Avondale, AZ Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Visible abandoned vehicle
- banned unless carport with proper cover
- On public street/lot/city property
- banned outright (Sec. 14-180(f))
- Home vehicle repair time limit
- 10 days (Sec. 14-180(e))
- First-offense fine
- $250 (Sec. 14-110)
- Enforcing agency
- Code Compliance Division
Summary
Avondale bans storing abandoned or inoperable vehicles, including cars being repaired, if visible from a public street or sidewalk, unless the storage is incidental to normal home use and covered under Sec. 14-180(d). Leaving any abandoned or inoperable vehicle on a public street, alley, lot or city property is banned outright under Sec. 14-180(f).
(d)No person shall store an abandoned or inoperable vehicle, including any vehicle being repaired or restored, that is visible from any public street or sidewalk except where the storage, repair or restoration is customary and incidental to the principal use of the property and in accordance with the zoning ordinance...(f)No person shall leave, place or park any abandoned vehicle or inoperable vehicle upon any public street, alleyway, public or private parking lot or city property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. ' The section allows one workaround: a visible abandoned or inoperable vehicle can be kept if it sits in a carport and is covered by a properly maintained vehicle cover made exclusively for covering vehicles, rather than a tarp, bed linen or plastic sheeting. Sec. 14-180(f) closes off public property entirely: 'No person shall leave, place or park any abandoned vehicle or inoperable vehicle upon any public street, alleyway, public or private parking lot or city property,' with no exception at all. Vehicle repair is separately capped at ten calendar days under Sec.
14-180(e), so a car parked for a repair that drags past that window, or a wrecked vehicle sitting in view of the street without a proper cover, becomes an abandoned-vehicle violation. These rules sit in Article III of the Property Maintenance Ordinance alongside the city's general blight standards, so the Code Compliance Division enforces them through the same notice-and-citation process used for every other land maintenance offense in Chapter 14.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle stored or abandoned in violation of Sec. 14-180(d) or (f) draws a notice of violation from the Code Compliance Division, followed by a civil citation carrying a $250 base fine for a first offense, $500 for a second and $1,000 for a third within 24 months under Sec. 14-110. If the vehicle constitutes a hazard and the owner doesn't remove it within the notice period, the city can tow or abate it and lien the property for the cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a broken-down car in my driveway in Avondale?
Is it legal to park a dead car on the street while I fix it?
What fine can I get for an abandoned vehicle violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Avondale
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle abandoned vehicles.