Ontario, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Notice before abatement
- 10 days, mailed
- Hearing request window
- 10 days
- Low-value fast-track
- under $200, no motor/wheels
- DMV notified
- within 5 days of removal
- Unpaid costs
- special assessment on the parcel
Summary
Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 5-12.01 declares an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle on private or public property, other than a highway, a public nuisance under Cal. Veh. Code Sec. 22660, and Chapter 12 lets the Code Enforcement Manager give a 10-day notice, hold a hearing, and abate it at the owner's cost.
In addition to and in accordance with the determination made and the authority granted by the State pursuant to the provisions of Cal. Veh. Code § 22660 to remove abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles, or parts thereof, as public nuisances, the Council hereby makes the following findings and declarations: The accumulation and storage of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles, or parts thereof, on private or public property, not including highways, is hereby found to create a condition tending to reduce the value of private property, to promote blight and deterioration, to invite plundering, to create fire hazards, to constitute an attractive nuisance creating a hazard to the health and safety of minors. Therefore, the presence of an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle, or part thereof, on private or public property, not including highways, except as expressly permitted by the provisions of this chapter, is hereby declared to constitute a public nuisance which may be abated as such in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-32: Current through Ordinance 3338, passed 7-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 12, adopted by Ordinance 1684 in 1968 and amended by Ordinance 2554 in 1993, implements the state vehicle-abatement law found at Cal. Veh. Code Sec. 22660 et seq. 03 exempts a vehicle completely enclosed in a building and out of public view, and a vehicle lawfully stored on private property in connection with a licensed dismantler, licensed vehicle dealer, junk dealer, or an otherwise lawful business. Enforcement runs through the Code Enforcement Manager (Sec. 05), who may enter private or public property with the owner's consent or an inspection warrant to examine or remove a nuisance vehicle.
Before removal, Sec. 09 requires a ten-day notice of intention to abate, mailed by registered or certified mail to both the landowner and the vehicle's registered and legal owner, unless identification numbers cannot be found. A faster path applies to a vehicle worth less than $200 that lacks a motor, transmission, or wheels and cannot be towed: on agricultural or unimproved-residential parcels, the City can dispose of it after a signed release and, if registration was recovered, a twelve-day unclaimed notice, without the full ten-day process.
Either owner may request a public hearing within the ten-day window (Sec. 10); the Code Enforcement Manager presides, is not bound by technical evidence rules, and can delay removal, impose conditions, or order removal and assess costs (Sec. 11), with a right of appeal (Sec. 12). Within five days of removal the City notifies the DMV and forwards any registration, title, or plates recovered (Sec. 14). If administrative and removal costs are not paid within thirty days of the order or a final appeal, Sec. 15 converts them into a special assessment against the parcel under Cal. Gov't Code Sec. 5, collected with the same priority as City taxes.
Violations & Fines
Beyond the cost recovery in Sec. 5-12.15, a vehicle kept in violation of Chapter 12 is a declared public nuisance abated at the owner's expense; the City can also pursue the Code's general penalties under Sec. 1-2.01, up to a $1,000 misdemeanor fine and six months in jail, or escalating $100/$200/$500 infraction fines, in addition to the abatement and assessment process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Ontario tow an abandoned car off my private property?
How much notice do I get before Ontario removes a vehicle?
Is my car exempt if it's inside my garage?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ontario
California rules heatmap·Compare Ontario to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle abandoned vehicles.