Lancaster, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

The ordinance implements the authority the state Vehicle Code grants at Section 22660 to treat abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles as public nuisances that create fire hazards, attract rodents and invite plundering (Sec. 010). Two exceptions keep the rule from reaching ordinary storage: a vehicle completely enclosed in a building and out of view, and a vehicle stored on private property in connection with a licensed dismantler, licensed vehicle dealer or junk dealer's business (Sec. 030). Once the city manager or a designee finds a qualifying vehicle, a notice of intention to abate must be mailed by registered mail to both the owner of the land and the registered owner of the vehicle, giving each ten days to request a hearing or submit a sworn statement denying responsibility (Sec.

090). If a hearing is requested, a hearing officer takes testimony without being bound by technical rules of evidence, can delay removal, and can clear a landowner of costs if the vehicle was dumped without consent (Sec. 110). Any interested party can appeal the hearing officer's decision under the Uniform Appeal Procedure (Sec. 120). Removal to a scrapyard or dismantler's yard can proceed five days after the abatement order, five days after mailed notice of decision, or five days after a council decision on appeal; once towed, the vehicle cannot be reconstructed or made operable unless it qualifies for historical or horseless-carriage plates under Vehicle Code Section 5004 (Sec.

130). The city must notify the DMV within five days of removal (Sec. 140). A low-value fast track applies when a vehicle lacks a motor, transmission or wheels, is worth less than $200, and sits on agricultural or non-residential land: only a twelve-day notice is required before disposal (Sec. 180).