We buy whole non-running and junk cars. Sell the whole car as it sits.

Free pickup anywhere in the US

(877) 421-6008Get my offer

Town guide · California

A dead car in Campbell: the odometer rule and your options

Campbell checks the odometer. Under Section 10.24.015, a car on a street, alley or public lot for 72 hours counts as stored "if it has remained inoperable or has not been moved at least one mile," and the odometer "shall be presumed to be an accurate indication" of how far it went. If the odometer is hidden, the city assumes the car stayed put. A dead car has no way to prove otherwise. We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Updated · 12 sources

Saint Stephen Antiochian Orthodox Church on East Rincon Avenue in Campbell, a tan stucco building with an arched porch, white columns, wooden doors and a cross
Photo: Eugene Zelenko · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Campbell, the short version

Population
42,490 (Census estimate, July 1, 2025)
County
Santa Clara
Land area
6.081 sq mi
Junk-car rule
Municipal Code Chapter 10.44
Notice
10 days, by certified mail
Street limit
72 hours, then move it one mile
Front yard parking
Paved areas only, running or not
Transfer fee
$15, paid by the buyer

No room on the lawn either

Moving a dead car off the street does not solve much in Campbell. Section 10.24.170 bars keeping any motor vehicle, "whether operable or inoperable," on a front yard, front setback or street-facing corner side yard of a home "except on an area that is fully and contiguously paved." In a rear or side yard, the car has to be out of view from the street or behind fencing that meets city code. Even an undeveloped residential lot needs full paving.

The abatement letter

Campbell's chapter rests on Vehicle Code 22660. Section 10.44.010 calls the presence of such a car on any property "not including highways" a "public nuisance." Then Sections 10.44.080 and 10.44.090 set the timeline:

  1. By certified mail, Campbell sends it to the registered owner and to the landowner on the county assessment roll.
  2. Each says to remove the car "within 10 days from the date of mailing of this notice."
  3. Either owner can request a hearing within the same 10 days, from the city council or the chief of police.
  4. If the landowner states under oath that the car is not his fault, he can have a hearing without showing up.
  5. When no hearing request comes in, Campbell may tow the car and charge the landowner for removal plus administrative costs.

If a letter has arrived, see our page on a notice to remove a car.

Transferring a Campbell car

The state DMV keeps every California title record, and Campbell has no local counter for them. Campbell sellers sign the title, along with a lienholder if one exists. Nothing in the DMV's seller steps calls for a notary. The buyer submits it and pays the $15 transfer fee under Vehicle Code 9255.

The final step is REG 138, due five days after the sale. After DMV logs your Campbell sale, Vehicle Code 5602 shifts later parking tickets, traffic violations and lawsuits over the car to the new owner. In Campbell, a car going to wrecking or dismantling skips the smog check, and standard plates remain on it.

Getting an offer

Reach us online or at (877) 421-6008. Selling a Campbell car? Start with the form and we'll follow up. Our Campbell pickups include driveways off Rincon Avenue, condo garages and repair shops. Nearby: Los Gatos, Saratoga and Santa Clara. For the state picture, see California.

Questions people ask

How does Campbell know my car has not moved?
By the odometer. Section 10.24.015 presumes the odometer is accurate, and a covered or blocked odometer leads to a presumption that the car has not moved at all.
Is a dead car on my lawn fine as long as it is off the street?
No. Section 10.24.170 bars parking any motor vehicle, operable or not, on a front yard, front setback or street-facing corner side yard unless that area is fully paved.
What does filing REG 138 do for me?
Under Vehicle Code 5602, once that is on the DMV record, the new owner answers for parking and traffic violations and civil lawsuits dated after the sale.

Sources

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

  1. Campbell Municipal Code 10.44.010, Findings and declarations library.municode.com
  2. Campbell Municipal Code 10.44.080, Abatement: notice library.municode.com
  3. Campbell Municipal Code 10.44.090, Abatement: hearing notice library.municode.com
  4. Campbell Municipal Code 10.24.015, Use of streets for storage of vehicles library.municode.com
  5. Campbell Municipal Code 10.24.170, Parking on an unpaved surface prohibited library.municode.com
  6. U.S. Census Bureau city population estimates, 2020-2025 www2.census.gov
  7. U.S. Census Bureau 2025 Gazetteer (land area) www2.census.gov
  8. California DMV: Title transfers and changes dmv.ca.gov
  9. California DMV: Registration fees dmv.ca.gov
  10. California DMV: REG 138, Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability dmv.ca.gov
  11. California DMV: Junking a vehicle (individual) dmv.ca.gov
  12. California DMV: License plates dmv.ca.gov