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Town guide · California

Anaheim junk cars: fences, notices and selling

In Anaheim a wrecked car can stay only out of sight. Under Section 6.80.160, keeping an "abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative" car on public or private property "for a period in excess of ten days" is a misdemeanor. The exceptions all mean hiding it: in a building, behind "a solid fence six feet in height," or other legal screening so it is not "plainly visible from the street or other public or private property." Throwing a tarp over it in the driveway is not enough. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, you sell the whole car as it sits, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.

Updated · 10 sources

Anaheim City Hall, a glass and stone building with a Let's Go Ducks banner, behind tall palm trees, a red flower bed and a crosswalk
Photo: Ken Lund · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Anaheim, the short version

Population
341,008 (Census estimate, July 1, 2025)
County
Orange
Junk-vehicle rule
Municipal Code 6.80.160, over 10 days is a misdemeanor
Allowed if hidden by
A building, a 6-foot solid fence, or other lawful screening
Streets and city lots
72 consecutive hours (Sec. 14.32.191)
Release of liability
REG 138 within 5 days
Plates
Standard plates generally stay with the car

Who gets the notice

Section 6.80.080 puts the duty on "any owner, lessee or occupant" to keep the lot clear. Renters are included. When the City Council authorizes it, the Chief of Police serves a written Notice to Abate Nuisance that describes the car. If the landowner is unknown or lives out of state, the notice is posted on the car for ten days.

It says a public hearing comes next if the car has not moved in ten days. Removal costs and administrative costs can then be charged against the property.

The hearing

Section 6.80.090 has the hearing notice mailed ten or more days before "by certified mail, with a five day return requested." Both the landowner on the county roll and the car's last registered and legal owner get it. If the post office returns a notice undelivered, the hearing moves back at least ten days. Not getting the mail does not stop the process, as long as a notice was posted on the car ten days before the hearing.

Streets, city lots and oversized vehicles

Section 14.32.191 bars leaving a car on "any street, highway, City-owned and/or maintained property, parking lot or parking structure" for 72 or more consecutive hours. Police may remove it, and the owner is liable for the cost. Section 14.32.206 gives oversized vehicles that break down a 24-hour emergency allowance on a city street.

Title and plates from Orange County

There is no Orange County title office for this. In California, the state DMV does titles. Put your signature on the title, with the lender's if a lien remains, and the buyer pays the DMV's $15 transfer fee when filing it. DMV does not ask sellers to use a notary. You finish by filing REG 138 online or by mail within 5 days. Tickets from after the sale then go to the buyer. Regular plates usually remain on the car. A car sold to be dismantled is exempt from the Smog Check. Notice to remove a car covers what to do once a notice is posted.

Nearby towns

In a straight line, Yorba Linda sits 2.4 miles from Anaheim, Placentia 5.8, Orange 7.6 and Brea 7.8. See California for statewide rules.

Getting an offer

Reach us online or at (877) 421-6008 about the Anaheim car you want to sell. Has the car been tagged with a notice? Tell us the date on it. Pickup can be behind the fence, in the carport, or wherever it stopped.

Questions people ask

Can I keep a wrecked car behind a fence in Anaheim?
Yes, if the fence does the job. Section 6.80.160 exempts a car enclosed within a solid fence six feet high that is not plainly visible from the street or other property. A car fully inside a building, or hidden by other lawful screening, is also exempt.
What if the city cannot find the property owner?
Under Section 6.80.080, when the owner is unknown or lives outside California, the notice to abate is posted on the car itself for ten days, and service counts as complete ten days after posting.
How long can a car sit on an Anaheim street or in a city lot?
Less than 72 consecutive hours. Section 14.32.191 covers streets, highways, city-owned property, parking lots and parking structures, and police may remove a car left longer.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. Anaheim Municipal Code 6.80.160, Abandonment of wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles prohibited codelibrary.amlegal.com
  2. Anaheim Municipal Code 6.80.080, Abatement of nuisance, notice to abate codelibrary.amlegal.com
  3. Anaheim Municipal Code 6.80.090, Public hearing and notices required codelibrary.amlegal.com
  4. Anaheim Municipal Code 14.32.191, Parking on streets and city lots restricted codelibrary.amlegal.com
  5. Anaheim Municipal Code 14.32.206, Parking of oversized vehicles codelibrary.amlegal.com
  6. California DMV: Title transfers and changes dmv.ca.gov
  7. California DMV: Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (REG 138) dmv.ca.gov
  8. California DMV: License plates dmv.ca.gov
  9. California DMV: Junking a vehicle (individual) dmv.ca.gov
  10. U.S. Census Bureau: City population estimates, 2020-2025 www2.census.gov