Lexington, KY Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 12-2
- Prohibited
- Junked, wrecked, unlicensed, inoperative vehicles
- Collector exception
- Must be screened from public view
- Dealer exception
- Licensed recycling/used-vehicle/auction dealers
- Fine
- $100–$2,500 per offense
Summary
Lexington-Fayette's nuisance code makes it unlawful to keep a junked, wrecked, unlicensed or inoperative vehicle on any premises: with carve-outs for licensed dealers, hobbyist collectors who screen vehicles from public view, and vehicles actively used by a lawful business.
it shall be unlawful for the owner, occupant, or person having control or management of any premises within the urban county to permit a public nuisance, health hazard, or source of filth to develop thereon through the accumulation or presence of: Junked, wrecked, non-licensed, improperly licensed or inoperative automobiles, vehicles, or machines, or other similar scrap or salvage materials, excluding inoperative farm equipment; ... Junked, wrecked, or inoperative motor vehicles, including parts cars, stored on private premises by automobile collectors, whether as a hobby or a profession, if these motor vehicles and parts cars are stored out of ordinary public view by means of suitable fencing, trees, shrubbery, or other means.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 8839. 010 can keep them on business premises; hobbyist or professional automobile collectors can store junked, wrecked or inoperative vehicles and parts cars on private premises if they're screened from ordinary public view by fencing, trees or shrubbery; and vehicles necessary to a lawful business's operation, or held in an appropriate storage depository maintained by the urban county government or another public agency, are also excluded. 010 are exempt as well.
Violations & Fines
Every violation of the vehicle nuisance rule is subject to a civil fine of $100 to $2,500 under Sec. 12-5, with each day the vehicle remains counted as a separate offense. Owners cited more than once on the same property within 24 months instead face the escalating fine schedule, $100, $250, $500, $1,000, then $1,500 for a fifth or later citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a non-running car in my driveway in Lexington?
Are there exceptions for car dealers or repair shops?
What's the fine for an abandoned vehicle citation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lexington
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