Vancouver, WA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Junk vehicles
- Prohibited on private property and declared a public nuisance
- Inoperable vehicle limit
- Seven days outdoors in any calendar year
- Unscreened inoperable vehicles
- One per property at any one time
- Inoperable test
- Cannot move 100 feet forward and reverse under own power
- Civil penalty schedule
- $250 first, $500 second, $1,000 subsequent (VMC 22.02.070(D))
- Exemptions
- Fully enclosed in a building, or fenced at a licensed dealer or dismantler
Summary
Vancouver, Washington bans the storage of junk vehicles on private property outright and declares them a public nuisance. An inoperable vehicle can be kept outdoors for no more than seven days, consecutive or not, in any calendar year, and only one unenclosed or unscreened inoperable vehicle is allowed on a property at any one time.
A. Junk vehicles. The storage or retention of junk vehicles on private property is declared a public nuisance and is prohibited. B. Inoperable vehicles. The storage of inoperable vehicles on private property is declared a public nuisance. No person shall retain or store outdoors an inoperable vehicle for more than seven (7) consecutive or non-consecutive days in any calendar year. No more than (1) unenclosed or unscreened inoperable vehicle may be on a property at any one time. C. Subsections (A) and (B) do not apply to: 1. A vehicle or part thereof that is completely enclosed within a building in a lawful manner, so as not to be visible from adjacent or nearby public or private property; 2. A vehicle that is stored or parked in a lawful manner on private property in connection with the business of a licensed vehicle dismantler or licensed vehicle dealer and is fenced in accordance with the provisions of RCW 46.80.130.
Full Breakdown
VMC 17.14.280 splits the rule in two. Subsection A covers junk vehicles: storing or retaining one on private property is declared a public nuisance and is prohibited, with no grace period. The chapter's definitions say a junk vehicle is one certified by a fully or limited commissioned law enforcement officer that meets at least three of the listed criteria: it is three years old or older, it is extensively damaged (a broken window or windshield or missing wheels, tires, motor or transmission), it is apparently inoperable, or its approximate fair market value equals only the approximate value of the scrap in it.
Subsection B covers inoperable vehicles. The definitions describe one as a vehicle missing a component such as a wheel, engine, battery, transmission or fuel tank, or a vehicle that is not able to move 100 feet in forward and reverse gear under its own power. No person shall retain or store one outdoors for more than seven days, consecutive or non-consecutive, in any calendar year, and no more than one unenclosed or unscreened inoperable vehicle is allowed on a property at any time.
Subsection C carves out two exemptions. A vehicle or part completely enclosed within a building in a lawful manner, so that it is not visible from adjacent or nearby public or private property, falls outside subsections A and B. So does a vehicle stored or parked lawfully on private property in connection with the business of a licensed vehicle dismantler or licensed vehicle dealer, provided it is fenced in accordance with RCW 46.80.130.
The Uniform Enforcement Code in Title 22 defines a nuisance vehicle as any inoperable vehicle or junk vehicle as defined in VMC chapter 17.14, so these cases run through the city's civil enforcement process. This section governs private property only. A vehicle left on a street or other highway is handled under the 24-hour prolonged parking rule in VMC 19.12.100 instead.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 17.14 is enforced under VMC Title 22 as a civil violation. The penalty schedule in VMC 22.02.070(D) covers all chapters in Title 17 except chapter 17.39: $250 for a first violation, $500 for a second and $1,000 for subsequent violations within any two-year period. A daily monetary penalty under the same schedule accrues automatically if the corrective action in the notice of civil violation and order is not completed by the corrective date. Cumulative penalties cannot be collected until the responsible person has had written notice of an opportunity to appeal under VMC 22.03.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a broken-down car sit in my yard in Vancouver, WA?
What makes a vehicle a junk vehicle in Vancouver?
Does keeping the car in a garage take it out of the rule?
Are car dealers and dismantlers covered?
What about a car abandoned on the street?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vancouver
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