Island County, WA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- Island County Code §§ 8.08B.030, 8.08B.370
- Junk-vehicle test
- Meet 3 of 4 RCW 46.55.010 criteria
- Exemption 1
- Vehicle or parts actively reused
- Exemption 2
- Contaminating fluids removed and disposed
- Exemption 3
- No vector harborage
- Improper storage penalty
- $250 per day
Summary
A vehicle meeting at least three of the criteria in RCW 46.55.010 (inoperable, three years old or older, extensively damaged, or worth only scrap value) is regulated as solid waste under Island County Code § 8.08B.370 unless the owner proves to the health officer it qualifies for an exemption. Unexempt junk vehicles fall under the full solid waste handling chapter, including its storage and penalty provisions.
Junk vehicle, pursuant to RCW 46.55.010, means any vehicle meeting at least three (3) of the following requirements: 1.Is apparently inoperable;2.Is three (3) years old or older;3.Is extensively damaged, including but not limited to any of the following: a damaged window or windshield, or missing wheels, tires, motor, or transmission;4.Has an approximate fair market value equal only to the approximate value of the scrap in it. ... Junk vehicles, as defined in section 8.08B.030, shall be subject to the conditions of chapter 8.08B unless the owner can provide sufficient evidence to the health officer that: A.The vehicles, or parts thereof, are being actively reused,B.All fluids or parts that have a potential to contaminate soil and/or groundwater have been removed from the vehicles and disposed of consistent with Chapter 173-303 WAC, dangerous waste regulations, and chapter 8.08B; andC.The vehicles do not provide harborage for vectors.
Full Breakdown
010 criteria: it is apparently inoperable, it is three years old or older, it is extensively damaged (a damaged window or windshield, or missing wheels, tires, motor or transmission), or its approximate fair market value equals only the value of its scrap. 08B; and the vehicle does not provide harborage for vectors such as rodents. 050 that handling not threaten human health or the environment, and comply with all other applicable local, state and federal law. 08B's enforcement provisions apply chapter-wide, a junk vehicle sitting on a residential lot in unincorporated Island County without qualifying for one of the three exemptions can also be cited as improper storage if it results in vector access, litter, or a threat to health or the environment.
Violations & Fines
Junk vehicles that don't qualify for an exemption are enforced under section 8.08B.440 along with the rest of chapter 8.08B: the health officer can order cessation or removal, and improper storage of an unexempt junk vehicle is penalized at $250 per day, with solid waste handling facility or permit violations reaching $1,000 per day. Each day of continued noncompliance is a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a vehicle a "junk vehicle" under Island County's code?
Can I keep a junk vehicle on my property in unincorporated Island County?
What happens if my junk vehicle doesn't qualify for an exemption?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Island County
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