Santa Barbara County, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

County Code Article III of Chapter 23 (sections 23-16 through 23-25) governs abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles left on private or public property, not including highways, anywhere in the unincorporated area. Sec. 23-16 declares the presence of such a vehicle a public nuisance that the county may abate, citing the blight, fire hazard, attractive-nuisance risk to children, and rodent harborage it creates. Sec. 23-17 carves out exceptions: a vehicle fully enclosed in a building and out of view, one not plainly visible from the street or neighboring property, one lawfully stored on the premises of a licensed dismantler, vehicle dealer, or junk dealer, or one used for flood-control purposes with the flood control district's prior approval.

Enforcement runs through the Department of Public Works (Sec. 23-19), whose officers may enter private or public property to inspect a vehicle or verify ownership. Before removal, Sec. 23-23 requires a ten-day written notice, sent by registered or certified mail, to both the owner of the land and the registered owner of the vehicle, giving them ten days to request a public hearing or submit a sworn statement denying responsibility. If no hearing is requested within that ten-day window, Sec. 23-24 lets the county abate and remove the vehicle without one.

A hearing, when held, goes before the director of public works or a designated assistant, who is not bound by formal rules of evidence (Sec. 23-25). Beyond towing costs, Sec. 23-21 lets the enforcing officer assess administrative costs against the property owner.