Bellevue, WA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Junk vehicle age
- 3+ years old (RCW 46.55.010(5))
- Hearing notice period
- At least 10 days before hearing
- Abandonment penalty
- Class 1 civil infraction, RCW 7.80.120
- Escalating civil fine
- $100 to $500 per day
- Enforcing office
- Development Services code compliance officer
Summary
Bellevue's code compliance officers can order junk vehicles removed from private property under BCC 9.09.040. A junk vehicle is three years or older, extensively damaged, inoperable, unregistered, and worth only its scrap value. Abandoning one is a Class 1 civil infraction, and the city can remove, impound and lien the property for costs.
A. Public Nuisance Declared. All junk vehicles certified as such by a law enforcement officer according to RCW 46.55.230 and found on private property are declared to constitute a public nuisance subject to removal, impoundment and disposal. B. Voluntary Correction. Whenever the code compliance officer determines that a vehicle is a public nuisance and in violation of this chapter, a reasonable attempt shall be made to secure voluntary correction... 9.09.050 A. It is unlawful for any person to allow, cause to allow or place a junk vehicle, on any premises. B. It is a Class 1 civil infraction as defined in RCW 7.80.120 for a person to abandon a junk vehicle on property located within the city.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 6929, passed July 14, 2026).
Full Breakdown
010(5) test: it must be three years old or older, extensively damaged (a broken window, windshield, or missing wheels, tires, motor, or transmission), apparently inoperable, without a valid current registration plate, and worth only its scrap value. 030. 040(A) declares it a public nuisance subject to removal, impoundment and disposal. 040(C), naming both parties, describing the vehicle, and setting a hearing before the hearing examiner at least ten days out. The hearing is canceled with no penalty if the required correction is approved at least 48 hours before it.
A landowner who shows the vehicle was placed there without consent, and who has not since acquiesced, is not charged for the removal costs. 040(G).
Violations & Fines
Placing or allowing a junk vehicle on any premises is unlawful under BCC 9.09.050(A). Abandoning a junk vehicle within the city is a Class 1 civil infraction under RCW 7.80.120, and the landowner can recover removal costs from the vehicle's registered owner. Any other violation of the chapter is a civil violation under BCC Chapter 1.18, carrying a monetary penalty that escalates from $100 the first day to $500 per day after the fourth day, and BCC 9.09.050(D) also allows a misdemeanor charge as an alternative or additional penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a vehicle a "junk vehicle" under Bellevue's code?
Can I keep a junk vehicle if it's not visible from the street?
What happens if I don't respond to a junk vehicle notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellevue
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle abandoned vehicles.