Loudoun County, VA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Enclosure required
- fully enclosed or screened from view
- Notice to remove
- 10 days (Section 602.05)
- Reclaim window after impound
- 15 days (Section 602.07)
- Private-property notice period
- 30 days (Section 602.12)
- Enforcing agency
- Loudoun County Sheriff's Office
- Unreclaimed vehicle outcome
- public auction after 15 days
Summary
Loudoun County bars keeping an inoperable vehicle in plain view on residential, agricultural or commercial land unless it's fully enclosed or screened, and lets the Sheriff impound vehicles abandoned on public or private property under the county's Abandoned, Inoperable and Unattended Vehicle Ordinance, Chapter 602.
No person shall keep on property located in the County and zoned residential, agricultural or commercial, one or more inoperable vehicles, unless such inoperable vehicle is regularly garaged within a fully enclosed building or structure or otherwise shielded or screened from view. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a licensed business which is regularly engaged in business as an automobile dealer, salvage dealer or scrap processor.
Full Breakdown
04 requires any inoperable vehicle kept on residential, agricultural or commercial property to be regularly garaged in a fully enclosed building or otherwise shielded or screened from view; licensed auto dealers, salvage dealers and scrap processors are exempt. 05 the Sheriff gives the property owner written notice to bring the vehicle into compliance or remove it within 10 days; failure lets the county remove and dispose of it, charging the owner or placing a lien on the property. 07 requires notice to the registered owner and lienholders within 15 days, with a 15-day window to reclaim the vehicle upon paying towing and storage charges, plus the right to a hearing before the County Administrator to contest an "abandoned" finding.
08 authorizes a public auction, with proceeds first covering the county's towing, storage and auction costs. 10. 12 lets the property owner send a certified-mail notice to the registered owner and any lienholders; if the vehicle isn't reclaimed within 30 days, all ownership rights are deemed waived and the landowner may apply to the Virginia DMV for title. That private-property procedure applies only to vehicles registered in Virginia.
Violations & Fines
No specific fine is written into Chapter 602 itself, so 602.99 defaults to the county's general Code penalty under Section 202.99 for any violation. Beyond a citation, noncompliant owners bear the county's cost of removal, towing, preservation and storage, and unpaid removal costs charged against the property owner become a lien recorded against the property until paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a junk car in my driveway in Loudoun County?
How long before the county can remove an abandoned vehicle?
What can a private landowner do about a vehicle abandoned on their land?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Loudoun County
Compare Loudoun County to another location·View the Virginia parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.