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

On public roads, any vehicle parked more than 72 hours may be cited and towed as abandoned under CVC §22651(k), and wrecked or dismantled vehicles may be abated immediately under CVC §22669. Riverside County participates in the statewide Abandoned Vehicle Abatement (AVA) program, funded by a $1 per-vehicle DMV fee, to remove qualifying abandoned vehicles at low or no cost. On private property, Riverside County Ordinance 348 Section 19.1 requires all vehicles to be registered or stored entirely within an enclosed structure; an inoperable, unregistered, or dismantled vehicle visible from the street or a neighboring parcel is a nuisance subject to abatement. Code Enforcement issues a Notice and Order under Ord. 725 (nuisance abatement), with a compliance period usually of 10-30 days. Failure to comply triggers administrative citations (starting around $100 and escalating to $500+ for repeat violations) and potential county-contracted removal with the cost recorded as a lien on the property. Auto-dismantling and collector-vehicle hobbies are allowed on larger parcels if vehicles are screened by a six-foot opaque fence and comply with the number-of-vehicles limits.