Parking Rules in Glendale, CA

Glendale maintains 154 local ordinances across all categories, and 10 of those deal specifically with parking rules. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Glendale falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Curb Color Rules

Glendale paints curb zones in four colors, each with its own legal meaning under Municipal Code Section 10.28.190: red bans stopping altogether except for buses in a marked bus zone, yellow and white limit stops to loading windows, and green caps parking at twenty-four minutes on weekdays. Parking against the direction of a painted curb once it is placed is a separate citable violation.

Key details: Red curb: No stopping ever except buses. Yellow curb: Loading only, 9am-6pm, 20 min max. White curb: Passenger loading only, 3 min max. Green curb: 24-minute parking, 9am-6pm. Governing sections: §§ 10.28.190, 10.28.200.

Parking against a legible curb marking or sign placed under Section 10.28.190 is charged under Section 10.28.200 as a violation, prosecuted as a Title 10 infraction under Section 1.20.010(C) with a council-set fine capped at $500 per violation. Because each color carries its own time window, an officer can cite a vehicle the moment it exceeds a yellow or white zone's three or twenty-minute allowance without waiting for a longer overstay.

Preferential Parking Districts

Glendale lets residents petition for a preferential parking district under Municipal Code Section 10.36.030, but establishment requires signatures from at least 75% of adjacent dwelling units and city findings that outside vehicles occupy more than 25% of the spaces. Once signs go up, any vehicle without a displayed permit is banned from parking there during the posted hours.

Key details: Petition threshold: 75% of adjacent dwelling units. Non-resident finding needed: Over 25% of parked vehicles. Permit term: One calendar year (Jan-Dec). Guest permits: 2 per resident (3 in South Brand). Appeal path: City council under Ch. 2.88.

Parking in a posted preferential district without a displayed valid permit is unlawful under Section 10.36.030(G) and is prosecuted as a Title 10 infraction under Section 1.20.010(C), capped at a $500 council-set fine. Selling, transferring or duplicating a permit, or using one in a district other than the one it was issued for, is a separate violation under Section 10.36.030(O), and the director may revoke any permit involved on five days' written notice in addition to any citation.

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.

RV & Boat Parking

Glendale caps street parking for RVs, trailers and other 'large' vehicles, meaning anything over eight feet wide, eight feet tall or twenty-three feet long, at two hours under Municipal Code Section 10.36.130. Boats and personal watercraft face the same two-hour cap regardless of size. A police-issued permit is the only way to park longer than two hours.

Key details: Time limit: 2 hours on public streets. 'Large vehicle' size: >8 ft wide/tall or 23 ft long. Boats/PWC: 2-hour cap regardless of size. Permit issuer: Chief of police (§ 10.36.140). Permit frequency: Once per month, same vehicle.

Parking a large vehicle, boat or personal watercraft on a Glendale street beyond the two-hour limit without a chief of police permit is cited under Section 10.36.130 as a Title 10 infraction subject to Section 1.20.010(C), capped at a $500 council-set fine. Applying for more than one permit in the same calendar month for the same vehicle violates Section 10.36.140(C) and can result in denial of the request in addition to any citation already issued.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Glendale actively enforces its rv & boat parking requirements.

Overnight Parking

Glendale police may tow any vehicle left on a city street, alley or city-owned lot for 72 or more consecutive hours under Municipal Code Section 10.28.100, and California Vehicle Code Section 22651(k) is the state authority letting the city enforce that local ordinance by removal. A second trigger, subdivision (l), lets the city post 24-hour notice and tow vehicles blocking street repair or utility work.

Key details: Local limit: 72 consecutive hours (§ 10.28.100). State tow authority: Cal. Veh. Code § 22651(k). Street-work tow notice: 24 hours posted (§ 22651(l)). Enforcement: Glendale police division. Proof method: Chalk marks under § 10.28.210.

Exceeding the 72-hour limit is enforceable as a tow-away offense, not merely a fine: officers may have the vehicle removed to a storage garage under Vehicle Code Section 22651(k) once the 72 hours run, and the registered owner then owes towing and storage charges directly to the storage yard along with any citation issued under Glendale's own $500-cap infraction schedule in Municipal Code Section 1.20.010(C). A vehicle towed for blocking posted street work under subdivision (l) is released the same way once the work-zone signage comes down.

Loading Zones

Glendale limits curbside loading zones to commercial vehicles under Municipal Code Section 10.32.040: material deliveries get up to twenty minutes and only for commercial drop-offs, express packages or U.S. mail, while passenger loading, including baggage, is capped at three minutes. No more than half of any block's curb length can be set aside as a loading zone under Section 10.32.020.

