Yolo County, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Yolo County, like every California county, draws its abandoned-vehicle authority from the California Vehicle Code. Under Veh. Code Sec. 22523 it is unlawful to abandon any vehicle on a public highway or on public or private property without the owner's consent, and the last registered owner is presumed responsible for the costs of removal. Under Veh. Code Sec. 22651, a peace officer may remove a vehicle that has been parked on a highway for 72 or more consecutive hours without being moved (the standard '72-hour' rule), and Sec. 22658 governs removal of unauthorized vehicles from private property. Yolo County participates in California's Service Authority for Abandoned Vehicle Abatement (SAAVA) - funded through a $1 annual vehicle-registration surcharge under Veh. Code Sec. 22710 - which provides the county with dedicated dollars to fund abandoned-vehicle tagging, towing, and lien-sale processing. Day-to-day enforcement in the unincorporated area is handled by the Yolo County Sheriff's Office; complaints can be filed online or by phone. The standard process is: tag vehicle, wait the statutory period, tow to a contracted yard, mail notice to the registered owner, and conduct a lien sale if unclaimed.