If you are vacationing or simply looking for an overnight stay but have no place to go, you are probably wondering where you can park your vehicle overnight. You probably heard that some grocery stores allow you to park in their large lots for the night. Is it true? It is! Some grocery stores do allow parking, but how long can you park in a grocery store parking lot?
With permission from the store manager, you can park at a grocery store for as long as they allow you, whether it is 12 hours or multiple nights. However, this depends on the grocery store, the parking lot rules/laws, and whether overnight parking is even allowed at the location.
I will do my best to answer all your grocery store parking questions throughout this article. Let’s dig in!
Are You Allowed To Park At A Grocery Store You Aren’t Shopping At?
In essence, the parking lot serves the consumers of the business. In other words, if you aren’t going into the store, it is improper to park there. If you do plan to park at a grocery store that allows parking, you should consider being a customer to that business, it’s the least you can do.
You may be allowed to park at the grocery store even if you are not a customer, you should just ask a manager if you are allowed to park for a specific period of time. If permission is granted, being a customer doesn’t really matter then, but it is common courtesy that if you plan to buy something you should do it from their store.
Can You Park Overnight At A Grocery Store?
Yes, you can park overnight at a grocery store if you get permission from the store manager. Parking without asking should only be done if the specific store publicly states they allow overnight parking at the location you are at.
What Will Happen If I Park At A Grocery Store For Too Long?
Any store may tow a car that has overstayed its welcome. The store’s policies, the hours you were permitted to park, and, if necessary, documentation of the authorization you received from the management or owner should be noted.
Local laws may also cause a tow, so be aware of how long you are allowed to park in a parking lot with and without permission.
Often you will receive a parking ticket before you are towed, however, location matters and laws differ in states and provinces worldwide.
How Long Does a Car Have to Be Parked at a Grocery Store Parking Lot Before It Can Be Towed?
In cases where your car has been parked for too long, many instances apply. You may have gotten the permission you need to park there, but if you exceed the number of hours you’re allowed to park, it could get towed. Also, if you’re parked illegally, after the hours of the required parking time of that store has passed, your car could also get towed.
I once parked at a grocery store parking lot to go to a real estate conference at a nearby hotel. I returned to my truck 4 hours later, and my tire had been marked to show I had not moved the vehicle. The grocery store ticketed my car, and it stated if I had not moved the vehicle within that day, my vehicle could potentially get towed.
What to Do if Your Car Has Been Towed from a Grocery Store?
Finding out why your car was towed is the first step.
Ask the manager or owner of the business why your car was towed; this is especially important if you were not aware of the parking lot regulations at the time.
The more information you find out about the parking rules and regulations can help you determine if you have been falsely towed or you have broken the rules for such parking lot.
Take a picture of where you were parked and any parking signs nearby. This can show what information was available to you and why you were not aware of any rules.
Keep in mind that you may be at fault; remain calm. The more upset you get and frustrated you become can make things worse for you. Remember, your car has been towed, and you are not going to prison or anything, so keep it that way.
Finding out where your car is located is the second step.
Your car has either been towed by the city authorities or by a privately owned company working for the nearby businesses. You can figure this out by asking the manager of the store or by checking to see if the signs in the parking lot show a towing company phone number, if so give it a call and provide the information required.
If it’s a municipal space and you have been towed, please call the local police departments non-emergency line. They will be able to figure out why and where your vehicle has been towed. Calling the police will also help you determine if your car has been towed or even possibly stolen, you never know, right?
Lastly, you need to get your car.
After finding out where your car is, you will have to get transportation to the impound lot where the vehicle is located. You then have to pay the impound fee, tow fee, and other fees associated with the towing company. Get there fast as impound fees can go up quickly!
Sometimes the parking ticket itself doesn’t have to be paid right away, and you are given a time frame when it should be paid. You may also be able to fight the ticket in court, so check the ticket for such information if you want to appeal the ticket.
Now you have your vehicle and you can go on your way. I know it isn’t fun to get towed but remaining calm and not getting upset is your safest option. Yelling at people will only make things worse.
How Can You Find Out How Long You Are Allowed To Park At A Grocery Store?
