Abandoned and 72-Hour Parked Vehicles in San Diego

In the City of San Diego, no vehicle may stay parked in one spot on a public street for more than 72 consecutive hours. The City says this applies whether or not there are signs or curb markings, and that it covers operable and inoperable vehicles alike. Two sections of the San Diego Municipal Code (SDMC) do the work:

• SDMC 86.0118 prohibits parking or leaving any vehicle standing on a street or highway in excess of 72 consecutive hours.
• SDMC 86.0137(g) prohibits storing a vehicle on a street, and says a vehicle is stored when it has not been moved more than 1/10 of a mile within a 72 consecutive hour period.

So rolling a car forward a few spaces does not reset the clock. The City's Get It Done FAQ says moving a vehicle more than 1/10th of a mile, which it describes as just shy of two football fields, resets the 72-hour allowance.

Related rules in the same part of the code:

• Inoperable vehicles, 4 hours. SDMC 86.0137(h) prohibits leaving an inoperable vehicle on a street for more than four consecutive hours. Inoperable means wrecked, burned, dismantled, missing a motor, transmission or wheels, on blocks, or otherwise unable to be driven legally.
• City parking facilities, 72 hours. SDMC 86.0133 prohibits parking for more than 72 hours in a parking facility owned, leased or operated by the City, and lets the Police Department impound vehicles that violate it.
• Unattached semi-trailers. SDMC 86.0137(i) prohibits parking an unattached semi-trailer or auxiliary dolly on a street except to load or unload it.

Fine amounts from the City's parking citation fine schedule, as of October 28, 2026. The City says all amounts include an $11.00 California state surcharge; late fees are extra.

Inside the City of San Diego, report a vehicle that has not moved in more than 72 hours with Get It Done, using the Parking form or the Get It Done San Diego app, and choose Vehicles Parked Over 72 Hours. The same form takes abandoned and inoperable vehicles. The City asks for one report per vehicle. Include:

• The full, accurate license plate number, plus the make, model and color.
• Photos that clearly show the vehicle's location, including its surroundings.
• The exact location, with the pin on the vehicle and the nearest address.
• Your contact details, so an officer can reach you for more information if needed.

Questions about a 72-hour report: the form lists 858-495-7856, Monday to Thursday, 5:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Other parking problems, such as a car in a red zone, go through the same form and are reviewed 7 days a week, 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; for urgent parking issues outside those hours, call the Police non-emergency line at 619-531-2000. For an emergency, call 911.

For other kinds of problems, see our guide to reporting a problem to the City of San Diego.

The City's Get It Done FAQ asks you to allow up to 30 days for a complete evaluation, because of the code enforcement process and the volume of reports. The Police Department's abandoned vehicle page also carries a service impact notice saying response times may be delayed by several weeks. According to the City, the steps are:

1. Review. The report goes to an officer on the Abandoned Vehicle Abatement team.
2. Marking. On the first visit, if the vehicle is still there, the officer marks it. You should get an in-process status update at this step.
3. Return check. After 72 hours, an officer comes back to see whether the vehicle has moved.
4. Outcome. If it has not moved, it will be cited and potentially impounded. If it has moved, the case is closed.

If you see the vehicle leave after you report it, the City asks you to close your report using the link in the confirmation email. Get It Done gives status updates for 72-hour reports, but not for other parking violations.

If a vehicle is towed by the City, the owner can search AutoReturn or call AutoReturn at 619-527-4392. The Police Department says the impound process can take at least three hours, and that every owner whose vehicle the City tows can request a Post Storage Hearing by calling SDPD Tow Administration at 858-495-7830, or by mailing back the notice, within 10 days of the mailed notice.

The Police Department also recovers stolen vehicles. When it finds one, an officer tries to call the registered owner. If the owner cannot be reached, or takes more than 20 minutes to get there, the vehicle is stored at a City-contracted tow company until the owner recovers it.

Private property inside the City. The Police Department says it is also illegal to park an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperable vehicle on private property in public view, and its Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Unit removes wrecked, dismantled and inoperative vehicles from both public and private property. Report it with the same Get It Done form or call 858-495-7856.

A vehicle towed from private property may not have been towed by the City, so the City will not have a record of it. The Police Department says to look for information posted at the site about how to get the vehicle back.

The City's Neighborhood Parking Protection Ordinance adds rules for larger vehicles. Under SDMC 86.0139, it is unlawful to park an oversized vehicle, non-motorized vehicle or recreational vehicle on a public street, park road or park parking lot:

• between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., and
• within 50 feet of an intersection, at any time.

The code defines an oversized vehicle as one, including any attached trailers or loads, that exceeds 27 feet in length and 7 feet in height. The City's fact sheet describes non-motorized vehicles as open and closed trailers, with or without loads. Recreational vehicles include camp trailers, campers, trailer coaches, house cars, boats, dune buggies, ATVs and other vehicles used mainly for recreation. Under SDMC 86.0141, the rules take effect on the posting of signs. SDMC 86.0140 lists exceptions, such as actively loading or unloading, performing a service on the same block, and government or utility vehicles.

Temporary Overnight Recreational Vehicle Permit (TORVP). Residents, or a bona fide guest, can get a permit to park a recreational vehicle overnight on the resident's own block. Only RVs qualify. As of October 28, 2026, the City lists:

• $1.50 per 24-hour permit, nonrefundable.
• No more than three consecutive 24-hour periods at a time.
• No more than 72 permits per address per calendar year.
• Proof of residency with two documents, such as a California driver's license or registration, a current utility bill, a property deed or tax bill, or a signed lease.

Apply through the City's online permit system. The code says a permitted RV may not be used for overnight camping or lodging while parked on the street, and the City notes that a permit does not excuse any other parking rule, including the 72-hour limit. SDMC 86.0137(f) separately regulates using a vehicle for human habitation on streets and public property.

The rules and reporting tools above are for the City of San Diego. Other agencies handle other places:

Not sure if an address is in the unincorporated County? The County publishes a code compliance map (PDF).