California Street Parking in 6 Questions: Curb Colors, 20-Foot Crosswalk Rule, Hydrants & Hills

On a California road trip, parking gets more tickets than driving. Six questions: the five curb colors; no parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk (AB 413, paint not required, now enforced); 15 feet from hydrants; reading stacked parking signs and tow-away zones; street sweeping; which way to turn your wheels on a San Francisco hill; meters, tickets and EV charging spots.

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Question 1: five colors

Question one: the curb is painted red. Can you stop for a moment to grab a coffee?

No. Red means no stopping, standing or parking, not even briefly, except buses at bus stops.

The other four colors: white, brief passenger pickup and drop-off only; green, time-limited parking, with the limit on the curb or a nearby sign; yellow, loading and unloading, where regular cars can usually only briefly load passengers and the driver must stay with the car; blue, disabled parking only, with a special placard or plate, and the heaviest fines.

Question 2: 20 feet before a crosswalk

Question two: just before an intersection, the curb isn't painted and there's no sign. Can you park?

Not necessarily. Under California's newer law, you can't park within 20 feet of the approach side of a crosswalk, about one car length, whether the crosswalk is marked or not and whether the curb is painted red or not.

The law took effect in 2025, and after a grace period, police across the state are now writing tickets. So near intersections, leave a car length.

Question 3: fire hydrants

Question three: next to a fire hydrant, the curb isn't red. Can you park?

In California, stay at least 15 feet from a fire hydrant, about four and a half meters, whether the curb is painted or not.

Question 4: reading the sign

Question four: the sign says 2-hour parking, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Sunday. It's Saturday at 7 p.m. How long can you park?

You can park, and the 2-hour limit doesn't apply, because it only runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

How to read signs: line by line, each line is a rule; check the times, the days, and which way the arrows point. When several signs are stacked, follow the strictest one.

A tow-away symbol means an illegally parked car will be towed; getting it back costs towing and storage fees, far more than a ticket.

Question 5: street sweeping

Question five: the sign says no parking Tuesdays 8 to 10 a.m., street sweeping. You park here Monday evening overnight. Is that okay?

Yes, but you must move before 8 the next morning. Many cities sweep at fixed times each week; a car parked there during that window gets a ticket, and in some places it's towed. If you're staying at a rental in the city and parking on the street overnight, check the sweeping sign first.

Question 6: parking on a hill

Now the second question.

Question six: on a steep San Francisco hill with a curb, which way do you turn the wheel?

Downhill, nose pointing down: turn the front wheels toward the curb. Uphill, nose pointing up: turn the front wheels away from the curb, toward the street, so the back of the tire rests against the curb. On a hill with no curb, turn the wheels toward the edge of the road either way. Then set the parking brake.

One more: in California, park in the direction of traffic, not facing the wrong way on the other side of the street.

Paying and tickets

Finally, paying.

Most street meters take cards; many cities also let you pay with a phone app, whose name is on the meter, so you can download and register before you go.

If you get a ticket, pay it online as the ticket explains. Unpaid tickets on a rental car go to the rental company, which charges your credit card plus a fee; we covered that in Episode 13.

EV charging spots

If you drive an EV: in many cities, charging spaces are only for vehicles that are actively charging, and leaving your car there after it's full can also get you fined. Check the sign before you park.

General information only. Rules change; check official notices before you go.