Amador County, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Unincorporated Amador County has a detailed abandoned-vehicle ordinance in Title 10, Chapter 10.32 (Abandoned Vehicle Abatement), adopted by Ordinance 1706 in 2011 under the authority of California Vehicle Code Section 22660. The Board of Supervisors declares that the accumulation of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperable vehicles 'is declared to constitute a public nuisance which may be abated.' A vehicle is presumed abandoned 'when it is left on a highway for seventy-two hours or more without being moved,' and a vehicle that lacks an engine, transmission, wheels, tires, doors, windshield or other equipment necessary to operate safely 'may be removed immediately upon discovery by a peace officer or other designated employee.' The chapter is administered by the Amador County sheriff and the code enforcement division. Before abating a vehicle on private property, a notice of intention to abate and remove must be mailed by registered or certified mail at least ten days before removal to the property owner and the registered and legal owners, who may request a hearing. A streamlined process applies to low-value vehicles on A, AG or R1-A parcels valued under three hundred dollars. Decisions may be appealed with a seventy-five-dollar appeal fee, and unpaid costs may be assessed against the parcel under Government Code Section 25845. It is 'unlawful and a misdemeanor' to refuse to abate when ordered, punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or up to six months in county jail, or both. Exemptions exist for fully enclosed or screened vehicles, licensed dismantlers and dealers, and permitted collector-vehicle collections.