Port St. Lucie's Parking Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles parking rules a little differently. In Port St. Lucie, Florida, 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.

Overnight Parking

Port St. Lucie's code sets no clock-time overnight parking ban, but Section 90.01 makes it unlawful to leave a vehicle on public property or a road right-of-way for more than 36 hours, and unregistered vehicles must go within 72 hours.

Key details: Public property limit: 36 hours before towing (Sec. 90.01). Unregistered vehicle: Remove within 72 hours of notice. Standard parking fine: $25.00 plus $10.00 surcharge. Front yard parking: Prohibited outside surfaced parking area. City parks: No overnight parking where curfew applies.

Most parking violations carry a $25.00 fine under Section 72.99, plus a $10.00 school-crossing-guard surcharge. Vehicles left past the 36-hour limit may be towed, with removal costs becoming a lien on the vehicle.

Street Parking Limits

Chapter 72 controls stopping, standing and parking in Port St. Lucie. Sec. 72.01 bans parking on sidewalks, in intersections, within 15 feet of a hydrant and in a residential swale without the owner's permission, and restricts front-yard parking.

Key details: Code Chapter: Ch. 72 (Stopping, Standing, Parking). Front yard: Banned on the wide side. Swale parking: Needs the owner's permission. Standard fine: $25.00 plus $10.00 surcharge. Left on public property: Towable after 36 hours.

Sec. 72.99 sets most parking fines at $25.00 and handicapped-space violations at $250.00, plus a $10.00 school crossing guard surcharge on all parking fines. A vehicle left on public property over 36 hours may be towed under Sec. 90.01.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Section 72.03 makes it unlawful to park a commercial vehicle, bus or heavy equipment in any residential zone or on streets abutting residentially zoned lots. Pickups and vans get one hour between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Key details: Code Section: Sec. 72.03. Commercial vehicle threshold: Gross vehicle weight 10,000 pounds or more. Pickup or van exception: One hour, 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.. First-offense fine: $100.00. Repeat fines: $150.00 second, $250.00 third onward.

Section 72.99(b) sets $100.00 for a first offense, $150.00 for a second and $250.00 for a third and subsequent offense, on top of the $10.00 school crossing guard surcharge imposed on all parking fines.

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

RV & Boat Parking

Recreational vehicles and boats may sit in a residential area only inside an enclosed structure, on a paved driveway, or to the side or rear of the home behind the ten-foot rear setback. Nobody may live in them.

Key details: Code section: Sec. 73.04(b); Sec. 158.217(E). Where allowed: Garage, paved driveway, side or rear. Rear setback: Ten-foot rear lot setback. Living in an RV: Prohibited under Sec. 73.03. Fine: $25.00, up to five days jail.

A violation of Sections 73.01 through 73.04 is punishable by a $25.00 fine, up to five days in jail, or both, with each day a separate offense.

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

Loading Zones

Port St. Lucie caps passenger curb loading zones at five minutes and freight curb loading zones at 30 minutes under City Code Sec. 72.09. Police officers and code enforcement issue citations for exceeding the posted time, and violators face the general parking fine plus a mandatory school-crossing surcharge.

Key details: Passenger curb loading limit: 5 minutes. Freight curb loading limit: 30 minutes. Standard parking fine: $25.00. School-crossing surcharge: $10.00 per ticket. Enforcement: police chief and designees.

Standing past the five-minute passenger limit or the 30-minute freight limit in a marked loading zone draws a $25.00 parking citation under Section 72.99, plus the mandatory $10.00 school-crossing surcharge. Vehicles that obstruct traffic or sit in a restricted zone can be towed under Section 72.22 at the owner's expense, with removal costs attaching as a lien against the vehicle until paid.

Abandoned Vehicles

Port St. Lucie bars leaving any motor vehicle unattended on public property, including road rights-of-way, for more than 36 hours under Code Section 90.01. A vehicle without a current license plate or state registration counts as abandoned outright, and police can tow it to a storage lot with the cost becoming a lien against the vehicle.

Key details: Public-property time limit: 36 hours. Unregistered/unplated vehicle: treated as abandoned immediately. Removal deadline (unregistered): 72 hours after notice. Enforcing agency: city police officers. Removal cost: lien against the vehicle.

Leaving a vehicle unattended on public property past the 36-hour limit, or letting an unregistered or unplated vehicle sit at all, exposes the owner to towing under Sections 90.01 and 90.02, with removal and storage costs becoming a lien against the vehicle. Vehicles on posted 'No Trespassing' city property can be towed immediately with no advance notice.

Driveway Rules

Single-family homes on a designated arterial or collector street with two or more lanes must build a circular driveway under Port St. Lucie's off-street parking code. If Public Works decides a circular drive will not work on the lot, the home must instead provide a paved 10-by-20-foot turnaround area.

Key details: Trigger: Arterial/collector street, two lanes or more. Primary requirement: Circular driveway. Fallback option: Paved 10 ft x 20 ft turnaround. Who decides viability: Public Works Department. Code section: § 158.221(B)(6).

Building or altering a driveway on a qualifying arterial or collector lot without the required circular drive or the 10-by-20-foot paved turnaround is enforced as a zoning violation under Sec. 158.999, which applies the general penalty in Sec. 10.99: $50 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense paid within 30 days, up to $500 plus court costs if contested, and a second-degree misdemeanor for a third violation, with each day of noncompliance treated as a separate offense.

The Bottom Line

Port St. Lucie is tougher than many cities when it comes to parking rules. Out of the 7 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Port St. Lucie, 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 Port St. Lucie's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.