Sacramento County, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Nuisance declaration
- County Code § 6.56.010
- State authority
- California Vehicle Code § 22660
- On-street trigger
- Parked over 72 hours (County Code § 10.24.070)
- Abatement process
- 72-hour notice of intent to abate, then tow
- Authority
- Sacramento County Code Enforcement (unincorporated)
Summary
Sacramento County Code Chapter 6.56 declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles a public nuisance, authorizing abatement and removal under California Vehicle Code Section 22660. On the street, a vehicle left over 72 hours (County Code § 10.24.070) is treated as abandoned. Code Enforcement posts a notice of intent to abate before removal.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a city, county, or city and county may adopt an ordinance establishing procedures for the abatement and removal, as public nuisances, of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles or parts thereof from private or public property, and for the recovery, pursuant to Section 25845 or 38773.5 of the Government Code, or assumption by the local authority, of costs of administration and the removal.
Full Breakdown
56 sets out the County's authority to abate abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles. 010 declares that the accumulation and storage of such vehicles reduces property values, promotes blight, attracts crime, creates fire hazards, and harbors rodents and insects, making it a public nuisance. This abatement authority is grounded in California Vehicle Code Section 22660, which allows counties to establish procedures for removing such vehicles and recovering costs. The County Code Enforcement Division's process: a vehicle that appears abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, unregistered, or parked in excess of 72 hours is posted with a 72-hour notice of intent to abate; if the owner does not voluntarily correct the problem, the vehicle is towed and fees may be imposed.
Nuisance vehicles include those that are abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, inoperative, unregistered for more than six months, or unmoved for more than 72 hours. 070 makes a vehicle eligible for abatement. Residents can report suspected abandoned vehicles to the County (via 311 or the Code Enforcement vehicle-abatement program); on-street parking-only violations are referred to the Sheriff's parking enforcement.
Violations & Fines
Owners of abated vehicles are responsible for towing and abatement costs and may have liens or fees imposed. Storing a junk/inoperative vehicle on private property outside a fully enclosed building (with narrow parcel-size exceptions) is itself a separate Zoning Code violation subject to Code Enforcement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is a vehicle considered abandoned in Sacramento County?
What happens after a vehicle is reported?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento County
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