Birmingham, AL Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code Sec. 11-8-8
- Covers
- Garbage, junk, debris, inoperable vehicles on any lot
- Vehicle limit
- 1 operable, registered vehicle on residential lots
- 1st offense fine
- $100.00 minimum
- 3rd offense
- Court appearance, $500.00 minimum fine
- Separate vacant-building duty
- Sec. 11-8-2 (secure openings, sanitary)
Summary
Birmingham law bars leaving any lot or premises, developed or vacant, littered with garbage, junk, debris, or inoperable vehicles under City Code Sec. 11-8-8. On a residential lot, no more than one currently registered, operable vehicle may sit outdoors, and every violating day is a separate offense with escalating fines up to $500.00.
(b)Garbage. It shall be unlawful for the owner or other person in charge or control of a building, lot or other premises within the city or the police jurisdiction thereof to fail to keep said lot or premises...clean and free from garbage, refuse, litter, junk, debris, salvaged materials, household furniture, trash, used motor vehicle tires...inoperable motor vehicles, kitchen and other household appliances, rags, paper, cardboard and other nondecorative matter...or which offend the esthetics of the community...Each day such condition is maintained shall constitute a separate offense.(d)Inoperable motor vehicles. It shall be unlawful for any person to park, leave or store upon residential lot or premises within a residential district within the city or the police jurisdiction thereof: (1)An inoperable motor vehicle; or (2)More than one operable motor vehicle; which is not currently and validly registered and tagged as required by the Code of Alabama, 1975...for a longer period of time than is permitted by city or state law.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
inoperable motor vehicles, kitchen and other household appliances, rags, paper, cardboard and other nondecorative matter' under Section 11-8-8(b). The section separately targets vehicles: subsection (d) makes it unlawful to park, leave, or store an inoperable motor vehicle, or more than one operable but unregistered or untagged vehicle, on a residential lot or premises within a residential district for longer than city or state law allows. A companion provision, Section 11-8-2, imposes duties specific to vacant buildings and structures rather than open ground: the owner must keep every opening securely closed to exclude animals and trespassers and must keep the structure in a sanitary condition.
Each day a violating condition on a lot is maintained is treated as a separate offense under Section 11-8-8. 00 fine, plus costs and possible imprisonment, on a third offense in 12 months.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of Section 11-8-8 within any 12-month period carries a minimum $100.00 fine, a second within that period carries a minimum $250.00 fine, and both can be handled administratively under Section 8-3-10. A third or later violation within 12 months requires a court appearance, with a minimum $500.00 fine plus court costs and possible imprisonment under Section 1-1-6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I store an old inoperable car on a vacant lot in Birmingham?
What counts as a nuisance on an unimproved Birmingham lot?
How much is the fine for a first violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Birmingham
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Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle vacant lot maintenance.