Sparks, NV Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Screening required
- 6-ft opaque fence or fully enclosed structure
- Title requirement
- Must be titled to a resident at the address
- Notice cure period
- At least 10 days to abate
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- City abatement fee
- 15% added to city's abatement cost
- Governing section
- SMC § 7.16.015(C)
Summary
A wrecked or junked vehicle left in the open on residential property in Sparks is a public nuisance unless it is hidden inside an enclosed structure or, if kept in the rear yard, screened behind a six-foot opaque fence or equivalent landscaping. Section 7.16.015 also requires the vehicle title to sit in the name of a resident at that address.
"Wrecked and/or junked items", defined as items which can no longer be used for their original intended purpose due to damage or wear. Wrecked and/or junked items may include, but are not limited to, vehicles, recreational vehicles, travel trailers, utility trailers, and un-mounted camper tops. Wrecked and/or junked items shall be deemed a nuisance unless stored in compliance with the provisions of Chapter 7.16 of the Sparks Municipal Code. ... Wrecked and/or junked vehicles or trailers and other items may be stored on residential property within a permitted and completely enclosed structure or in the rear yard behind a six-foot high opaque fence or six-foot high landscaping providing comparable sight obstruction in a manner so that the wrecked and/or junk item is not visible from public view and does not create a health or safety hazard. Legal title to the wrecked and/or junked vehicle shall be in the name of a resident of the residence where the inoperable vehicle or trailer is stored.
Full Breakdown
010(D)(8) defines "inoperable vehicle or trailer" as one that cannot be safely and legally driven or that is partially dismantled, stripped, damaged, a hulk, discarded, up on blocks, missing tires, or missing an engine or wheels, and separately defines "wrecked and/or junked items" as vehicles, trailers, RVs or camper tops that can no longer be used for their original purpose due to damage or wear. 015(C) sets the storage rule for wrecked or junked vehicles specifically: they may be kept in a permitted, completely enclosed structure, or in the rear yard behind a six-foot high opaque fence or landscaping that gives comparable sight obstruction, so the item is not visible from public view and creates no health or safety hazard.
Legal title must belong to a resident of that address. 015(B) lets a merely "inoperable" (not wrecked or junked) vehicle sit in the front yard under a manufactured vehicle cover on an approved surface; wrecked or junked vehicles do not get that front-yard option. 050, giving the owner at least ten days to abate before the city can act.
Violations & Fines
Maintaining the nuisance is a misdemeanor under Section 7.16.020, punished per Section 1.12.010 with a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, and each day the vehicle remains is a separate offense. If the owner does not abate within the notice period, or after a hearing or appeal under Sections 7.16.070 and 7.16.060, the city may abate the nuisance itself, adding a 15 percent administrative fee to the cost and recording a lien against the property under Section 7.16.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I store a junked car in my Sparks backyard?
What if I get a notice of violation for a junked vehicle?
Is a merely inoperable car treated the same as a wrecked or junked one?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sparks
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Washoe County handle abandoned vehicles.