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

Placer County splits abandoned-vehicle enforcement between the state and the county. For a vehicle abandoned on a county-maintained road or right-of-way in the unincorporated area, residents are directed to the California Highway Patrol, which removes abandoned vehicles from highways under the California Vehicle Code (abandonment authority, CVC Section 22669, and removal authority, CVC Section 22651). Under state law, before most abandoned vehicles are removed, a notice is attached giving the owner at least 72 hours to move it, while vehicles missing parts needed to operate safely can be treated as an immediate hazard.

For a vehicle on private property, private roads, or within the contract cities of Colfax and Loomis, the county's Abandoned Vehicle Abatement program applies: the property owner submits a Vehicle Abatement Request Form to Code Compliance Services, staff use DMV records to attempt to contact the registered owner, and the process typically takes 45 to 60 days and is free of charge for standard passenger vehicles. If the vehicle is on someone else's property, a complaint form is required and the county investigates whether a code violation exists; the county cannot remove a vehicle simply because a neighbor requests it. Separately, the county's general parking code bars storing any vehicle in a county-highway right-of-way for more than 72 consecutive hours.