Shawnee County, KS Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

General Code Sec. 23-27 defines an 'abandoned vehicle' as one whose last registered owner 'has relinquished all further dominion and control,' and creates a rebuttable presumption of abandonment once a vehicle sits 'wrecked or partially wrecked or dismantled or inoperative for a period of 30 days or longer,' regardless of who technically still has custody of it. Sec. 23-32 turns that definition into a prohibition: it is a violation to 'permit rusted, wrecked, junked, partially dismantled, inoperative, or abandoned vehicles to be parked, stored, or left on any property for a period in excess of 30 days,' with three narrow exceptions: the vehicle is enclosed in a building or behind an 'aesthetically pleasing wood, brick, or stone fence' so it isn't visible from any adjoining street; it sits on racks or blocks with at least 18 inches of ground clearance to keep out vermin; or it is stored on private property as part of a duly licensed business.

When a violation is found, Sec. 23-33 lets the code enforcement agency or the county counselor's office serve the owner notice, by personal service or restricted or first-class mail, giving a 'reasonable amount of time' to remove or abate the vehicle before the county counselor pursues enforcement; exigent cases, ones posing an immediate health or safety threat, skip that notice period. Sec. 00 for a third or subsequent violation, plus a court-ordered abatement within 30 days of judgment; if the owner does not comply, the county can abate the vehicle itself and place a lien on the property for its costs.