JUNK, IMPOUND AND SALVAGE YARDS

Columbus City Codes tit. 33, ch. 3392

in effect

Columbus City Codes § 3392.01 Compliance required.

3392.01 - Compliance required. No person shall operate a junk yard, impound lot, or a salvage yard or occupy or let to another for occupancy any junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard except in compliance with the provisions of this Zoning Code. (Ord. 2063-77: Ord. 0762-2005 § 17.)

Columbus City Codes § 3392.02 License required and expiration.

3392.02 - License required and expiration. No person shall operate a junk yard, impound lot, or a salvage yard except under authority of a valid junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard license issued by the Department in the name of the operator and for the specific site. The operator shall apply to the Department for such license and pay the fee prescribed therefor in the Fee Schedule, which license shall be issued by the Department conditioned upon the operator's continuous compliance with all applicable provisions of this Zoning Code and other City Codes. Every license shall expire at the end of one year following its date of issuance and in subsequent years on the date of expiration unless sooner suspended or revoked. (Ord. 2483-87: Ord. 0762-2005 § 18.)

Columbus City Codes § 3392.03 Display of license.

3392.03 - Display of license. The license shall be displayed in a conspicuous place within the public area of the junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard. The license is not transferable. (Ord. 2063-77: Ord. 0762-2005 § 19.)

Columbus City Codes § 3392.04 Special permit.

3392.04 - Special permit. Unless the site is a nonconforming use, a junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard shall only be issued a license after obtaining a Special Permit from the Board of Zoning Adjustment. (Ord. 2063-77: Ord. 0762-2005 § 20.)

Columbus City Codes § 3392.05 Denial of license.

3392.05 - Denial of license. If, upon inspection, it is found that the junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard does not meet the requirements of Section 3392.10, the operator shall be informed in writing of the deficiencies and a date set for compliance and reinspection. If the reinspection reveals that the deficiencies have not been corrected, the license shall be denied and a reinspection fee will be required as provided in the Fee Schedule. (Ord. 2171-89: Ord. 0762-2005 § 21.)

Columbus City Codes § 3392.06 Hearing on license denial.

3392.06 - Hearing on license denial. Any person whose application for a license to operate a junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard has been denied for any reason set forth in this chapter, may request and shall be granted a hearing on the matter before the Board of Zoning Adjustment. (Ord. 2063-77: Ord. 0762-2005 § 22.)

Columbus City Codes § 3392.07 Notice of violation and license suspension.

3392.07 - Notice of violation and license suspension. Whenever upon inspection of any junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard the property maintenance inspector or property maintenance inspector trainee finds that conditions or practices exist which are in violation of any provision of this Zoning Code, the property maintenance inspector or property maintenance inspector trainee shall give notice in writing to the operator of such junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard that unless such conditions or practices are corrected within a reasonable period, to be determined by the property maintenance inspector or property maintenance inspector trainee, the operator's license will be suspended. At the end of such period the property maintenance inspector or property maintenance inspector trainee shall reinspect such junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard and if the property maintenance inspector or property maintenance inspector trainee finds that such conditions or practices have not been corrected, the property maintenance inspector or property maintenance inspector trainee shall give notice in writing to the operator that the operator's license has been suspended. (Ord. 2063-77: Ord. 0762-2005 § 23; Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021)

Columbus City Codes § 3392.08 Hearing on a license suspension; effect of suspension.

3392.08 - Hearing on a license suspension; effect of suspension. Any person whose license to operate a junk yard, impound lot, or a salvage yard has been suspended or who has received notice from the property maintenance inspector or property maintenance inspector trainee the person's license is to be suspended unless existing conditions or practices at the junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard are corrected, may request and shall be granted a hearing on the matter before the Board of Zoning Adjustment. If no petition for a hearing is filed within 15 calendar days following the day on which the license was suspended, the license shall be deemed to have been revoked. Any petition for a hearing following receipt of a notice that the license is to be suspended, must be filed within 15 calendar days of receipt of the notice. Upon receipt of notice of suspension, the operator shall immediately cease operation and shall display the notice of suspension. (Ord. 2063-77: Ord. 0762-2005 § 24; Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021)

Columbus City Codes § 3392.09 Location approval by division of fire.

