Coeur d'Alene, ID Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Chapter 8.28 of the Coeur d'Alene Municipal Code declares the accumulation or storage of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperable vehicles or parts a public nuisance, on private property and on public property alike. Section 8.28.020 defines inoperable as incapable of being operated legally on a public highway, including, but not limited to, not having a valid, current registration, so a lapsed registration is enough to bring a vehicle within the definition. A vehicle is any device designed to move or propel persons or property or to be drawn upon a highway, but not a wagon, tricycle, bicycle or other human-powered device, or a device used exclusively on stationary rails or tracks.

Section 8.28.030 lists what the chapter does not reach: a vehicle or part completely enclosed within a building or not visible from the street or other public or private property; a vehicle stored or parked lawfully on private property in connection with a licensed dismantler, licensed vehicle dealer or junk dealer, or as necessary to a lawfully conducted business; a licensed vehicle in the process of being repaired or restored within a reasonable time; and recreational vehicles such as boats, snowmobiles and motor homes, provided a valid current registration is obtained yearly.

The process runs through the City rather than a ticket. Under section 8.28.050, persons employed or engaged by the City enforce the chapter and can enter private or public property to examine a vehicle or obtain information about its identity. Section 8.28.070 has the inspector notify the property owner, taken from county assessor records, and any occupants, and instruct them how to remedy the situation and by when. If the nuisance remains, the mayor sets a public hearing in the council chambers under section 8.28.080, with notice at least ten (10) days ahead by certified mail or personal service under section 8.28.090. At the hearing an interested party can be represented by counsel and can introduce evidence or submit a written statement, and the council states how and when the nuisance must be abated, a period that cannot be less than ten (10) days under section 8.28.100. Section 8.28.040 makes the chapter supplemental to all other provisions of the code and the statutes of the state of Idaho.