Paulding County, GA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Section 40-5(2) makes it unlawful to place, keep, park, store, maintain, permit, or allow a junk vehicle on public or private property anywhere in the unincorporated county, whether it sits in a driveway, side yard, or vacant lot. Three narrow exceptions exist. First, a residential property owner may keep up to two junk vehicles inside a fully enclosed building while actively reconditioning them for personal use; the exception lapses once reconditioning stops. Second, a business located in a zoning district authorized for vehicle repair, reconditioning, or remodeling may keep junk vehicles outdoors so long as they stay in a continual process of repair rather than being cannibalized for salvage parts.

Third, a licensed junk or salvage yard operating in a properly zoned district may store junk vehicles as part of its business. Sec. 40-2 assigns primary enforcement to the Paulding County marshal's office, with zoning enforcement officers, the sheriff, and deputy sheriffs also authorized to issue citations. Violators answer in superior court, state court, or magistrate court, and each day a junk vehicle remains in violation can support a separate citation. A property owner who receives a citation should remove the vehicle, move it into an enclosed structure, or document that it qualifies for one of the three zoning exceptions before the court date.