Tustin, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Tustin's Code Enforcement FAQ answers the common question directly: 'A vehicle can be parked on a public street for up to 72 hours at a time per the California Vehicle Code. The Tustin Police Department enforces parking on the street and can be reached at 714-573-3225.' Using a public street to store a vehicle beyond that window is separately citable under Tustin City Code 5330(e), 'Use of street for storage of vehicle (72 hours),' at a $51 fine. Once the 72 hours pass, the vehicle falls under the abandoned-vehicle authority of California Vehicle Code 22651(k), allowing removal. For wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles — including ones sitting on private property in public view — Tustin uses its own abatement chapter, Chapter 5 'Abandoned and Inoperative Vehicles' in Article 4 (Health and Sanitation) of the Tustin City Code. That chapter follows the standard California abatement model: the City issues a Notice of Intention to Abate (Tustin City Code section 4506) that states the hearing rights of the property owner and the vehicle owner before the vehicle is removed and disposed of. This abatement track is handled by Code Enforcement (714-573-3135 north of I-5; 714-573-3134 south of I-5), separate from the Police Traffic Unit that handles on-street citations.