Key details: Materials loading limit: 20 minutes, commercial vehicles only. Passenger loading limit: 3 minutes, incl. baggage. Curb space cap: 1/2 of block's curb length. Curb markings: Yellow (materials), white (passengers). Bus zone length: 80 ft, up to 125 ft w/ council OK.

Overstaying a loading zone's time limit, using one for a non-commercial purpose, or parking in the wrong position at the curb are each cited under the applicable section of Chapter 10.32 as a Title 10 infraction subject to Section 1.20.010(C)'s council-set fine, capped at $500 per violation. An unauthorized vehicle standing in a marked bus zone under Section 10.32.070(E) is cited the same way, and repeated use of the same loading zone for personal parking can draw a citation each time the vehicle returns.

Street Parking Limits

Blocking a driveway or leaving a vehicle where it obstructs traffic on a Glendale street is grounds for immediate towing under California Vehicle Code Section 22651(b) and (d), the same authority the city relies on for its local parking enforcement. Glendale Municipal Code Section 10.64.035 separately makes it unlawful to obstruct the ingress or egress of any parking lot, public street, roadway or alley.

Key details: Driveway blocking: Banned by § 10.64.035. State tow authority: Cal. Veh. Code § 22651(b),(d). Wait period: None; removal is immediate. Left-side parking: Allowed only on 3 named streets. Max local fine: $500 per violation.

Driveway-blocking and traffic-obstruction violations under Vehicle Code Section 22651(b) and (d) authorize immediate vehicle removal rather than a warning period, and towing and storage fees fall on the registered owner. Glendale charges an obstruction under Municipal Code Section 10.64.035 as an infraction subject to the Title 10 penalty schedule in Section 1.20.010(C), a fine set by council resolution and capped at $500 per violation, in addition to any towing charge assessed by the storage yard.

Driveway Rules

Glendale bans parking any vehicle, improved surface or not, in a residential front setback or yard, including the lawn area, unless the vehicle sits in an approved garage, carport or improved driveway. Municipal Code Section 10.28.090 covers paved and unpaved ground alike, so a gravel pad or dirt strip does not create an exemption.

Key details: Governing section: § 10.28.090, Glendale Municipal Code. Where it applies: Residential zones only. Allowed exceptions: Improved driveway, garage or carport. Violation class: Infraction under § 1.20.010(C). Maximum fine: $500 per violation.

A front-yard parking violation is charged under Section 1.20.010(C) of the Glendale Municipal Code, which makes any Title 10 offense an infraction punishable by a fine the city council sets by resolution or bail schedule, capped at $500 per violation. Police officers and parking enforcement staff issue the citation directly to the vehicle, and because Section 1.20.010(E) treats each day a violation continues as a new, separate offense, a car left parked on a lawn for a week can draw multiple citations.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Commercial vehicles cannot park more than five hours in any Glendale residential district under Municipal Code Section 10.36.090, unless the extra time is genuinely needed to finish loading, unloading or a service call at a property on that block. There is no permit process available to extend the five hours for any other reason.

Key details: Time limit: 5 hours in residential districts. Loading exception: Extra time if actively unloading. Service exception: Extra time for active service call. Applies to: Commercial vehicles only. Max fine: $500 per violation.

Parking a commercial vehicle in a residential district beyond the five-hour limit, without an active loading, unloading or service-call exception, is cited under Section 10.36.090 as a Title 10 infraction subject to Section 1.20.010(C), with a council-set fine capped at $500 per violation. Officers verify the elapsed time using the same chalk-mark method used for the 72-hour rule, and each day a vehicle remains in violation counts as a separate offense under Section 1.20.010(E).

Abandoned Vehicles

Glendale regulates abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, and inoperative vehicles under GMC Chapter 10.48, consistent with California Vehicle Code Section 22660. Vehicles may not remain on public streets for more than 72 hours. Storage of inoperative vehicles on private property is prohibited unless in an enclosed garage.

Key details: Street Limit: 72 hours (CVC). Private Storage: Enclosed garage only. Report Line: 818-548-4840. Hearing Right: 10 days from notice. Code: GMC Ch. 10.48.

72-hour violation: parking citation and tow. Vehicle owners responsible for towing and storage fees. Storage on private property outside enclosed structure: code compliance citation. Repeat offenses: escalating fines.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Glendale actively enforces its abandoned vehicles requirements.

EV Charging

Glendale requires EV charging infrastructure in new construction since January 2023 (Ord. 5999). GWP offers rebates up to $500 residential/$2,000 commercial for Level 2 charger installation. No second sub-meter required since 2016.

Key details: New Construction: EV infrastructure required. Residential Rebate: Up to $500 per charger. Commercial Rebate: Up to $2,000 per charger. Sub-Meter: Not required since 2016.

The Bottom Line

Glendale is tougher than many cities when it comes to parking rules. Out of the 10 rules covered here, 3 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.

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