Sullivan County, TN Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Section 8-106 of the Zoning Resolution flatly prohibits the outside storage or placement of any inoperable vehicle, in whole or in parts, whether that storage is temporary or permanent, in every residential and planned district in unincorporated Sullivan County. The ban covers 'any kind' of vehicle, so a car, truck, camper, or boat that no longer runs is treated the same way. If an owner wants to service, repair, or restore a vehicle, the work has to happen inside a completely enclosed structure on the owner's own property, such as a garage, or at a commercial district business licensed to perform that kind of repair.

Sitting a dead vehicle on blocks in the yard or driveway to fix it later is not an exception. The section sits alongside Section 8-104's general Property Management standards, which require every property owner to keep the site free of trash and debris and in compliance with the county's Health and Safety Regulations, and alongside Section 8-105's separate ban on using a working RV or camper as a permanent dwelling or storage unit. All repair and restoration activity, regardless of where it takes place, remains subject to every other local, state, and federal health and safety law. 1 of the resolution and can order the vehicle removed or the repair work moved indoors.