Parking Rules in Amarillo, TX: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Amarillo or are thinking about moving there, parking rules are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Amarillo has 8 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of parking rules, and some of them might surprise you.

Overnight Parking

Amarillo restricts street parking in certain zones and limits how long vehicles may remain parked. Designated parking areas and time-limited zones are posted by traffic schedule. Overnight parking of large vehicles is restricted in residential areas.

Key details: Governing code: Ch. 16-3, Div. 3. Key section: § 16-3-369 Restrictions. Max continuous street parking: 72 hours. Enforcement: Amarillo Municipal Court.

Fines for parking violations typically range from $25 to $200 per citation depending on the violation. Vehicles may be towed at owner expense.

Amarillo is more permissive than most cities when it comes to overnight parking. That said, there are still limits.

Loading Zones

Amarillo's freight loading zones run from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily except Sundays, marked by upright signs and optional yellow curb paint under Sec. 16-3-242. Vehicles may stop there only to load or unload materials, and Sec. 16-3-244 caps that stop at 15 minutes unless the Traffic Engineer gives written permission for longer.

Key details: Operating hours: 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.. Closed: Sundays. Time limit: 15 minutes without written permit. Markings: Upright signs; yellow curb optional. Base civil fine: $25, rising to $100 if unpaid.

Parking in a loading zone outside operative hours, for longer than 15 minutes, or for a purpose other than loading and unloading, is a stopping/standing/parking violation under Chapter 16-3, Article V, enforced as a civil offense with a $25 penalty under Sec. 1-1-5(e), escalating to $50 if unpaid within 12 days and $100 if still delinquent after 30 days.

Dibs & Space Saving

Placing a sign, cone, chair, or other marker on a public sidewalk, curb, or street to save a parking space, whether for yourself or paying customers, is unlawful in Amarillo under Sec. 16-3-181. The Traffic Engineer can remove any unauthorized reserving sign or device without notice to whoever placed it.

Key details: Prohibited act: Placing signs/devices to reserve street parking. Citation: Sec. 16-3-181. Removal authority: Traffic Engineer, no notice required. Max fine: $500 per day, Sec. 1-1-5(a). Applies to: Public sidewalks, curbs, and streets citywide.

Violating Sec. 16-3-181 is punishable under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-1-5(a): a fine of up to $500, with each day the sign or device remains in place counting as a separate offense. The Traffic Engineer can also remove the sign, cone, or marker on the spot under Sec. 16-3-182, without notifying whoever placed it.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Any commercial motor vehicle rated over one ton, along with semi-trailers, buses, and truck tractors, cannot be left on a public street, alley, or parkway within or next to a single-family, two-family, multi-family, townhouse, moderate-density, or mobile home zoning district in Amarillo under Sec. 16-3-194(a). Parking one in a residential driveway is still allowed.

Key details: Threshold: Commercial vehicle over 1 ton. Citation: Sec. 16-3-194(a). Zoned districts covered: Single-family through mobile home districts. Driveway exception: Parking on owner's own driveway allowed. CBD night rule: Banned midnight to 5 a.m. downtown.

A violation of Sec. 16-3-194 is punishable under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-1-5(a): a fine of up to $500, with each day the vehicle remains counting as a separate offense. A vehicle already placarded for a prior violation under subsection (b)(1) can be towed and impounded at the operator's expense if it is found in violation again.

This is one of the stricter rules in Amarillo's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

RV & Boat Parking

An Amarillo homeowner, occupant, or their invited guest may leave their own motor home, travel trailer, or boat trailer parked on the street directly abutting their residence for up to 72 continuous hours under Sec. 16-3-194(b)(2). Moving the vehicle for less than 24 hours does not reset that clock, so a short shuffle around the block does not avoid a violation.

Key details: Time limit: 72 continuous hours. Citation: Sec. 16-3-194(b)(2). Who qualifies: Owner, occupant, or invited guest. Location: Street abutting the owner's own property. Loophole closed: Moves under 24 hrs don't reset clock.

Exceeding the 72-hour limit, or moving the vehicle for less than 24 hours to reset the clock, is a violation of Sec. 16-3-194 punishable under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-1-5(a): a fine of up to $500, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense.

Curb Color Rules

Amarillo makes it an offense to stop, stand, or park beside any curb painted red or in a fire lane anywhere in the city, per Sec. 16-3-180(a)(2). Because fire lane parking is carved out of the city's civil parking-ticket program, a violation stays a criminal offense, and police can impound the vehicle at the owner's expense on top of issuing a citation.

Key details: Prohibited location: Beside any curb painted red / fire lane. Citation: Sec. 16-3-180(a)(2). Penalty track: Criminal, not civil; fine up to $500. Impound authority: Immediate, at owner's expense. Enforcement: Amarillo Police Department.

A fire lane parking violation is a criminal offense under Sec. 1-1-5(a), fined up to $500, unlike ordinary Amarillo parking tickets, which run through a $25 civil penalty process. Police may tow and impound the vehicle immediately at the owner's expense under Sec. 16-3-180(c), and the registered owner is presumed responsible unless another driver is identified.

Abandoned Vehicles

Amarillo prohibits junked or inoperable vehicles from being stored on public or private property visible from a public street. Chapter 8-4 authorizes notice, hearing, and removal by the city at the owner's expense.

Key details: Governing chapter: Amarillo Code Ch. 8-4. State authority: TX Transportation Code Ch. 683. Admin fee for city removal: $75 plus removal costs. Max state fine: $200 misdemeanor.

Maintaining a junked vehicle is a Class C misdemeanor under state law, punishable by a fine up to $200; city removal costs plus a $75 administrative fee are assessed against the owner.

Amarillo is more permissive than most cities when it comes to abandoned vehicles. That said, there are still limits.

Street Parking Limits

Amarillo regulates on-street parking through its traffic code. Vehicles must not be parked for more than 48–72 hours in one location. Parking restrictions are posted by signage in specific areas including downtown metered zones.

Key details: Maximum Duration: 48–72 hours without moving. Downtown: Metered parking zones. Fire Hydrant: 15-foot clearance required. Enforcement: Amarillo Police Department.

Parking violations result in citations and fines. Vehicles parked in violation for extended periods may be towed at the owner's expense.

The rules around street parking limits in Amarillo lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Amarillo gives residents more room on parking rules. 3 of the 8 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

Keep in mind that Amarillo can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.