Glendale's Parking Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles parking rules a little differently. In Glendale, Arizona, there are 9 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.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Glendale bans storing commercial vehicles on residential property and caps parking to two total, sorted by weight class. Class 1 and Class 2 vehicles are limited to two each, Class 3 is limited to two heavy-duty pickups under 19,500 pounds, and Classes 4 through 8 are barred outright.

Key details: Total commercial vehicles allowed: 2 per residential property. Class 4-8 vehicles: Prohibited on residential property. Class 3 limit: 2 pickups under 19,500 lbs GVWR. Storage of commercial vehicles: Prohibited, § 24-68(e)(7). Minimum fine: $100.00.

Section 24-68(j) makes a violation of any paragraph of § 24-68, including the commercial-vehicle classification limits, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100.00, unless the city designates the offense a civil violation instead.

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

Driveway Rules

Glendale requires every residential driveway to be a dustproof surface at least 3 inches thick, and caps how much of the front yard can be paved for parking: 50 percent on lots under 8,000 square feet, 40 percent on larger lots. Vehicles may not overhang a sidewalk or sit within a foot of the side property line.

Key details: Front-yard paving cap (under 8,000 sf lot): 50 percent, § 24-68(c). Front-yard paving cap (8,000+ sf lot): 40 percent, § 24-68(d). Dustproof surface thickness: 3 inches minimum. Side property line clearance: 1 foot minimum. Minimum fine: $100.00.

Section 24-68(j) makes a violation of any paragraph of § 24-68, including the dustproof-surface and coverage-percentage rules, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100.00, unless the city designates the specific offense a civil violation instead. Section 24-70 gives the code official and city prosecutor discretion to deem a provision unenforceable against a specific property when the property's original design or construction makes literal compliance functionally impossible.

Loading Zones

Glendale limits passenger curb loading zones to 3 minutes of stopping for loading or unloading passengers, extended to 5 minutes for vehicles with a disabled placard. Freight curb loading zones are reserved for actual freight loading during posted hours.

Key details: Passenger zone limit: 3 minutes. Disabled-placard extension: 5 minutes. Freight zone use: Loading/unloading freight only. Zones designated by: City traffic engineer, § 24-150. Public carrier stands: Bus, taxicab stops, § 24-153.

Loading-zone violations regulate the time, place or method of parking and are civil infractions under § 24-130, enforced through a notice of violation left on the vehicle per § 24-132 and adjudicated in city court, with owners jointly liable under § 24-80 and continuing violations counted hourly.

Curb Color Rules

Painting or defacing a curb, sidewalk, street, highway, or freeway anywhere in Glendale is unlawful unless the city traffic engineer authorizes it first. The one carve-out is for house-numbering paint jobs that already comply with a separate city resolution or ordinance.

Key details: Authorization required from: City traffic engineer. Covered surfaces: Curbs, sidewalks, streets, highways, freeways. Built-in exception: Compliant house-number curb painting only. Default penalty: Class 1 misdemeanor, separate offense per day. Originating ordinance: Ord. No. 1392, adopted 11-26-1985.

Glendale City Code § 1-7 supplies the default penalty for any code section, like § 24-35, that does not set its own punishment: the violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor punished under state law, with each day the unauthorized paint remains constituting a separate offense. Section 1-7(c) also lets the city pursue the same conduct as a civil code infraction adjudicated by the city court under Chapter 13, Article II, at the enforcing official's discretion, as an alternative to criminal prosecution.

EV Charging

Glendale's Unified Development Code allows an Automotive Charging Station as an accessory use in every non-residential and multiple-residence zoning district, and in single-residence districts when tied to a permitted non-residential use, under UDC § 35.3.103(E). New multifamily garages must also be wired for future EV chargers under the adopted building code.

Key details: Governing zoning section: UDC § 35.3.103(E). Permitted zones: Non-residential and multi-residence districts. New multifamily garages: 10% wired for EV outlets. Outlet mounting height: 18 to 48 inches above floor. Required circuit capacity: 50-amp raceway and breaker space.

