Edmonds, WA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Private property limit
- 24 hours without owner's permission
- Highway grace period
- Up to 72 hours if lawfully parked
- Nuisance hearing window
- 10 days to request a hearing
- Max infraction penalty
- $250.00 under ECC 8.48.560
- Added liability
- Full towing and storage costs
Summary
Edmonds bars leaving an abandoned junk vehicle on private property for more than 24 hours without the owner's permission, and bars leaving any vehicle on a highway or private property without permission for more than 24 hours, under ECC 8.48.500 and 8.48.510. A violation costs up to $250 plus impound costs.
No person shall wilfully leave an abandoned junk motor vehicle on private property for more than 24 hours without the permission of the person having the right to possession of the property, or upon or within the right-of-way of any highway or other property open to the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking for 24 hours or longer without notification to the chief of police of the reasons for leaving the motor vehicle in such a place. ... No person shall leave or permit a vehicle to remain on any highway or private property without the permission of the owner longer than 24 hours; provided, however, said vehicles may remain on the highway for a period not to exceed 72 hours if it is lawfully parked.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
500 makes it unlawful to willfully leave an abandoned junk motor vehicle on private property for more than 24 hours without the permission of whoever has the right to possess the property, or on a public right-of-way for 24 hours or longer without telling the chief of police why the vehicle was left there. Leaving it without permission or notice for that long is treated as prima facie evidence the vehicle was abandoned. 510, more broadly bars leaving or permitting any vehicle, not just a junk vehicle, to remain on a highway or private property without the owner's permission for more than 24 hours, though a lawfully parked vehicle gets a longer grace period of up to 72 hours on the highway.
520 lets the police department treat an unauthorized junk vehicle, automobile hulk, or abandoned vehicle stored on private property as a public nuisance, subject to a written notice to the property owner and the vehicle's last registered owner, a 10-day window to request a hearing before the Edmonds municipal court, and removal if no hearing is requested. 560, on top of the actual costs of impoundment, meaning removal, towing, and storage fees.
Violations & Fines
Violating either the junk-vehicle abandonment rule (ECC 8.48.500) or the general 24-hour abandonment rule (ECC 8.48.510) is an infraction under ECC 8.48.560, punishable by a penalty of up to $250.00, plus the actual removal, towing, and storage costs the city or its contractor incurs recovering the vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a car sit on my Edmonds street before it's abandoned?
What happens if a junk car sits on my neighbor's property?
What's the penalty for abandoning a vehicle in Edmonds?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle abandoned vehicles.