Elmhurst, IL Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Abandoned vehicles on county roads and in unincorporated DuPage County are governed primarily by the Illinois Vehicle Code at 625 ILCS 5/4-201, with enforcement by the DuPage County Sheriff's Office. The statute makes it unlawful to abandon a vehicle (or any part of one) on any highway in Illinois, and also unlawful to abandon a vehicle anywhere on private or public property in view of the general public, except on property of the owner.

The statute creates a tiered enforcement scheme: when an abandoned, lost, stolen, or unclaimed vehicle comes into the temporary possession of a person who is not the owner and the vehicle is located outside the corporate limits of any city, village, or town, that person must immediately notify the county sheriff. Upon notification, the sheriff authorizes a towing service to remove and take possession of the vehicle. A vehicle abandoned on private property may be removed after a seven-day waiting period, or immediately if it is determined to be a hazardous dilapidated motor vehicle.

Inside municipal boundaries, the local police agency has jurisdiction. Penalties for unlawful abandonment are set forth in 625 ILCS 5/4-214 and can include fines, towing and storage fees charged to the owner, and recovery of vehicle disposal costs.