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York County, SC Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Banned condition
Nuisance or vermin-breeding vehicle
Exempt
Vehicles inside an enclosed building
Includes
Motorboats stored outdoors
Maximum penalty
$500 fine or 30 days jail
Governing section
§ 56.116(B)(6)

Summary

Storing an abandoned, junk or inoperable vehicle or motorboat outdoors on any property in unincorporated York County is unlawful once it becomes a nuisance or breeds vermin or mosquitoes. Vehicles kept fully inside an enclosed building or attached structure are exempt from the ban.

City-specific rules exist: Rock Hill has its own abandoned vehicles rules that differ from York County's county-level regulations. If you live in Rock Hill, check the city-specific page instead.

(6) Store, park or keep abandoned, junk or inoperable vehicles, including motorboats, which, because of their condition or maintenance constitutes a nuisance, or which may become a breeding ground for or infested with vermin, mosquitoes, insects, noxious diseases or present physical dangers to the safety and well-being of the public. Vehicles stored, parked, or kept in completely enclosed buildings or in a structure attached to a completely enclosed building shall be exempt from this provision.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-49: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 3925, passed 6-16-25).

Full Breakdown

116(B)(6) of the county's litter and solid waste ordinance bars any owner or responsible party from storing, parking or keeping an abandoned, junk or inoperable vehicle, including a motorboat, on property in the unincorporated county when its condition or lack of maintenance constitutes a nuisance or creates a breeding ground for vermin, mosquitoes, insects or noxious disease, or presents a physical danger to public safety. The rule sits inside the same dumping-and-litter section that governs abandoned swimming pools and general trash accumulation, treating a derelict vehicle as a public-health and nuisance problem rather than a purely aesthetic one.

A vehicle stored, parked or kept entirely inside a completely enclosed building, or in a structure attached to one, is expressly exempt from the prohibition regardless of its condition. 001 defines RESPONSIBLE PERSON broadly to include the owner, tenant, lessee or occupant of the property where the vehicle sits, so a landlord or property manager can be cited along with a vehicle's actual owner. 999(A) punishable by a fine up to $500 or up to 30 days in jail, with each day the vehicle remains a separate offense.

117, a junk-vehicle violation does not carry the mandatory litter-labor community service that applies to dumping offenses, only the general chapter fine and jail exposure.

Violations & Fines

Keeping an abandoned, junk or inoperable vehicle in violation of Section 56.116(B)(6) is a misdemeanor under Section 56.999(A), punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both, with each day the vehicle remains a separate offense. The county may also pursue an abatement order or injunction under Section 56.137 in addition to criminal prosecution.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep a non-running car in my yard in unincorporated York County?
Only if it is not creating a nuisance or breeding vermin or mosquitoes; Section 56.116(B)(6) bans storing an abandoned, junk or inoperable vehicle or motorboat outdoors once it reaches that condition. Parking the same vehicle fully inside an enclosed garage or building removes it from the ban entirely.
Does the vehicle have to be mine for me to be cited?
No. Section 56.001 defines RESPONSIBLE PERSON to include the property owner, tenant, lessee or occupant, so whoever controls the land where the vehicle sits can be cited even if someone else owns the vehicle.
What's the penalty for an abandoned vehicle violation?
Section 56.999(A) makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine, up to 30 days in jail, or both, and each day the vehicle remains in violation counts as a separate offense; the county can also seek a court-ordered abatement in addition to any criminal fine.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in York County

All York County rules

Compare York County to another location·View the South Carolina parking rules overview

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Abandoned Vehicles in Cities Across York County