Decatur, GA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Definition
- inoperable, cannot move under its own power
- Where barred
- open storage on any property, public or private
- Notice period
- 15 days after written notice to comply
- Governing law
- Code of Ordinances § 54-57
- Penalty
- daily separate-violation exposure, § 1-12
Summary
Decatur, Georgia's health and sanitation code makes it unlawful to store an abandoned, inoperable motor vehicle in the open on any property in the city, treating it the same as junk building material or appliances that create an unsanitary or fire hazard, under Code § 54-57.
It shall be unlawful for the owner or occupant of any property within the city to utilize the premises of such property for the open storage of any abandoned motor vehicle, ice box, refrigerator, stove, appliance, glass, building material, building rubbish, or similar items that will constitute an unsanitary or dangerous condition, health menace or fire hazard. For the purposes of this section, an abandoned motor vehicle is defined as one that is in a state of disrepair and incapable of being moved under its own power.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
" The section defines an "abandoned motor vehicle" precisely: one that is in a state of disrepair and incapable of being moved under its own power, so a vehicle merely unregistered or rarely driven, but still capable of moving under its own power, falls outside this particular section. The rule dates to the 1967 Code § 16-35(b) and was amended by Ordinance O-91-21 in 1991 and O-92-06 in 1992. It sits alongside a companion provision, section 54-56, covering weeds, dead limbs and trash conditions, and section 54-59 sets the enforcement path: if an owner fails to clean the property after written notice from the city's public works department, fire department or development department, given under the service methods in section 54-60 (personal delivery, certified mail, or posting on the premises if the first two cannot be accomplished), the continuing condition becomes a violation, with each day of noncompliance treated as a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Failure to remove an abandoned vehicle after 15 days' written notice under section 54-59 is a violation of Chapter 54, Article III, punishable under the city's general penalty section, Code § 1-12, and "a separate violation shall be deemed to occur for each and every day" the vehicle remains, so the exposure compounds the longer it sits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a vehicle "abandoned" under Decatur's code?
How much time do I get to remove a junk vehicle after a notice?
Can code enforcement act on a vehicle stored on private property, not just the street?
How is the required notice delivered?
Sources & Official References
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