Kings County, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Admin cost, no-hearing removal
- $20 per vehicle
- Notice of intent to abate
- 10 days written notice
- Applies to
- private and public property, not highways
- Enforced by
- county building official
Summary
Kings County declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles on private or public property (not highways) a public nuisance and can order them removed after a notice-and-hearing process.
The accumulation and storage of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles or parts thereof on private or public property, not including highways, is hereby found to create a condition tending to reduce the value of private property, to promote blight and deterioration, to invite plundering, to create fire hazards, to constitute an attractive nuisance creating a hazard to the health and safety of minors, to create a harborage for rodents and insects and to be injurious to the health, safety and general welfare. Therefore, the presence of an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle or part thereof, on private or public property, not including highways, except as expressly hereinafter permitted, is hereby declared to constitute a public nuisance which may be abated as such in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
(Ord. No. 354, 10-16-73)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13).
Full Breakdown
Under Sec. 23-71, acting on Vehicle Code § 22660 authority, the board of supervisors finds that abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles on private or public property (excluding highways) create blight, fire hazards and attractive nuisances, and declares them a public nuisance. The building official can seek voluntary removal (Sec. 23-77) or issue a ten-day written notice of intent to abate (Sec. 23-78); the vehicle owner or landowner may request a hearing (Sec. 23-79) before removal to a junkyard or dismantler. A vehicle enclosed in a building out of view, or lawfully stored by a licensed dismantler or dealer, is exempt (Sec. 23-73).
Violations & Fines
If no hearing is requested, the building official has the vehicle removed and bills the property owner $20 in administrative costs plus the actual removal cost (Secs. 23-72, 23-80); unpaid costs after 30 days can be placed on the county tax roll as a special assessment (Sec. 23-88).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the abandoned vehicle ordinance cover cars on the street?
Can I get a hearing before Kings County removes an abandoned vehicle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kings County
California rules heatmap·Compare Kings County to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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