Leon County, FL Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Sec. 14-2 defines a 'junked or abandoned motor vehicle' as a self-propelled vehicle meeting any of seven tests: it carries no current license tag; any part needed for operation has been removed for at least 15 days; it sits on another person's property without written permission; it violates zoning; the owner cannot be located after reasonable search; it sits near other junked vehicles with no traceable custodian; or investigation otherwise shows it is junked or abandoned. Sec. 14-31(a) bars keeping such a vehicle, along with junk or litter, in a yard, garden, open outbuilding or open area of private property for more than 15 days, unless it sits in an enclosed litter receptacle or belongs to a properly licensed, zoned business.

Enforcement runs through the Code Enforcement Board under the Chapter 6 procedures referenced in Sec. 14-32(a); if an owner ignores a board compliance order, the county can abate the violation itself under Article V and remove the vehicle at the owner's expense. Abandoned vehicles or property dumped on public property fall under Sec. 14-31(b) instead, enforced directly by law enforcement officers. Sec. 14-32 lets an officer post an 8-by-10-inch weatherproof notice on the vehicle, mail a copy to the owner if reasonably identifiable, and for vehicles or vessels contact the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to find the registered owner and any lienholder before mailing certified notice. ch. 705, with the owner liable for removal, storage, publication and disposal costs.