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Sebastian County, AR Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Trigger threshold
Junked auto outside 30+ days
Permit required
Certificate of operation, County Judge
Screening height
8-ft opaque fence (6-ft if elevated)
Base fine
$250 under § 110.99
Continuing fine
$50 per day after 5-day notice
Governing ordinance
Ord. 90-8, passed 5-15-90

Summary

Leaving a junked or wrecked automobile outside a building for more than 30 days on unincorporated county land turns the site into a regulated salvage yard requiring a county certificate of operation and screening.

City-specific rules exist: Fort Smith has its own abandoned vehicles rules that differ from Sebastian County's county-level regulations. If you live in Fort Smith, check the city-specific page instead.

SALVAGE YARD. Any establishment maintained, used or operated for the storing, keeping, dismantling, salvaging, buying or selling of scraps or discarded pieces of metal, paper, rags, tires, bottles and other materials; inoperable, wrecked, scrapped, ruined or discarded automobiles, automobile parts, machinery or appliances. If junked or wrecked automobiles remain outside a building for more than 30 days as inoperable, partially dismantled, wrecked or junked automobiles, the area shall be deemed, for the purpose of this chapter, a SALVAGE YARD.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-62: 2026 S-62 contains Local legislation current through April 21, 2026).

Full Breakdown

Chapter 110, adopted by Ordinance 90-8 on May 15, 1990, does not target a single abandoned car the way a typical impound ordinance does; instead it regulates the property once junked vehicles accumulate. 01 defines SALVAGE YARD to include any place maintained for storing, dismantling, or selling inoperable, wrecked, scrapped, ruined, or discarded automobiles, and specifies that if junked or wrecked automobiles remain outside a building for more than 30 days as inoperable, partially dismantled, wrecked, or junked vehicles, the area is deemed a salvage yard for purposes of the chapter. 03(H). Burning wrecked or discarded automobiles is prohibited. 04.

Violations & Fines

Operating an unpermitted or unscreened salvage yard, including a residential lot with junked vehicles left outside more than 30 days, carries a $250 fine under Section 110.99, with a $50-per-day penalty for each day the violation continues past the five-day compliance window, and the county may remove the junk material and bill the operator for removal costs under Section 110.03(E)(3).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I leave a wrecked car in my yard in unincorporated Sebastian County?
Not indefinitely. Section 110.01 deems the area a salvage yard once a junked, wrecked, or partially dismantled automobile sits outside a building for more than 30 days, which then requires a certificate of operation and screening under Chapter 110.
Who issues the salvage yard permit for junked vehicles?
The County Judge's Office issues the certificate of operation under Section 110.03(G), and can deny it if the site cannot be adequately screened due to the land's topography under Section 110.03(I).
What happens if a junked-vehicle site is not screened?
It is declared a public nuisance under Section 110.03(J). The county can order compliance within 30 days, then remove the junk itself and bill the owner, and a $250 fine applies under Section 110.99 with $50 per day for a continuing violation.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Sebastian County

All Sebastian County rules

Compare Sebastian County to another location·View the Arkansas parking rules overview

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