Carrollton's Parking Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles parking rules a little differently. In Carrollton, Texas, 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.

Street Parking Limits

Carrollton bars parking that blocks a street or a driveway. City Code § 72.06 requires drivers to leave at least ten feet of roadway open for traffic and at least three feet of clearance next to a driveway's curb return, while § 92.40(A)(11) separately bans parking in front of, or within three feet of, any driveway without the property owner's consent. Both rules are misdemeanors.

Key details: Roadway clearance: 10 feet minimum, § 72.06(A). Driveway clearance: 3 feet from curb return, § 72.06(B). Driveway consent rule: § 92.40(A)(11) requires owner consent. Right-of-way ban: § 92.40(A)(6) bars blocking easements. Max fine: $500 traffic / $2,000 nuisance.

Leaving less than ten feet of open roadway, parking within three feet of a driveway's curb return without the owner's consent, or letting a parked vehicle block a right-of-way, easement or sidewalk are each separate misdemeanors under §§ 72.06 and 92.40, punishable by a fine up to $500 per Chapter 70-73 offense or up to $2,000 if charged under the Chapter 92 nuisance provisions, per § 10.99. Carrollton's ownership presumption lets the city cite the registered owner even without catching a driver in the act.

Driveway Rules

Carrollton bans parking on unimproved front-yard surfaces and caps how much of the front yard can be paved. City Code § 92.40(A)(3) requires any front-yard parking surface to be an improved area at least nine feet by 18 feet, while § 92.40(A)(5) bars a driveway or parking surface from covering more than 50 percent of the front yard.

Key details: Front-yard parking surface: Improved, minimum 9 ft by 18 ft. Coverage cap: Driveway/parking surface 50% of front yard max. Applies to: All residential lots citywide. Max penalty: $2,000 per offense, § 10.99(A)(2)(f).

Parking on an unimproved front-yard surface smaller than nine by 18 feet, or paving more than 50 percent of the front yard for parking, violates § 92.40(A)(3) and (A)(5). Both are Chapter 92 nuisance misdemeanors carrying fines up to $2,000 per offense under § 10.99(A)(2)(f), with each day of the violation a separate offense.

Overnight Parking

Carrollton makes it an offense to leave any vehicle standing on a public street, alley or public place for more than 48 continuous hours under City Code § 72.08. Separately, § 92.40(A)(8) caps a household to three vehicles parked at once on the public street next to its own residence, with a holiday moratorium lifting that cap around Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day and the Thanksgiving-to-New Year stretch.

Key details: Long-term limit: 48 continuous hours, § 72.08. Household vehicle cap: 3 vehicles per residence, § 92.40(A)(8). Moratorium periods: Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving-Jan 3. Unregistered vehicles: Banned from street storage, § 92.40(A)(13). Max fine: $500 traffic / $2,000 nuisance.

Leaving a vehicle parked in one public spot for more than 48 straight hours violates § 72.08; a household exceeding three vehicles parked on its adjacent public street outside the holiday moratorium violates § 92.40(A)(8). Both are misdemeanors: the Chapter 72 offense caps out at a $500 fine under § 10.99, while the Chapter 92 nuisance version can reach $2,000, and the city's ownership presumption under § 92.40(C) lets it cite the registered owner directly.

RV & Boat Parking

Carrollton bans parking or storing any recreational vehicle, travel trailer, boat or boat trailer wider than eight feet six inches or longer than 40 feet anywhere in a residential zoned district or the interim holding district, under City Code § 92.40(A)(1). The same section keeps such vehicles off residential public streets, requires screening if parked in a side or rear yard, and limits trailers left on a residential street to two hours.

Key details: Size threshold: Over 8'6" wide or 40' long. Yard rule: Improved surface, min 9' x 18'. Screening height: 6-foot fence, wall or hedgerow. Street trailer limit: 2 hours, § 92.40(A)(14) / § 72.09. Max fine: $2,000 under nuisance penalty tier.

Storing an oversized RV, boat or trailer in a residential yard without required screening, leaving one on a residential public street, or parking a trailer curbside for more than two hours while not actively loading or unloading, are each separate misdemeanors under § 92.40, fined up to $2,000 per offense under § 10.99's nuisance tier. The city's ownership presumption in § 92.40(C) lets code enforcement cite the registered owner without witnessing the parking.

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

Loading Zones

Carrollton requires every nonresidential use that provides off-street loading facilities to design them under Zoning Ordinance Article 24, Section F: berths must sit adjacent to a public way or private service drive, all maneuvering must stay on private property, and no truck loading space may occupy a designated fire lane. Delivery trucks backing to a curb dock must also square up parallel to the curb under City Code § 72.40.

Key details: Governing sections: Zoning Ord. Art. 24 Sec. F; City Code § 72.40. Fire lane rule: No loading space may occupy a fire lane. Large truck apron: 58 feet at a 90-degree dock, Figure 2a. Backing rule: Tractor must turn parallel to curb, facing traffic. Max fine: Up to $500 per violation, Code § 10.99.

Violating the Chapter 70-73 traffic provisions, including the § 72.40 backing-and-loading position rule, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $500 under Code § 10.99(A)(1)(e), with each day a violation continues charged as a separate offense under § 70.99. Zoning Article 24 loading-design failures are caught during site plan and Certificate of Occupancy review; a denied administrative reduction of dock depth or offset can be appealed in writing to the Board of Adjustment within 10 days of the decision.

Abandoned Vehicles

Carrollton caps residential properties at two inoperable, wrecked, or junked vehicles and requires any that stay to be screened behind a solid opaque fence or inside a building, per City Code § 90.19. The Police Department or Designated City Official can also impound vehicles abandoned on public or private property under §§ 90.16-90.18.

Key details: Vehicle cap: 2 inoperable/junked vehicles max. Screening: Solid opaque fence or enclosed building. Junked conversion: Inoperable more than 30 days = junked. Abandoned reclaim window: 20 days after certified-mail notice. Abatement notice: 10 days to remove or request hearing.

Violating Chapter 90 is a misdemeanor under § 90.99, punishable under the city's general penalty schedule (§ 10.99) by a fine of up to $2,000 since Chapter 90 falls in the fire-safety/public-health penalty tier; each day a violation continues is a separate offense. On conviction for maintaining a nuisance vehicle, the Municipal Court must order the vehicle removed and abated, either by the owner or by the DCO at the owner's expense.

Compared to other cities, Carrollton takes a harder line on abandoned vehicles. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Carrollton bars trucks, tractors, trailers and buses rated over one ton from parking on property zoned single-family, two-family or multi-family under City Code § 92.42(A). The same section limits residential-street parking to loading and unloading or active work, and § 92.42(C) restricts what may stand on a residential street at all to motorcycles and non-commercial vehicles under 10,000 pounds.

Key details: Weight/size trigger: Over 1 ton rated capacity. Zoning covered: Single-, two- and multi-family districts. Street parking limit: Loading, unloading or active work only. Allowed street vehicles: Motorcycles, non-commercial under 10,000 lb. Max fine: $2,000 under § 10.99(A)(2).

Parking a truck, tractor, trailer or bus rated over one ton in a residential zoning district, or leaving any commercial vehicle standing on a residential street without an active loading, unloading or approved-construction reason, violates § 92.42 and is punishable by up to $2,000 per offense under § 10.99(A)(2). A vehicle over 10,000 pounds that is not a motorcycle cannot lawfully stand on a residential street at all under § 92.42(C).

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

The Bottom Line

Carrollton is tougher than many cities when it comes to parking rules. Out of the 7 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Carrollton, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Carrollton's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.