Installing or operating an Automotive Charging Station outside the zoning districts permitted by UDC § 35.3.103(E), such as a standalone commercial use in a single-residence district without an accessory non-residential use, is a zoning code violation subject to Development Services Department enforcement. Skipping the required EV-capable outlet wiring, junction box, or 50-amp raceway in new Group R-2 garages violates the building code amendments adopted under Glendale Code §§ 9-17 and 9-18 and can hold up a certificate of occupancy.

Street Parking Limits

Glendale bans parking in front of driveways, on sidewalks, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, or within an intersection or crosswalk. Vehicles left on a street, alley or roadway for more than 48 hours are also prohibited, and drivers must park headed the right way, parallel to the curb.

Key details: Driveway blocking: Prohibited, § 24-62(2). Fire hydrant buffer: 15 feet, § 24-62(4). Max time on street: 48 hours, § 24-62(16). Curb distance (parallel parking): Within 18 inches, § 24-81. Enforcement: Civil infraction, city court.

Blocking a driveway, parking against traffic, or leaving a vehicle in a prohibited zone is a civil parking infraction under § 24-130, cited by a notice of violation left on the vehicle per § 24-132. A cited owner who denies liability gets a city court hearing under § 24-137; failing to respond lets the court issue a summons and complaint under § 24-136 and enter judgment by default. Unpaid penalties can go to collections and block vehicle registration renewal under § 24-138.

RV & Boat Parking

Glendale allows up to two recreational vehicles, boats or personal watercraft on a residential lot, but they must sit in a garage or a screened side or rear yard behind a six-foot wall, fence or gate. Front-yard RV parking is capped at 72 hours in any 7-day period.

Key details: Max RVs/boats per lot: 2, § 24-68(g)(1)(e). Screening required: 6-foot wall, fence or gate. Front-yard temporary parking: 72 hrs within 7 days. Permanent RV occupancy: Requires temp. occupancy permit. RR-zoned lots: Exempt from screening.

Section 24-68(j) makes a violation of any paragraph of § 24-68, including the RV screening, count and time limits, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100.00, unless the city designates the offense a civil violation instead.

Abandoned Vehicles

Glendale bans leaving an abandoned or inoperable vehicle on any public street, alleyway, parking lot or other city property, and restricts unsheltered storage of one on private property. A violation is a misdemeanor carrying a minimum $100 fine unless the city designates it a civil offense instead.

Key details: Public property: Abandoned vehicles banned outright. Private property visible storage: Prohibited unless incidental use. Front yard inoperable vehicles: Prohibited, § 24-68(h). Minimum fine: $100.00. Governing section: § 24-65 and § 24-68(h).

Under § 24-65(i), a violation of any paragraph of § 24-65, including the abandoned-vehicle ban, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100.00, unless the city designates the specific offense a civil violation instead. Section 24-68(j) applies the identical minimum-$100 misdemeanor penalty, subject to the same civil-violation carve-out, to violations of the residential-lot parking and inoperable-vehicle rules in § 24-68.

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

Overnight Parking

A vehicle cannot sit on any Glendale street, alley, or roadway for more than 48 hours straight. The rule sits inside a longer list of stopping and parking prohibitions covering sidewalks, crosswalks, fire hydrants, and driveways.

Key details: Time limit: 48 hours on any street, alley, roadway. Enforcement type: Civil code infraction. Liable party: Vehicle's registered owner, prima facie. Continuing violation: Separate offense each full hour past limit.

Enforcement of Chapter 24's Article IV parking prohibitions runs through § 24-69, which declares violations to be civil code infractions adjudicated and enforced by the city court under Chapter 13, Article II. Under § 24-80, the registered owner of the vehicle is prima facie responsible for the violation, and a violation that is continuous in nature, like an overstaying vehicle, constitutes a separate and distinct violation for each full hour it continues, meaning citations can accumulate the longer the vehicle remains past the 48-hour mark.

The Bottom Line

Glendale is tougher than many cities when it comes to parking rules. Out of the 9 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Glendale, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Glendale 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.