Palm Desert, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Chapter 10.24 of the Palm Desert Municipal Code declares an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle, or its parts, a public nuisance when it sits on private or public property where it can be viewed from or parked on a public street or highway. The findings in Section 10.24.010 cite reduced property values, blight, plundering, fire hazards, hazards to minors and harborage for rodents and insects.

Section 10.24.020 defines the terms. An abandoned vehicle is one left on a highway, public property or private property in such inoperable or neglected condition that the owner's intent to relinquish all rights can reasonably be concluded, considering how long it has not moved, its condition and statements from the owner and witnesses. An inoperative vehicle cannot be driven under its own power or is unsafe to operate, including one lacking inflated tires or a working engine, or one left on jacks or blocks. A vehicle wrecked in a traffic accident and moved to a lawful storage facility is not considered abandoned while unclaimed.

Section 10.24.030 exempts a vehicle completely enclosed within a building in a lawful manner, a vehicle lawfully kept in connection with a licensed dismantler, licensed vehicle dealer or junk yard, and a vehicle on private property where it cannot be viewed from any public street facing property.

The process under Section 10.24.160 begins with a seventy-two hour notice posted on the vehicle and a follow-up inspection within seventy-two hours. If the vehicle remains, the city mails a ten-day notice of intention to abate by registered mail to the owner of the land and the owner of the vehicle under Section 10.24.090. Either can request a hearing before the City Council within ten days. A hearing carries a sharing cost of fifty dollars toward administrative costs under Section 10.24.110. The city manager or designee administers the chapter under Section 10.24.050.