Speak to the store’s manager or the owner of the parking lot. It is best to take play it safe. Make sure you are not just noting the regulations on your own; question someone in control.
Some grocery stores also have websites that give details of their operations. You can check their parking section for all you need to know. Call corporate offices too, they should have the proper information or they will get it for you.
How Long Can You Park At Walmart?
Some Walmarts will let you leave your car parked on their lot overnight, depending on the location. Make sure to acquire management approval if you need to park for an extended period.
The Walmart locations that offer overnight parking often prefer you arrive later in the day and depart early in the morning. So, only as long as it is necessary for you to have a good night’s sleep.
So, is a Walmart parking lot a safe place to park? Yes, however, staying in a Walmart parking lot for more than 24 hours or numerous days in a row is typically not permitted.
However, there are situations when you must depart because your car broke down. In this situation, speak with the store’s management and let them know when you plan to remove your car. Get the manager’s name and leave a note in your car window with your phone number.
What Are Walmart’s Overnight Parking Rules?
You are welcome to park in their lots overnight at most Walmart locations throughout the world. They appear to adore the notion of allowing RVs and trucks to stay in their parking space. The parking lot’s back area is where travelers leave their vehicles, after which they enter the shop to purchase supplies. Win-win situation.
As stated on the Corporate Walmart website in their FAQs section, if you want to park your RV at a Walmart location you are asked to “contact management in each store to ensure accommodations before parking your RV”.
What Grocery Stores Allow Overnight Parking?
Here are some grocery stores that are known for allowing overnight parking with permission:
- Walmart
- Sam’s Club
- Costco
- Target
- Kroger
- Publix
- Safeway
- Sobeys
Keep in mind that each store is different. Location is important too; busy places with small parking lots are very unlikely to offer free overnight parking. You can kindly ask, and many will kindly decline, but they will often offer you a paid parking location.
Are Grocery Store Parking Lots Privately Owned?
Unless you properly park on the street or in a lot marked as a public lot, almost every grocery store parking lot in America is private property. Private property owners have complete discretion over how long you and/or your car may be on the property and under what circumstances.
This is typically posted as you approach the parking lot and in other places. Since each lot can be different, I won’t try to cover every possible scenario. Observe the rules and read the signage. Never assume or try to be ignorant because the towing and storage fees won’t change depending on whether you know the restrictions.
If there isn’t a sign, ask a staff member or manager of the store who should know or be able to provide you with the property/parking lot owners’ information so you may ask them.
What Alternative Overnight Parking Options Do You Have?
There are a number of alternative parking options besides grocery stores and I am going to provide you a simple list of options:
- Cabela’s
- Cracker Barrel
- Planet Fitness
- Lowes
- Home Depot
- Casinos
- Camping World
- Canadian Tire
- City Street Parking
- Shopping Malls
- Fast Food Stores
- BLM Land
- Tourist Information Centers
- Trucker/Highway Rest Stops
- Churches
No matter where you want to stay and park the night, always do your best to get permission to stay. If not you risk a ticket or a tow, and you want to avoid that.
Public lands include National Forest Roads, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recreation areas, and other wilderness regions typically found outside towns and cities.
If you live in your car, you’ll develop inventiveness when looking for overnight parking spaces. You should also switch up your overnight parking spots if you reside in a car in the same city. This will assist in avoiding unwelcome attention.
You may locate free overnight parking for your car, van, or RV using applications and websites you find online. More research, more possibilities.
Which Walmarts Allow Overnight Parking?
Some Walmarts allow overnight parking, and others don’t. Walmart’s that have a space of their own and do not share their land with other stores have a better probability of allowing overnight parking. Especially those that are located close to major highways.
Walmart’s that are located in large shopping centers have a lower probability of allowing overnight parking because there’s usually a larger crowd.
Final Thoughts
Just keep the information in this article in mind when you decide to park for long hours at a grocery store parking lots. Just a few things to tick off the list when parking overnight somewhere, ask for permission always, do not overstay your allowed time, shop from the business allowing you to park in their parking spaces, and avoid conflicts about parking with employees or other people parking nearby.
