Irving, TX Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Junked vehicle test
- No plate/inspection plus wrecked or inoperable
- Inoperable threshold
- 72 hours public property, 30 days private
- Notice period
- 10 days to remove after written notice
- Hearing right
- Request municipal court trial within 10 days
- Penalty
- Up to $200 fine, separate offense per day
- Exemptions
- Enclosed vehicles, licensed dealers, screened collector cars
Summary
A junked vehicle, one missing a valid license plate or inspection sticker and either wrecked, dismantled or inoperable for more than 72 hours in public or 30 days on private property, that is visible from a street or public right-of-way is declared a public nuisance under Section 19-18. The city's code enforcement director can order it removed after notice and a chance to contest it.
A junked vehicle, including a part of a junked vehicle, that is visible at any time of the year from a public place or public right-of-way is detrimental to the safety and welfare of the public, tends to reduce the value of private property, invites vandalism, creates a fire hazard, is an attractive nuisance creating a hazard to the health and safety of minors, produces urban blight adverse to the maintenance and continuing development of the City of Irving, and is a public nuisance. A vehicle covered by a cloth or tarp is considered visible if the cloth or tarp can be seen from a public place or public right-of-way.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4988517; v32 updated 2026-07-30).
Full Breakdown
Section 19-17 defines a covered junked vehicle as a self-propelled vehicle that lacks both an unexpired license plate and a valid inspection certificate, and is either wrecked, dismantled, partially dismantled or discarded, or has sat inoperable for more than 72 consecutive hours on public property or 30 consecutive days on private property. Section 19-18 declares any such vehicle a public nuisance if visible from a public place or right-of-way at any time of the year, and treats a vehicle hidden only by a tarp or cloth as visible if the covering itself can be seen.
Section 19-19 exempts vehicles fully enclosed in a building, those stored by a licensed dealer or junkyard, and antique or special-interest vehicles kept by a collector if the storage area is orderly, not a health hazard, and screened by a fence, trees or shrubbery. Once the director identifies a nuisance, Section 19-22 requires written notice by personal service, certified mail or signature-confirmed mail to the registered owner, lienholders and the property's owner or occupant, giving ten days to remove the vehicle and stating the right to request a municipal court hearing within that same ten days.
Section 19-23 lets the director take possession, remove and dispose of the vehicle if the deadline passes unmet, and Section 19-26 lets the owner demand a trial, at which the vehicle is presumed inoperable unless the owner proves otherwise.
Violations & Fines
Section 19-27 makes maintaining a junked vehicle a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $200, with each day or portion of a day the violation continues charged as a separate offense. The director can also proceed civilly to abate and remove the vehicle at Section 19-23 regardless of whether a criminal complaint is filed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a vehicle 'junked' under Irving's ordinance?
Can I keep an old, tarp-covered car in my driveway?
Does the rule apply to my restored classic car?
What happens if I ignore the city's removal notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Irving
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