Parking Rules in Pomona, CA

If you live in Pomona or are thinking about moving there, parking rules are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Pomona has 10 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of parking rules, and some of them might surprise you.

Loading Zones

Pomona City Code Secs. 58-201 and 58-202 let the city traffic engineer designate loading zones and passenger loading zones, marked by yellow and white curb paint. Yellow zones cap freight loading at 20 minutes and passenger loading at three minutes; white passenger zones cap stops at three minutes.

Key details: Freight loading limit: 20 minutes (yellow curb). Passenger loading limit: 3 minutes (yellow or white curb). Hotel/residence/mailbox zones: Enforced at all times of any day. Theater zones: Enforced except when theater is closed. Authority: City traffic engineer / public works.

Stopping, standing or parking in a yellow or white loading zone beyond the posted time limit, or for a purpose other than loading and unloading, is a parking infraction enforced by the Pomona Police Department under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-7: up to $100 for a first offense, up to $200 for a repeat violation within a year, and up to $500 for each further violation. Vehicles left in a loading zone past the posted limit are also subject to citation.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Pomona City Code Sec. 18-222(25) declares it a public nuisance to park or store any commercial vehicle over 25 feet long, eight feet tall or 80 inches wide, along with construction equipment, dump trucks and tractors, on a street or property in a residential zone unless the Code or state law permits it.

Key details: Size trigger: Over 25 ft long, 8 ft tall, or 80 in wide. Covered area: Residential zones. Enforcement: Code compliance nuisance abatement. Repeat-offense fine: Up to $500. Related rule: Chapter 58 large-vehicle street limits.

Maintaining a residentially zoned property, or parking on a residential street, with an oversized commercial vehicle or the listed heavy equipment is a public nuisance under Sec. 18-222, enforced through code compliance's nuisance abatement process and backed by the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-7: infractions run up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year and $500 for each further violation, with continuing violations treated as separate offenses each day and grounds for injunctive relief.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Pomona actively enforces its commercial & oversized vehicles requirements.

Curb Color Rules

Pomona City Code Sec. 58-5 makes it unlawful for anyone except the city traffic engineer, or someone the engineer authorizes, to paint any street or curb surface. The only carve-out is painting house numbers on a curb once the property owner has complied with the Code's related numbering rules. Unauthorized curb painting is a code violation.

Key details: Authority: City traffic engineer only. Exception: Authorized house-number painting. First-offense fine: Up to $100. Repeat-offense fine: Up to $500. State law backup: Vehicle Code § 21465.

Painting a curb without traffic engineer authorization is prosecuted as an infraction under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-7: up to $100 for a first offense, up to $200 for a second violation of the same provision within a year, and up to $500 for each additional violation within that year. Removing or defacing an official curb marking to evade parking enforcement is a separate offense under Sec. 58-4.

Preferential Parking Districts

Pomona City Code Sec. 58-239 lets residential blocks petition for a preferential parking district administered by the public works department. A 75% resident petition triggers a traffic engineer study, permits limit non-permit vehicles to posted restrictions, and misuse can void a permit on five days' notice.

Key details: Petition threshold: 75% of adjacent dwelling units. Study deadline: 90 days from petition or motion. Guest permits: 2 per resident at a time. Appeal window: 15 calendar days. Permit revocation notice: 5 days written.

Using a preferential or guest parking permit in a district other than the one it was issued for, or selling, renting, leasing, transferring or duplicating a permit, violates Sec. 58-239(n). The city traffic engineer may revoke any preferential or guest permit on five calendar days' written notice by first-class mail once a violation is found, in addition to any citation for parking without a valid displayed permit during posted hours.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Pomona actively enforces its preferential parking districts requirements.

RV & Boat Parking

Pomona City Code Sec. 58-301 defines RVs, campers, trailers and boats as "large vehicles," and Sec. 58-302 bars parking any of them on a public street, alley or right-of-way for more than four consecutive hours, with narrow permit and pickup/delivery exceptions.

Key details: Daytime limit: 4 consecutive hours on-street. Covered vehicles: RVs, campers, trailers, boats, buses. Exception permit: Up to 48 hours, public works. Permit cap: 4/month, 12/year per resident. City lots/parks: No large-vehicle parking at any time.

Parking an RV, camper, trailer or boat on a Pomona street past the four-hour limit, or in a city lot or park at all, without a Sec. 58-304 exception permit is enforced under the general penalty, Sec. 1-7 (up to $500 for repeat infractions within a year), and the chief of police is separately authorized under Sec. 58-306 to tow the vehicle under Vehicle Code § 22651(n).

