature should study the issue and either decide if the practice is illegal or establish some rules to govern it.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Cox Enterprises CEO Alex Taylor and AJC Publisher Andrew Morse were joined by AJC editors and Atlanta business react during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in Midtown on Friday, January 24, 2025.
(Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo