Vallejo, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Section 22651 is the authority behind Vallejo's registration-based tows, and its two triggers work differently. Under subdivision (o), a vehicle can be removed when it is found or operated on a highway, on public land, or in an offstreet parking facility with a registration expiration date in excess of six months before the date it is found. That six month window matters: a recently lapsed registration is not by itself enough under this subdivision. The reach to offstreet parking facilities also means a long-expired vehicle is not protected just because it sits in a parking lot instead of on the street.

Under subdivision (j), the trigger is an illegally parked vehicle with no license plates and no other evidence of registration displayed. That vehicle may be impounded, and the statute conditions its release on the owner or person in control furnishing the impounding law enforcement agency evidence of their identity and an address within this state where they can be located. In Vallejo, code enforcement issues a notice to the registered owner before towing, and vehicles without current registration, with flat tires, or with significant damage may be classified as abandoned.

On private property the rule is about visibility: an inoperable vehicle must be kept in an enclosed garage or behind an opaque fence, with exemptions possible for a vehicle actively being repaired under a valid permit. On a public street, a vehicle typically cannot remain parked in the same spot for more than 72 hours.