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

Driveway Rules

Pomona City Code Sec. 58-234 bans parking on dirt, grass, gravel or any other pervious surface on private property: vehicles must sit on asphaltic concrete, concrete, or another nonpervious surface the building official accepts. Parking in someone else's driveway without consent is also barred, and guest spaces cap out at 72 hours.

Key details: Allowed surfaces: Asphaltic concrete, concrete, or approved nonpervious material. Banned surfaces: Dirt, grass, gravel and other pervious ground. Consent required: No parking in another's driveway without permission. Guest parking limit: 72 hours unless owner allows longer. Enforcing agency: Pomona Code Compliance Division.

Sec. 58-234 does not set its own fine schedule, so a violation falls under the City Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-7. Code Compliance may cite it as an infraction, punishable by a fine up to $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second violation of the same provision within a year, and $500 for each further violation, or prosecute it as a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in county jail and a fine under Penal Code § 19. Each day a vehicle sits on an unpaved surface is a separate offense.

Overnight Parking

Pomona City Code Sec. 58-302(b) bars parking any "large vehicle," RVs, campers, trailers, boats, buses and trucks over 19 feet long, on any public street, alley or right-of-way between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., with tow-away authority backed by Vehicle Code § 22651(n).

Key details: Overnight ban hours: 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.. Applies to: Any "large vehicle" under Sec. 58-301. Also capped: 4 hrs daytime; no city lots/parks. Tow authority: Vehicle Code § 22651(n). Adopted: Ordinance No. 4315, 2022.

Leaving a large vehicle on a Pomona street, alley or right-of-way between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. without a Sec. 58-303 exception or a Sec. 58-304 permit is enforced two ways: as a general infraction under Sec. 1-7, up to $100 for a first offense and up to $500 for repeat violations within a year, and through Sec. 58-306 tow-away authority, which lets police remove and impound the vehicle under Vehicle Code § 22651(n), with the owner responsible for towing and storage costs.

Compared to other cities, Pomona takes a harder line on overnight parking. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Street Parking Limits

Pomona enforces general street parking rules under Chapter 58. Vehicles may not remain parked in one location for more than 72 hours per California Vehicle Code. Large vehicles face a 4-hour limit.

Key details: General Limit: 72 hours (CVC). Large Vehicle Limit: 4 hours. Parking District: Permits required in some areas. Code Section: PMC Ch. 58, Art. IV.

Vehicles parked beyond time limits are subject to citation and towing. Contact Parking Enforcement at 909-622-1241. Vehicle Parking District permits are available through the city.

EV Charging

Pomona runs an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations under City Code Chapter 75, adopted to comply with Government Code section 65850.7. The director of development services reviews every application against a published checklist, and only a finding of specific adverse health-or-safety impact can trigger a discretionary use permit.

Key details: Governing chapter: City Code Chapter 75, adopted 4-17-2023. State mandate: Complies with Gov. Code § 65850.7. Electrical standard: Cal. Electrical Code Article 625. Application method: Electronic submittal accepted, e-signatures OK. Adverse-impact review: Triggers discretionary use permit.

Energizing or using a charging station before the city issues final approval and all necessary permits violates Chapter 75. An incomplete application draws a written correction notice from development services listing every deficiency that must be cured before expedited review can proceed. Where the director finds a specific adverse health-or-safety impact, the city can withhold the expedited path entirely and force the applicant into a discretionary use-permit process, with any denial reviewable by the planning commission and then the city council.

Abandoned Vehicles

Pomona City Code prohibits the open storage of junk, abandoned, or inoperable vehicles on private and public property. Vehicles left on public streets for extended periods are subject to citation and towing.

Key details: Public Streets: 72-hour limit before towing. Private Property: No visible inoperable vehicles. RVs: Special permit for driveway parking. Parking Enforcement: (909) 622-1241. Code Compliance: (909) 620-2374.

Abandoned vehicles on public streets receive citations and may be towed after 72 hours. Private property violations result in code enforcement notices with deadlines to remove or screen the vehicle. Non-compliance may lead to administrative citations and abatement costs.

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

The Bottom Line

Pomona is tougher than many cities when it comes to parking rules. Out of the 10 rules covered here, 5 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Pomona, 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 Pomona'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.