Monterey, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

The unincorporated areas of Monterey County have a dedicated abandoned-vehicle ordinance in County Code Chapter 12.72 (Abandoned Vehicles), part of Title 12 (Vehicles and Traffic). The ordinance declares such vehicles a public nuisance and makes it unlawful to abandon, park, store, or leave any licensed or unlicensed vehicle or vehicle part that is in an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative condition on private or public property for more than 30 days, unless the vehicle is completely enclosed within a building in a lawful manner. Chapter 12.72 was adopted under the authority of California Vehicle Code Section 22660, which allows a county to 'adopt an ordinance establishing procedures for the abatement and removal' of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles as public nuisances. The Monterey County Sheriff's Office enforces the ordinance: an officer or Vehicle Abatement Officer inspects and posts a notice on the suspected vehicle, the property owner is mailed a notice of intent to abate, and the owner has 72 hours from marking to remove it before it is treated as abandoned. Vehicles that are an immediate hazard or blocking traffic can be removed at once. Removal authority also flows from Vehicle Code Sections 22651 and 22669. Willfully obstructing an abatement officer is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000, up to one year in county jail, or both.