Tracy, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Nuisance declared
- Any abandoned/wrecked/inoperative vehicle off a highway
- Notice period
- 10 calendar days before towing
- Low-value exception
- Under $200, missing motor/wheels: no notice
- Appeal
- To City Manager under TMC 4.12.660
- Unpaid cost deadline
- 30 days before it becomes a property assessment
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor for refusing to abate, TMC 4.12.700
Summary
Tracy treats an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle left on private or public property, other than a highway, as a public nuisance under Municipal Code section 4.12.570. The City can order it towed to a scrapyard after a mailed notice-and-hearing process in Article 8 of Chapter 4.12, and refusing to remove one when ordered is a misdemeanor under section 4.12.700.
The accumulation and storage of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles, or parts thereof, on private or public property, not including highways, is hereby found to create a condition tending to reduce the value of private property, to promote blight and deterioration, to invite plundering, to create fire hazards, and to be injurious to the health, safety, and general welfare. Therefore, the presence of an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle, or part thereof, on private or public property, not including highways, except as expressly permitted by the provisions of this Article, is hereby declared to constitute a public nuisance which may be abated as such in accordance with the provisions of this Article. It shall be unlawful and a misdemeanor for any person to fail or refuse to remove an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle, or part thereof, or to refuse to abate such nuisance when ordered to do so in accordance with the abatement provisions of this article or State law where such State law is applicable.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 69).
Full Breakdown
The City's abandoned-vehicle ordinance, Article 8 of TMC Chapter 4.12, declares that an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle or vehicle part left on private or public property other than a highway is a public nuisance because it reduces property values, invites plundering, creates fire hazards and attracts rodents and insects (TMC 4.12.570). The rule reaches driveways, side yards and vacant lots, as defined in 4.12.580, while the street itself is excluded and handled separately as a Vehicle Code matter. Two exceptions apply under 4.12.590: a vehicle completely enclosed inside a lawful building where it cannot be seen from the street, and a vehicle lawfully stored on the premises of a licensed dismantler, vehicle dealer, junk dealer or other lawfully conducted business.
Before towing, the City Manager's designee must mail and post a ten-calendar-day notice of intention to abate to the property owner of record and the vehicle's registered and legal owners (TMC 4.12.640). Either owner can request a hearing within ten working days; if none is requested, staff may proceed with removal. A low-value exception skips the notice: if a vehicle is missing its motor, transmission or wheels, cannot be towed, and is valued under $200, it may be removed immediately as a public-safety threat. After a hearing, the presiding official can order the vehicle removed to a scrapyard or dismantler's yard, and once removed it may never be reconstructed or made operable again (TMC 4.12.670).
Administrative and towing costs are billed to the property owner and, if unpaid within 30 days, become a special assessment collected with property taxes (TMC 4.12.690). Either owner may appeal the hearing decision to the City Manager under TMC 4.12.660.
Violations & Fines
Refusing or failing to remove an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle after the City orders its abatement is a misdemeanor under TMC 4.12.700. Beyond criminal exposure, the property owner faces the City's administrative abatement costs and towing charges, which convert into a special assessment on the parcel, collected by the Tax Collector with the same priority as other City taxes, if unpaid 30 days after the order or a final appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Tracy tow a junk car off my private property?
What if the vehicle is out of sight in my garage?
Who pays for the tow and storage?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tracy
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
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