Salem, OR Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SRC § 50.260, keeping junk prohibited
- Abatement authority
- SRC § 50.265, ties to SRC 102.200-102.240
- Low-value disposal threshold
- $500.00 or less, to licensed dismantler
- Standard disposal threshold
- $2,000.00 or less, per ORS 819.210
- Hearing window
- 5 days to request Municipal Court hearing
- Unclaimed period
- 30 days after notice before disposal
Summary
Salem bars keeping a wrecked, neglected, or derelict vehicle outdoors on any premises or in the right-of-way unless it falls under a licensed wrecking, dealer-display, or vehicle-service exception. Code enforcement ties removal to SRC 50.265's abatement rule, which routes junk-vehicle towing, notice, hearing rights, and disposal through the citywide impound procedure in SRC chapter 102.
No person shall deposit or keep junk within a public right-of-way, or out-of-doors on any premises within the City, or in a building or structure that is not fully enclosed. ... The abatement of junk motor vehicles from private or public property is subject to the provisions of SRC 102.200 to 102.240.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
260 bars anyone from depositing or keeping junk, including a wrecked, neglected, or derelict motor vehicle, in the public right-of-way, out-of-doors on any premises, or in a structure that isn't fully enclosed, unless it falls under a narrow list of exceptions: a state-licensed vehicle-wrecking business, a licensed new-and-used dealer's display vehicle, or a motor-vehicle-service business allowed up to eight vehicles outside an enclosure in an industrial zone or four in a commercial zone. 805(k) separately flags keeping more than five cubic yards of junk on residentially zoned property as a declared public nuisance.
200 lets a police officer order a vehicle towed when its driver is arrested or it sits unattended on private property without permission, with the City's contracted tow firm holding a lien for towing and storage costs. 220. 110, both after a 30-day unclaimed period.
Violations & Fines
Keeping more than five cubic yards of junk, including a derelict vehicle, on residential property is a listed public nuisance under SRC 50.805(k), enforced through the SRC 50.800-50.880 abatement chain: a notice under SRC 50.810 sets a compliance deadline, after which the City can do the work and bill it back with a 20 percent overhead charge under SRC 50.840, becoming a lien if unpaid within 30 days under SRC 50.845. General infractions carry a $100.00-$250.00 fine under SRC 50.900(c), plus a civil penalty up to $2,000.00 per violation under SRC 50.915.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Salem code enforcement tow a junk car parked on my private lot?
How do I get my towed vehicle back?
What happens if nobody claims the vehicle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salem
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