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

Santa Barbara County addresses abandoned vehicles through California Vehicle Code authority and County enforcement provisions. On a county road, any vehicle parked or left standing for 72 or more consecutive hours may be removed by a peace officer or authorized parking-enforcement employee under California Vehicle Code Section 22651(k), which the County's 72-hour rule (Chapter 23, Article III) supports. California Vehicle Code Section 22669 declares vehicles that lack an engine, transmission, wheels, tires, or other parts necessary for safe operation to be a hazard and allows their immediate removal, and Section 22669(a) lets a peace officer or designated employee remove a vehicle reasonably believed abandoned from a highway or from public or private property. Section 22660 authorizes a county to adopt an ordinance establishing procedures for the abatement and removal, as public nuisances, of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles, including cost recovery. County Ordinance 5163 (Sec. 12A-26) confirms that the Director of General Services, the Sheriff, and County security staff may issue citations or remove vehicles in violation of parking laws, including Vehicle Code Sections 22658, 21113, and 22651. Inoperable or junk vehicles stored in public view on private property are typically handled as a nuisance/code-enforcement matter through County Planning & Development rather than as a street-parking ticket.