3392.09 - Location approval by division of fire. The location of any junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard and the use of any buildings in such location shall be first approved by the Division of Fire. (Ord. 2063-77: Ord. 0762-2005 § 25.)

Columbus City Codes § 3392.10 Performance requirements.

3392.10 - Performance requirements. No person shall operate a junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard within the corporate limits of the city of Columbus, unless such business is conducted entirely inside of a building or in an open area enclosed by a nontransparent fence not less than six feet in height, and no part of which commences more than one foot above established grade, built of sound material, uniform in height and constructed so that it is structurally safe and capable of resisting all live loads imposed upon it. The following standards shall also apply: (a) No portion of a junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard shall be located within an area designated as a special flood hazard area. (b) Material shall not be piled higher than ten feet except that metals that are to be processed or reprocessed on site may be piled to a height necessary for the effective functioning of the processing or reprocessing equipment. (c) Combustible material which can be ignited by an ordinary match shall be placed or stored at least ten feet from a required fence. (d) No junk or salvage material shall be placed, stored or offered for sale outside of any required fence. (e) Passageways of not less than eight feet in width shall be maintained between piles of stored junk or salvage material. A fire lane 15 feet in width shall be maintained from the main entrance throughout the junk yard, so that no point of the junk yard shall be more than 200 feet from a fire lane. (f) Every junk yard and salvage yard shall be free from vermin, rats and fire hazards. (g) All buildings or land within the junk yard or salvage yard shall be maintained in a good state of repair. Required fences shall be maintained in a good state of repair. All driveways, access corridors, customer and employee parking shall be an improved surface. Areas used exclusively for the storage of junked or salvaged vehicles may be improved or unimproved, subject to the approval of a surface by the Director and the Department of Public Service. Distance separation as required in this section is measured from the closest point on a parcel line containing the junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard and the closest point on a parcel line containing the district or use it is to be separated from. (Ord. 1979-78: Ord. 0762-2005 § 26.)

Columbus City Codes § 3392.11 Prohibited use.

3392.11 - Prohibited use. Materials may not be burned within the confines of a junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard. (Ord. 577-84; Ord. 978-01 § 1: Ord. 0762-2005 § 27.)

Columbus City Codes § 3392.12 Prohibited location.

3392.12 - Prohibited location. No junk yard, impound lot, or salvage yard shall be operated within 600 feet of any residential or institutional zoning district. (Ord. 2063-77: Ord. 0762-2005 § 28.)

Columbus City Codes § 3392.13 Inspections.

3392.13 - Inspections. The Director shall cause any junk yard, salvage yard, or impound lot to be inspected to determine compliance with this Code at any time deemed appropriate. The Director shall initiate the annual inspection for license renewal at a time which will provide for the operator's compliance with any orders prior to the license expiration. (Ord. 577-84; Ord. 1272-01 § 1 (part): Ord. 0762-2005 § 29; Ord. No. 1871-2023, § 1, 7-31-2023)

Columbus City Codes § 3392.14 Scrap metal, foundries, mills, baler operations.

3392.14 - Scrap metal, foundries, mills, baler operations. Repealed by Ordinance 1979-78.

Columbus City Codes § 3392.15 Personal property.

3392.15 - Personal property. Personal property contained wholly within a primary or accessory building in a residentially-zoned district, shall not be considered junk or salvage under this chapter. This section includes, but is not limited to, antique automobiles and furniture. (Ord. 2063-77.)

Source: City of Columbus, City Codes and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/oh/columbus/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT33ZOCO_CH3392JUIMSAYAFetched: 10/27/2026