Hollywood's Parking Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles parking rules a little differently. In Hollywood, Florida, 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.

Abandoned Vehicles

Hollywood bans keeping any unusable vehicle, meaning one missing wheels, tires or required parts, or otherwise incapable of operating under its own power, on a yard, lawn or premises anywhere in the city. Violations run through the city's nuisance penalty scheme with fines up to $250 a day.

Key details: Prohibited: unusable vehicles on any premises. Unusable includes: missing wheels/tires, propped on blocks. Max daily fine: $250 (up to $500 recurring). Total fine cap: $7,500.

Under § 101.99, a violation carries the maximum penalties allowed by F.S. § 893.138 once declared a public nuisance by the special magistrate: fines up to $250 per day, up to $500 per day for recurring nuisances, recovery of the city's investigation and attorney's fees, and a lien against the property, with total fines capped at $7,500; general provisions violations are also subject to citation under § 36.27.

RV & Boat Parking

Hollywood confines recreational vehicles, boats, and utility trailers on residential property to a side or rear yard reached by an alley or road, screened by a six-foot fence or hedge, under Code of Ordinances section 72.121. If no side or rear access exists, one unit up to 25 feet long may sit on the driveway at least 5 feet from the front property line.

Key details: Side/rear yard rule: 6-ft screening required. Driveway fallback: 1 unit, up to 25 ft, 5 ft setback. Height cap: 12 ft, else enclosed garage only. Per dwelling limit: 1 RV, boat, or trailer total. Boats over 12 ft: Must be trailered on hard surface.

A violation of section 72.121(A) carries a $40 fine under section 72.999(E)(3)(a). Violations of section 72.121 more broadly are also listed under section 72.999(E)(3)(b) at $40 for a first offense, rising to $85 for a second violation within six months and $150 for a third or later violation in that window, plus a $5 surcharge on every citation.

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

Loading Zones

Hollywood limits freight loading zones to actual loading and unloading, capping stops at 30 minutes and requiring flashers on while working, under Code of Ordinances section 72.016. In the central business district between Sherman and Harrison Streets east of the Intracoastal, vehicles over 7.5 feet wide or 30 feet long cannot use a freight zone at all.

Key details: Max loading stop: 30 minutes. Fine: $200. Oversize ban: >7.5 ft wide or >30 ft long in CBD. Passenger exception: 5 minutes. Requirement: Flashers on while loading.

A freight loading zone violation under section 72.016 carries a $200 fine, the highest flat parking fine in Hollywood's schedule outside handicapped and fire-zone violations, set by section 72.999(E)(8). Every citation also adds a $5 school crossing guard surcharge under section 72.999(E)(7). Payment is due within ten business days of the citation before late fees of $10, then $25, attach under section 72.999(J).

Preferential Parking Districts

Hollywood requires 65% of residents in a neighborhood to sign a petition before the Parking Administrator will designate a Residential Parking Permit District or a Beach Residential Parking Permit District under Code of Ordinances section 72.026. Once a district is set, only vehicles displaying a valid permit may park there, and enforcement runs 24 hours a day, every day of the week.

Key details: Petition threshold: 65% of neighborhood residents. Permits per address: 2, hardship exception possible. Guest permits: 2 per year, 2 weeks each. Permit term: 12 months, renewable annually. Enforcement hours: 24 hours, every day.

Falsifying a permit application, letting someone else use your permit, or displaying a counterfeit or copied permit violate section 72.026(J), punishable by permit revocation, forfeiture of the permit's value, and a year of ineligibility. Fines for counterfeit or misused permits under 72.026(J)(3) and (J)(4) run $200 under section 72.999(F). Parking in a permit-only space without a valid permit costs $40 under section 72.999(E)(3)(b), rising to $85 for a second violation and $150 for a third within six months.

Overnight Parking

Hollywood bans overnight parking longer than 30 minutes between 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on any street posted with an all-night parking prohibition, under Code of Ordinances section 72.008. Only physicians and others on emergency calls are exempt. Police and parking enforcement officers ticket and can tow or impound violating vehicles.

Key details: Ban window: 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.. Max stop: 30 minutes. Exempt: Physicians, emergency calls. Fine: $40 flat. Trigger: Requires posted sign.

