Tacoma, WA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- TMC Ch. 8.23
- Public property removal
- 24 hours after tagging
- Private property notice
- 18 calendar days
- Nuisance test
- 3 of 4 criteria met
- Enforcement tool
- property lien for costs
Summary
Tacoma treats damaged, inoperable, or abandoned vehicles on public or private property as a public nuisance, with notice-and-abatement procedures and City-ordered removal for landowners who don't comply.
One or more Public Nuisance Vehicles, or parts thereof, which have been accumulated, dismantled, parked, placed, or stored on any property, constitute a public nuisance which shall be abated pursuant to the provisions of this chapter and through the authority given the City under the Tacoma City Charter and the Laws and Constitution of the State Washington... A Public Nuisance Vehicle is further declared to be an "unauthorized vehicle" within the meaning of RCW 46.55.085.
Full Breakdown
TMC Chapter 8.23, Public Nuisance Vehicles, declares a vehicle a 'Public Nuisance Vehicle' when it meets three of four criteria: extensively damaged, apparently inoperable, at least three years old, and worth roughly scrap value. Accumulating, dismantling, parking, or storing one on any property, public or private, is a public nuisance the City must abate. On public property, officers tag the vehicle and may tow it after 24 hours; on private property, the City issues a Notice of Violation and Abatement giving the landowner 18 calendar days to voluntarily remove it or face City-ordered removal and a lien for costs.
Violations & Fines
Failure to abate triggers City removal and disposal at the owner's expense, plus a property lien for administration and removal costs under TMC § 8.23.110.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Tacoma landowner get to remove a nuisance vehicle?
What makes a vehicle a 'public nuisance vehicle' in Tacoma?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tacoma
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle abandoned vehicles.