Riverside County, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- County Code Chapter 10.04 (Abandoned Vehicles)
- Time limit
- 10 days for inoperative/wrecked vehicles
- Legal status
- Declared a public nuisance
- Penalty range
- $100 / $200 infraction up to $1,000 misdemeanor
- Cost recovery
- Assessed to parcel; treble costs on repeat
Summary
County Code Chapter 10.04 makes it unlawful to keep an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle on public or private property in the unincorporated county for more than 10 days, declaring it a public nuisance subject to abatement. Penalties run from a $100 infraction up to a $1,000 misdemeanor.
(a) Any peace officer, as that term is defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, or any other employee of the state, county, or city designated by an agency or department of the state or the board of supervisors or city council to perform this function, in the territorial limits in which the officer or employee is authorized to act, who has reasonable grounds to believe that the vehicle has been abandoned, as determined pursuant to Section 22523, may remove the vehicle from a highway or from public or private property. (b) Any person performing a franchise or contract awarded pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 22710, may remove a vehicle from a highway or place to which it has been removed pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 22654 or from public or private property, after a determination by a peace officer, as that term is defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, or other designated employee of the state, county, or city in which the vehicle is located that the vehicle is abandoned, as determined pursuant to Section 22523. (c) A state, county, or city employee, other than a peace officer or employee of a sheriff's department or a city police department, designated to remove vehicles pursuant to this section may do so only after he or she has mailed or personally delivered a written report identifying the vehicle and its location to the office of the Department of the California Highway Patrol located nearest to the vehicle. (d) Motor vehicles which are parked, resting, or otherwise immobilized on any highway or public right-of-way and which lack an engine, transmission, wheels, tires, doors, windshield, or any other part or equipment necessary to operate safely on the highways of this state, are hereby declared a hazard to public health, safety, and welfare and may be removed immediately upon discovery by a peace officer or other designated employee of the state, county, or city.
Full Breakdown
04 (Abandoned Vehicles) and the county's nuisance abatement framework. It is unlawful for any person to abandon, park, store or leave any licensed or unlicensed vehicle, or part of one, that is in an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative condition on any private or public property within the unincorporated county for more than 10 days, unless it is lawfully stored on private property in connection with a licensed dismantler, licensed dealer or county-approved junkyard. Such vehicles are declared a public nuisance. 070 requires a notice of intention to abate mailed by registered or certified mail to the property owner and the vehicle's registered and legal owners, with a statement of hearing rights. 5. County Code Enforcement also runs the Abandoned Vehicle Authority (AVA) program offering free removal of junk vehicles.
Violations & Fines
Section 10.04.140 makes a first violation an infraction (fine up to $100), a second up to $200, and a third or later violation on the same site by the same person a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000, six months in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a non-running car sit before it's a violation?
Who removes abandoned vehicles in the unincorporated county?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside County
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside County to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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