Grant County, WA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Vehicle limit
- 2 unlicensed/inoperable vehicles per lot
- Right-of-way storage
- Prohibited in all zoning districts
- Exception
- Licensed wrecking/salvage yards, GCC § 23.08.090
- Enforcing agency
- Grant County Development Services code enforcement
- Citation
- GCC § 23.04.050(f)
Summary
Unincorporated Grant County caps unlicensed or inoperable vehicle storage at two per lot and bans storing vehicles or articles in public rights-of-way. Grant County Code § 23.04.050(f) exempts licensed automobile wrecking and salvage yards approved as a permitted use, but every other property in the county is held to the two-vehicle limit.
(f)Storage of Articles or Vehicles On Lots and Rights-Of-Way: In no zoning district shall any portion of articles or vehicles be permitted to be stored in public rights-of-ways. Not more than two (2) unlicensed or inoperable vehicles shall be stored on any lot, except for automobile wrecking and salvage yards, where specified as a Permitted Use in Tables 3, 4 and 5, and as specified in GCC § 23.08.090.
Full Breakdown
050(f), part of the Unified Development Code's general zoning provisions, sets the county's baseline rule for unlicensed and inoperable vehicles outside city limits. The rule has two parts. First, no zoning district in unincorporated Grant County allows articles or vehicles of any kind to be stored within a public right-of-way; that prohibition is absolute regardless of zoning district. Second, on private lots, storage is capped at two unlicensed or inoperable vehicles per lot. A vehicle counts toward that limit whether it sits in a yard, driveway, or side lot, and there is no separate allowance for screening the vehicles from view; the numeric cap itself is the standard.
090. A property that is not zoned or approved for a wrecking or salvage yard use cannot rely on that exception no matter how the vehicles are stored. 050, the general land use regulations section, which also bars using detached trailers or non-foundation buildings as permanent housing, so it is read together with the county's broader restriction on unpermitted residential occupancy of RVs and trailers. Grant County Development Services, which administers UDC Title 23 zoning enforcement countywide, is the office that investigates complaints about excess vehicle storage in the unincorporated area.
Violations & Fines
A property owner who exceeds the two-vehicle limit or stores vehicles in the right-of-way is in violation of GCC § 23.04.050(f). Grant County Development Services code enforcement handles complaints and can pursue correction under GCC Chapter 25.16, which authorizes notices of infraction, civil penalties and compliance orders enforceable through Grant County courts of limited jurisdiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many inoperable vehicles can I keep on my property in unincorporated Grant County?
Can I store a vehicle in the road right-of-way in front of my house?
Does the two-vehicle limit apply to licensed salvage yards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grant County
Compare Grant County to another location·View the Washington parking rules overview
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