Akron's Parking Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles parking rules a little differently. In Akron, Ohio, there are 7 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Abandoned Vehicles

Leaving any vehicle, including an abandoned junk motor vehicle, on an Akron public street or right-of-way for forty-eight consecutive hours or longer without notifying the Police Chief is illegal under § 76.19, and leaving one on private property for any length of time without the property owner's permission is illegal too.

Key details: Public street limit: 48 hours without notifying Police Chief. Private property limit: Any time, without owner permission. Evidence rule: Unauthorized leaving = prima facie abandonment. Cost liability: Owner billed for disposal costs. Governing section: Akron Codified Ordinances § 76.19.

Violating § 76.19 carries the fines, penalties, fees, and costs set for a parking infraction under §§ 70.99 and 76.99, plus any costs the City actually incurs disposing of the vehicle or abandoned junk motor vehicle, offset only by whatever money the disposal itself brings in to the municipality.

RV & Boat Parking

Akron limits where a camper or travel trailer can sit on residential property. City Code Chapter 152 bans parking any trailer on streets, alleys or public places, and allows only one unoccupied trailer as an accessory use in a rear yard citywide.

Key details: Governing chapter: Akron City Code Ch. 152. Rear-yard limit: One unoccupied trailer only. Public-place parking: Prohibited on streets/alleys. Emergency stopping: Max 1 hour. Max penalty: $500 fine / 60 days jail.

Enforcement runs under Akron City Code § 152.99. Parking a trailer on a street, alley or public place, occupying a trailer as a dwelling outside a licensed trailer park, or keeping more than one unoccupied trailer in a rear yard is a third-degree misdemeanor: up to a $500 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day counted separately.

Snow Removal Parking Rules

Once United States Weather Bureau records show two inches of snow on a designated main street, or five inches on a residential street, with more snow expected, Akron bans parking there under § 76.18. Owners must move their vehicles themselves or the Police Division's Traffic Section will order them towed.

Key details: Main street trigger: 2 inches of snow, more forecast. Residential trigger: 5 inches of snow, more forecast. Enforcer: Police Division Traffic Section. Consequence: Towed to city vehicle pound. Governing section: Akron Codified Ordinances § 76.18.

Leaving a vehicle parked on a designated main street after two inches of snow has fallen, or on a residential street after five inches, with more snow forecast, is a parking infraction under §§ 70.99 and 76.99. Beyond the fine, the vehicle can be towed to the city pound, and the owner owes the towing, storage, and impound fees before it is released under § 76.18(D).

Loading Zones

Only a delivery vehicle, defined as one used mainly for commercial delivery and displaying a state-issued commercial plate, may park in an Akron loading zone, and even then only during the posted hours and for no longer than fifteen minutes, under § 76.211.

Key details: Eligible vehicles: Delivery vehicles with commercial plates only. Time limit: 15 minutes maximum. Hours: Only during posted hours. Governing section: Akron Codified Ordinances § 76.211.

Parking a non-delivery vehicle in a posted loading zone, or overstaying the fifteen-minute limit or posted hours as a delivery vehicle, is a parking infraction. Section 76.99(B) sets the fine at fifteen dollars for parking infractions that are not given their own separate fine schedule elsewhere in Chapter 76, and § 76.211 does not set a separate fine of its own.

Driveway Rules

Akron bans parking on the front yard of a residence unless the vehicle sits on a driveway, and bans parking on vacant lots in residential districts. City Code § 76.31 defines the front yard as the space between the building's front line and the street; a first violation costs $50, a repeat costs $100.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 76.31. First-offense fine: $50. Repeat-offense fine: $100 each. Legal parking spot: Driveway only. Adopted: Ordinance 360-1984.

A first front-yard or vacant-lot parking violation under § 76.31 carries a $50 fine under § 76.99(E); each subsequent violation at the same property is $100. All proceeds from those fines are paid by the Clerk of Courts to the City of Akron. Tickets are issued by Akron Police or parking enforcement officers who observe a vehicle standing off the driveway.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Akron bans parking semi-trailers, tow trucks, box trucks, buses, dump trucks, cranes, bulldozers, and any other commercial vehicle taller than nine feet or heavier than nine thousand pounds within a residence district, except while the vehicle is actively in service at a property there, under § 76.221.

Key details: Height limit: Over 9 feet banned in residence districts. Weight limit: Over 9,000 lbs GVW banned. Exception: Vehicle actively in service at property. Residence district: 300+ feet of residential frontage. Fine: $100 per violation under §76.99(C).

Parking a listed commercial vehicle, or any commercial vehicle over nine feet tall or nine thousand pounds, in a residence district when it is not actively in service there is a parking infraction carrying a one-hundred-dollar fine under § 76.99(C), a much steeper penalty than the fifteen-dollar fine that applies to most other Chapter 76 parking violations.

Compared to other cities, Akron takes a harder line on commercial & oversized vehicles. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Street Parking Limits

Akron bans parking within five feet of a driveway, within ten feet of a fire hydrant, and facing the wrong way against traffic, and it limits on-street parking on any street or alley to one hour between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. unless posted signs say otherwise, under §§ 76.15 and 76.16 of the Codified Ordinances.

Key details: Driveway buffer: No parking within 5 feet of driveway. Hydrant buffer: No parking within 10 feet of hydrant. Time limit: 1 hour max, 8am-6pm, unless posted. Wrong-way ban: Must face direction of travel. Fine: $15 parking infraction under §76.99(B).

Violating any subsection of § 76.15 or § 76.16 other than the sections carrying their own scheduled fines is a parking infraction fined fifteen dollars under § 76.99(B). Vehicles blocking fire hydrants, driveways, or parked the wrong way against traffic can also be ordered removed by police under § 76.14, with towing, storage, and impound fees added to the fine before the vehicle is released.

The Bottom Line

Akron's parking rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Akron is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Akron's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.