Common Codes Enforced

A vehicle can be considered abandoned or discarded if it has remained in the same location on a public right of way in excess of 24 hours and one or more of the following conditions exist:

1. The vehicle appears inoperative or disabled;
2. The vehicle appears wrecked, partially dismantled, or junked; or
3. The vehicle does not display a current registration plate or trip permit.

A trailer that has remained in the same location for in excess of 24 hours can be considered abandoned if one or more of the following conditions exist:

1. The trailer is unclaimed or damaged, disabled or dismantled such that it is inoperable.
2. The trailer does not display a current registration plate or trip permit, unless exempt therefrom under law.
3. The trailer is on a public right-of-way and no person residing at a property in the vicinity thereof claims a right of control over it.

It is unlawful and a violation of this Ordinance for any person to place or put by any means any type of graffiti on any public or private property. If you see graffiti please report it to Washington County Dispatch at 503-629-0111 so that it can be documented properly.

If you have graffiti on your property, it is your responsibility to remove the graffiti within 10 days.

Property owners will receive a notice to remove the graffiti, however if you are unable to remove the graffiti within 10 days due to a hardship, you may apply to the City Manager for an extension of time or alternate resolution such as volunteer or community service clean up. A "hardship" means serious illness or disability, extremely inclement weather that temporarily prevents removal of the graffiti, or other extraordinary circumstance.

Hazards refer to any situation that lacks safeguards to protect others from harm or even death.

Some examples of hazards include:

• A container or compartment accessible to children that fastens or locks automatically and cannot be easily opened from the inside - such as a storage unit or dumpster
• An exposed hole in the ground greater than four feet deep and 12 inches wide that does not have a cover or fence around it - such as a well, cistern, or other excavation; this includes swimming pools that are not above ground.
• Unguarded machinery or other equipment that is attractive, dangerous, and accessible to children - such as lawnmowers, backhoes, or power tools
• Lumber, logs, or piling placed or stored in a manner to be attractive, dangerous, and accessible to children
• Electric or barbed wire fences without a permit

This section does not apply to authorized construction projects with reasonable safeguards to prevent injury or death to playing children.

Report Hazards

To report hazards or any other code violation, contact dispatch at 503-629-0111.

Discarding items outside of your own waste bins or garbage cans, especially large and bulky items like furniture, tires, mattresses, etc., is against the law. 

There are proper and legal ways to discard unwanted items through waste services. 

Noise regulations exist to regulate loud, unnecessary, unnatural, or unusual noise within the City limits of Forest Grove and to provide a procedure for the prevention and prohibition of loud, unnecessary, unnatural, or unusual noises affecting public peace to promote a livable community and to protect the public health and welfare.

Quiet hours exist between 10 pm and 7 am in most areas in Forest Grove.

Learn more about noise violations.

Report Noise Violations

To report a noise violation, please contact Washington County Dispatch at 503-629-0111 while the incident is occurring - as officers must witness the violation to take action.

Nuisance is usually used to describe an activity or condition that is harmful or annoying (as defined by a reasonable person) to others. 

Some common examples of nuisances include:

• Barking dogs- Barking dogs are considered a nuisance if the barking lasts longer than ten consecutive minutes. 
• Building site noise
• Burglar/car alarms
• Rubbish heaps
• Exposed appliances
• Abandoned shopping carts
• Noxious vegetation or long grass

Learn more about specific nuisance type

Unless otherwise designated, vehicles - including boats, RVs, and trailers - can only be parked on a public street for 72 hours. All vehicles must be parked in the same direction of traffic, parked less than 12 inches from the curb, and vehicles cannot be stored or worked on a public right-of-way.

Parked vehicles may not block a driveway, or any emergency vehicle access (including fire hydrants), and may not park in a designated disabled parking area without a displayed permit.

Within the downtown area, most parking areas are limited to 2-hour or 4-hour parking between the hours of 8 am to 5 pm, with no parking allowed between 2 to 5 am.

• Pay a Parking Citation
• Residential Parking Permit

The Recreational Vehicle (RV) Stay ordinance only permits people to stay on private property for no more than 2 weeks in a calendar year. At no time does the code allow for people to reside in their RVs on public land such as parks or streets. RV's are not considered permanent residences within city limits.

If you suspect someone is residing in an RV for longer than the two-week period of time, please contact Washington County Dispatch at 503-629-0111.