Craven County, NC Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Definition
- No plate, plus wrecked/inoperable or 5+ yrs & under $100
- Who enforces
- County Solid Waste Director
- Notice before towing
- 7 to 30 days, mailed or posted
- Appeal window
- 30 days to request a magistrate hearing
- Penalty
- $500 civil penalty, accrues daily
- Emergency exception
- No notice needed if vehicle blocks traffic
Summary
Craven County makes it unlawful to keep a junked motor vehicle anywhere within its ordinance-making jurisdiction. A vehicle counts as junked if it carries no current license plate and is also either partially dismantled or wrecked, inoperable, or more than five years old and worth under $100. The Solid Waste Director enforces the ban and can order qualifying vehicles towed.
(1)The term "junked motor vehicle" means a vehicle that:a.Does not display a current license plate; andb.Is either:1.Partially dismantled or wrecked;2.Cannot be self-propelled or moved in the manner in which it originally was intended to move; or3.Is more than five years old and appears to be worth less than $100.00. ... It shall be unlawful to maintain a junked motor vehicle anywhere within the ordinance-making jurisdiction of the county.
Full Breakdown
S. 2. If the vehicle qualifies, the director must weigh the aesthetic benefit of removal against the hardship to the owner, considering factors like property values, tourism, public health, community character, and resident well-being, and put written findings in the record before moving forward. Once that finding is made, the county must try to notify the owner: written notice by certified mail goes out within 24 hours for North Carolina-registered vehicles and within 72 hours for vehicles registered elsewhere, with phone contact attempted too. If the owner cannot be identified, notice is instead posted on the windshield or another conspicuous spot at least seven days before towing.
No advance notice at all is required if the vehicle blocks traffic or otherwise threatens public safety. The written notice must describe the vehicle, state the violation date, warn that towing will happen no sooner than 30 days later, name the graveyard or junkyard receiving it, and explain how to appeal. An owner has 30 days from the determination to file a written request for a hearing before a county magistrate on probable cause; a magistrate's decision can be appealed further to Craven County District Court, and the tower's lien cannot be enforced until that appeal is resolved. S. S. 11(a) and (b).
Violations & Fines
Maintaining a junked vehicle violates Craven County Code § 1-11's general penalty: a $500.00 civil penalty that begins accruing from the first notice of violation, with each day of continued violation treated as a separate offense if it isn't paid within ten days of citation. The county can also pursue injunctive relief or any remedy authorized by G.S. 153A-123, and once a vehicle is towed it may be sold or scrapped through the contracted graveyard or junkyard unless the owner redeems it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a junked motor vehicle in Craven County?
How much warning do I get before the county tows my vehicle?
Can I fight a determination that my vehicle is junked?
What happens if I ignore the notice and keep the vehicle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Craven County
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