A first violation of section 72.008 carries a flat $40 fine under section 72.999(E)(3)(a); the code does not step up this particular fine for repeat offenses the way it does for sidewalk or permit-district parking. Every citation adds a $5 school crossing guard surcharge under section 72.999(E)(7). Unpaid fines draw a $10 late fee after ten business days and a $25 fee after 30 business days.

EV Charging

Every new commercial or residential structure built in Hollywood must go up with electric vehicle-charging infrastructure already roughed in, at minimum an empty conduit and junction box to the garage or parking area, under Code § 151.154.

Key details: Governing section: Hollywood Code § 151.154. Applies to: New commercial and residential structures. Minimum rough-in: 3/4-inch raceway + 2-gang junction box. Alternative: Fully functional charging station. Adopted by: Ord. O-2011-06, amended O2016-02.

The Building Division checks for the required raceway, junction box, or functional charging station during plan review and inspection before issuing the permit and certificate of occupancy. Constructing a covered new structure without the required infrastructure is a violation of Chapter 151 subject to the Code's general penalty under § 10.99, a fine up to $500, imprisonment up to 60 days, or both, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.

Street Parking Limits

Hollywood bans parking a vehicle so it faces oncoming traffic on any street, right-of-way, or swale, whether or not curbing exists, under Code of Ordinances section 72.006, and separately bans stopping, standing, or parking so as to block any public or private driveway under section 72.032. Both are enforced citywide as standard on-street parking offenses.

Key details: § 72.006 fine: $40 flat. § 72.032 fine: $40, then $85, then $150. Related alley rule: § 72.007(B). Applies: With or without curbing. Enforced by: Parking, Code Enforcement, Police.

Facing oncoming traffic under section 72.006 draws a flat $40 fine under section 72.999(E)(3)(a). Blocking a driveway under section 72.032 also starts at $40 under section 72.999(E)(3)(b), but escalates to $85 for a second violation within six months and $150 for a third or later violation in that window. Every citation adds a $5 school crossing guard surcharge under section 72.999(E)(7).

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Hollywood bars Type A commercial vehicles, roughly one ton or heavier, over 8 feet tall, or with dual wheels or more than two axles, from residential districts entirely except inside a fully enclosed garage or during an 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. work window, under Code of Ordinances section 72.112. Smaller Type B commercial vehicles need six-foot screening.

Key details: Type A threshold: >=1 ton, >=8 ft tall, dual wheels. Type A residential ban: Enclosed garage or 8am-7pm work only. Type B requirement: 6-ft screening in side/rear yard. Per dwelling limit: 1 commercial vehicle outside garage. Penalty: General penalty, up to $500/60 days.

Section 72.112 is not listed among the flat parking fines in section 72.999(E), so a violation falls under the city's general penalty, section 10.99: up to a $500 fine, up to 60 days imprisonment, or both, with each day the vehicle remains a separate offense. Owners adversely affected by these restrictions may seek a variance from the Board of Appeals and Adjustment under section 72.122, appealable within 20 days.

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

Driveway Rules

Hollywood requires every vehicle parked or stored on private property to sit on a driveway or other hard improved surface, such as asphalt, concrete, or pavers, or inside a carport or garage, under Code of Ordinances section 72.111(E). Parking on bare dirt or grass in a front yard is not allowed outside a narrow special-event exception.

Key details: Required surface: Driveway, asphalt, concrete, pavers. Also allowed: Carport or garage. (A)/(B) violation fine: $100. (E) surface violation: General penalty, up to $500/60 days. Exceptions: Special event permit; uncurbed swale.

Violating section 72.111(A) or (B), the ownership and licensing requirements, carries a $100 fine under section 72.999(C), collectible in county court and citable by a parking-enforcement-certified officer or by Code Enforcement through the Special Magistrate process in Chapter 36. Section 72.111(E)'s hard-surface requirement is not among the chapter's flat-fee violations, so it falls back to the general penalty in section 10.99: up to a $500 fine, 60 days imprisonment, or both, with each day counted separately.

The Bottom Line

Hollywood 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 Hollywood, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

This guide is based on Hollywood's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.