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CHAPTER 672 – Theft and Fraud

672.24 REMOVAL AND ABANDONMENT OF SHOPPING CARTS.

(a) No person shall remove any shopping cart from the premises of any shop, store, grocery or supermarket in the City regardless of any intention to convert such cart to his or her own use. For the purpose of this section, shopping cart means any rolling or nonrolling basket or container such as is used in shops, stores, groceries and supermarkets.

(b) No person shall abandon any shopping cart from a shop, store, grocery or supermarket on any street, alley, sidewalk or other public place within the City. Carts found on adjacent public parking lots shall be considered on the premises and not abandoned.

(c) Any shopping cart found abandoned on any street, alley, sidewalk or other public place within the City may be impounded by the police, who shall then notify the owner thereof. Such carts may be reclaimed by the owner upon payment of $5.00. Thirty days after notice to the owner, any unclaimed cart may be disposed of by the City. Carts that are unidentifiable as to ownership may be disposed of by the City 30 days after being impounded.
(Ord. 62-46. Passed 12-3-1962.)

(d) Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor for a first offense; a misdemeanor of the fourth degree for a second offense; and a misdemeanor of the third degree for a third or subsequent offense.
(1982 Code, § 545.19) (Ord. 77-27. Passed 5-2-1977.)

About Shopping Cart Ordinances

Retailers can struggle to stop cart abandonment, often paying up to $15,000 a year on replacement carts and municipal fines and fees due imposed by communities. These cart regulations and laws are put in place to not only control the environmental impact of abandoned carts, but also to keep towns and cities clean.

Most shopping cart ordinances fall into three categories: The first category is regulations requiring retailers to have a plan to contain and collect errant shopping carts. Secondly, those that define the fines and penalties a city may impose on retailers for abandoned or errant shopping carts. Finally, the third category of rules generally requires retailers to have a system to contain shopping carts, preventing abandonment.