The City of Vallejo is one of many municipalities in California making efforts to deal with the negative effects of foreclosed/abandoned/vacant properties on the community. On April 12, 2013, the Vallejo City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1672, establishing a Vacant Building Registration Program. On March 10, 2020, the City Council adopted a modification to Vallejo Municipal Code (VMC) Chapter 7.62 (known as the Vacant Real Property Ordinance), to expand the program to include vacant lots and vacant commercial buildings, as well as vacant residential buildings. The full program, now known as the Vacant Real Property Registration Program, is currently in effect and a clink to the full ordinance is available here:
https://library.municode.com/ca/vallejo/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT7PUHESAWE_IIINU_CH7.62VAREPR
Property owners subject to the Vacant Real Property ordinance are required to do the following:
- Register their properties with the program (for tracking purposes). Initial registration requires application + fee (currently $519.71 as of July 1, 2025) - see below for a link to the application form
- Regularly maintain their properties in compliance with the ordinance to reduce blight on the community.
- Submit monthly monitoring reports to the Code Enforcement Division as evidence of compliance. Penalties for non-compliance can accumulate quickly, with potential fines of up to $200 per day.
- Annual Renewal, application with renewal fee (75% of current registration fee of $519.71 which totals = $389.78)
- Additionally, property owners are encouraged to submit a No Trespassing Letter to the Vallejo Police Department. This letter authorizes law enforcement to take enforcement action against trespassers, helping to prevent issues with potential squatters before they occur. Please note: No Trespassing Letters are valid for six (6) months and must be renewed every six months to remain in effect.
Exemptions: To be exempted or disqualified from registration requirements, the property must be one or more of the following:
- on an active real estate MLS listing (proving it is actively being sold),
- have an active development project underway, preferably with an issued building permit (proving it is actively being developed, and construction is imminent), or
- if it is a building, have an active rental/tenant/leasing agreement (proving the building is not vacant).
If you have received a letter from the Code Enforcement Division regarding your vacant or foreclosed real properties within the City of Vallejo, you must comply with the ordinance, or you will be subject to fines. A copy of the application form with all program requirements outlined is available below: