What are South Pasadena's rules for a junk car on private property?

We found no copy of the city's municipal code online. California leaves yard-and-driveway enforcement to each city under Vehicle Code 22660, so South Pasadena may have its own version. State rules on abandonment and street tows apply regardless.

Why does the release of liability matter so much?

Suppose a buyer dumps the car later, it gets impounded and nobody claims it. If no report of sale was filed, the South Pasadena car's last registered person commits an infraction and covers any lien sale gap. REG 138, sent within 5 days, is that report.

Is it legal to just leave a dead car somewhere?

No. In South Pasadena, abandoning a car on a highway breaks Vehicle Code 22523. So does leaving it on private land without the owner's consent. The minimum fine is $100, and you also need proof that removal was paid for.

Where do I deal with the title?

With the California DMV, which runs its own field offices. Title paperwork can also go by mail to the DMV at PO Box 942869 in Sacramento.

Town guide · California

Selling a dead car in South Pasadena

For a South Pasadena owner, the riskiest moment with a dead car is not the day it dies. It is after you hand it over. Say a car you sold gets abandoned, impounded and left unclaimed. Under Vehicle Code 22523, a South Pasadena car's last registered owner faces an infraction and pays what the lien sale fell short, "unless a report of sale was filed." Filing the release within five days keeps you covered. If you want the car gone, we buy whole non-running and junk cars, and you sell the whole car as it sits.

Updated October 11, 2026 · 10 sources

Photo: The original uploader was Geographer at English Wikipedia · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons

South Pasadena, the short version

Population: 25,503 (Census estimate, July 1, 2025)
County: Los Angeles
Land area: 3.409 sq mi
City junk-car code: Not found online; state law applies, local rules may exist
Release of liability: REG 138 within 5 days
Abandonment fine (state): At least $100 plus removal costs
Title notary: None listed in the DMV seller steps

The city's own rules

We couldn't find South Pasadena's municipal code online, so this page covers state law only. Vehicle Code 22660 lets South Pasadena adopt an ordinance to remove wrecked or inoperative cars from public and private land and bill for it. South Pasadena may have one, with its own notice period. Ask the city first if you're hoping a driveway car has some grace period. City Hall appears in the photo above.

State law on a parked car

Dumping is illegal. Vehicle Code 22523 forbids dumping a South Pasadena car on a highway. The same goes for someone else's land without their okay. In South Pasadena the fine is $100 at minimum, plus proof that the removal bill was paid.
Curb time has a limit. Under Vehicle Code 22651, South Pasadena can tow a car parked 72 hours straight against a local ordinance.

Release of liability first, then the title

REG 138 must reach the DMV within 5 days after a South Pasadena car changes hands. South Pasadena sellers can file with the DMV online at dmv.ca.gov/nrl. South Pasadena paper filings head to Sacramento, CA 94259-0001, at P.O. Box 942859. Once the DMV records it, parking and traffic violations and civil suits after the sale date move to the buyer. After you sell walks through it.

Then the title itself. California's DMV, not a county office, keeps the records. Two signatures can be needed on a South Pasadena car's California Certificate of Title: the seller's, and any lienholder's. In South Pasadena the buyer brings it in with the $15 transfer fee. No notary appears in the DMV's seller instructions. Title listed under another person? Read car not in your name.

Smog and plates for a junk car

Selling the car for dismantling means no Smog Check. Regular plates usually stay on a South Pasadena car. Personalized or special plates can go onto another car for a fee. A car listed as Junk gives its plates back to the DMV.

Getting an offer

Selling a dead car in South Pasadena? Call (877) 421-6008 or fill out the form. Free pickup anywhere in the US means the truck can come to a curb, a detached garage or a repair shop in South Pasadena. Alhambra and Pasadena are a few miles off; statewide rules are on the California page.

Questions people ask

What are South Pasadena's rules for a junk car on private property?: We found no copy of the city's municipal code online. California leaves yard-and-driveway enforcement to each city under Vehicle Code 22660, so South Pasadena may have its own version. State rules on abandonment and street tows apply regardless.
Why does the release of liability matter so much?: Suppose a buyer dumps the car later, it gets impounded and nobody claims it. If no report of sale was filed, the South Pasadena car's last registered person commits an infraction and covers any lien sale gap. REG 138, sent within 5 days, is that report.
Is it legal to just leave a dead car somewhere?: No. In South Pasadena, abandoning a car on a highway breaks Vehicle Code 22523. So does leaving it on private land without the owner's consent. The minimum fine is $100, and you also need proof that removal was paid for.
Where do I deal with the title?: With the California DMV, which runs its own field offices. Title paperwork can also go by mail to the DMV at PO Box 942869 in Sacramento.

Sources

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

U.S. Census Bureau city population estimates, 2020-2025 www2.census.gov
U.S. Census Bureau 2025 Gazetteer (land area) www2.census.gov
California Vehicle Code 22660 (local abatement ordinances) california.public.law
California Vehicle Code 22523 (abandonment) california.public.law
California Vehicle Code 22651 (72-hour street tows) california.public.law
California DMV: REG 138 Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability dmv.ca.gov
California DMV: Title transfers and changes dmv.ca.gov
California DMV: Junking a vehicle (individual) dmv.ca.gov
California DMV: License plates dmv.ca.gov
California DMV: Registration fees dmv.ca.gov