Code Enforcement

At St. Helens Police Department, our code enforcement philosophy is centered around maintaining and increasing the livability of the St. Helens community. Municipal codes help to promote the health, safety, and general quality of life in our community by regulating issues related to garbage, tall grass, dogs at large, abandoned vehicles, and other items that are classified as nuisance violations. 

The St. Helens Police Department has one full-time Code Enforcement Officer. This person is responsible for responding to complaints that are related to the enforcement of City codes. Nuisance complaints generally begin with an attempt to gain voluntary compliance with City codes. When those efforts fail, a citation may be issued, and a nuisance abatement process can begin. 

What is Code Enforcement Responsible for? 

• Animal Facility License Inspections
• Abandoned Vehicles
• Parking Violations
• Tall Grass Violations
• Garbage/Junk Violations
• City Dock Moorage Time Limits
• Nuisances Related to Vacant Properties 
  • Register a Vacant Property 
• Animal Control
  • Dogs at Large
  • Dog Bites
  • Barking Dogs 

Specific Code Enforcement Rules

Animal Facility Licenses. Animal Facility Licenses are required for anyone who keeps:

• More than three dogs at a single-family residence
• Exotic animals
• More than three adult hens or ducks (or combination of the two) or six chicks or ducklings
• More than three adult rabbits or one litter of kits

Abandoned Vehicles. A vehicle is considered abandoned if:

1. It has been deserted or relinquished without claim of ownership
2. It has remained in the same location for more than 24 hours and one or more of the following is true:
   • Vehicle has expired registration sticker or trip permit affixed to it
   • Vehicle appears to be inoperative or disabled
   • Vehicle appears to be wrecked, partially dismantled, or junked

Parking Violations. The below list includes some of the most common parking violations, but it is by no means intended to be a comprehensive list of all parking violations. If you operate a vehicle, you are responsible for following all parking rules whether they appear below or not. 

• Failure to move a vehicle on a street right-of-way after 36 hours
• Failure to comply with any signs indicating parking time limits, loading zones, reserved parking, etc. 
• Parking in a disabled/wheelchair zone without displaying a DMV authorized disable plate/placard
• Parking in the opposite direction of the flow of traffic 
• Parking over the painted lines indicating the limits of a parking space
• Parking over one foot from the curb on a public street
• Parking over the painted crosswalk lines
• Blocking a driveway
• Parking on a sidewalk
• Parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant 
• Parking within 10 feet of any mailbox between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. any day except Sundays and holidays
• Parking an RV on a street for more than five days in any 30-day period 

Weeds and Grass. Weeds and grass must be less than 10 inches in height. 

Reporting a Problem

You can report a nuisance violation that is happening inside St. Helens city limits by calling non-emergency dispatch at 503-397-1521 and asking to speak with the St. Helens Code Enforcement Officer.