Kent, WA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Junk vehicle test
- 3+ of 4 conditions under RCW 46.55.010(4)
- Nuisance declared by
- KCC 8.08.030, certified per RCW 46.55.230
- Hearing window
- 10 to 45 days after notice
- Cancel deadline
- Correct violation 48 hours before hearing
- Exemptions
- Enclosed/hidden vehicles; licensed dismantler fenced lots
- Costs recoverable from
- Landowner and/or registered owner
Summary
A junk vehicle, one that's three years or older and meets at least three statutory conditions like extensive damage, inoperability, or scrap-only value, is a declared public nuisance on private property in Kent under KCC 8.08.030. It's unlawful to allow or place one on any premises, and the city can certify, impound, and dispose of it after a hearing process.
8.08.030 Public nuisance declared. All junk vehicles certified as such by a law enforcement officer or code enforcement officer designated by the director according to RCW 46.55.230 and found on private property are declared to constitute a public nuisance subject to removal, impoundment and disposal. It is unlawful for any individual firm, entity or corporation to allow, cause to allow or place a junk vehicle on any premises.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4542, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
010(4): a vehicle meeting at least three of four conditions, three years old or older, extensively damaged (broken window, windshield, or missing wheels, tires, motor, or transmission), apparently inoperable, or worth only its scrap value. 230, and that's found on private property, a public nuisance subject to removal, impoundment, and disposal, and makes it unlawful to allow or place one on any premises. 040: a vehicle fully enclosed in a building and not visible from the street or other property, and a vehicle lawfully stored at a licensed dismantler or vehicle dealer's fenced lot.
050: the code compliance officer first seeks voluntary correction, then may issue a notice of civil violation to the landowner and the vehicle's last registered owner, setting a hearing before the hearing examiner between 10 and 45 days out. The hearing is canceled if the owner corrects the violation at least 48 hours before it, and the hearing examiner can order removal, impoundment, and disposal, plus recovery of the city's removal costs from the vehicle owner, the landowner, or both, unless the landowner proves the vehicle was placed without consent and was never acquiesced to.
Violations & Fines
Under KCC 8.08.060, a junk vehicle violation is a civil code enforcement matter under Chapter 1.04 KCC carrying a monetary penalty and abatement, and it can also be charged criminally under KCC 1.04.030(B) or cited as a class 1 civil infraction under RCW 7.80.120. The hearing examiner can additionally assess a daily monetary penalty under KCC 1.04.040(E) and the city's full removal, impoundment, and disposal costs against the landowner, the registered owner, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a vehicle 'junk' under Kent's code?
Can the city remove a junk vehicle from my private property?
Are any vehicles exempt from Kent's junk vehicle rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle abandoned vehicles.