Redwood City's Parking Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles parking rules a little differently. In Redwood City, California, 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.

Curb Color Rules

Redwood City's curb-marking scheme under Sec. 20.109 assigns a specific meaning to each paint color: red bars stopping entirely, yellow and white allow only timed loading between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., green caps standing at 20 minutes, and blue reserves the space for disabled placard holders.

Key details: Red curb: No stopping/standing/parking anytime (Sec. 20.109). Yellow curb: Loading only, 7am-6pm (Sec. 20.109). White curb: Passenger loading, 3 min max (Sec. 20.109). Green curb: 20-min max standing, 7am-6pm (Sec. 20.109). Blue curb: Disabled-placard vehicles only (Sec. 20.109).

Stopping, standing or parking against a curb color in a way that conflicts with its designated meaning (for example, more than 20 minutes at a green curb, or any parking at all at a red curb) violates Sec. 20.109 and is enforced as a standard parking citation by police officers or parking enforcement staff, following the same citation process used throughout Chapter 20.

Overnight Parking

On fifteen named Redwood City streets, including all of El Camino Real within city limits, no vehicle may sit curbside for more than one hour between 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. under Code § 20.100. Signs mark each restricted block.

Key details: Restricted hours: 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. daily. Time limit in window: 1 hour maximum. Streets covered: 15 named streets/segments, incl. El Camino Real. Related 72-hour rule: Sec. 20.95, any City street/lot. Standard parking fine: $40.00 plus surcharges if paid within 15 business days.

A vehicle that has not moved at least one vehicle length within the restricted window is treated as illegally parked; a Redwood City police officer or parking enforcement deputy may issue a citation, and payment within fifteen business days of $40.00 plus applicable surcharges resolves the violation under Section 20.95.2's bail schedule. Nonpayment exposes the owner to further penalties for the underlying violation.

RV & Boat Parking

Redwood City bans parking, storing, or leaving an RV, trailer, boat, or similar mobile equipment on a residential lawn under its public-nuisance code, and separately bans parking any recreational vehicle on a public street between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., with a 48-hour loading exception near the owner's home.

Key details: Lawn/yard storage: Public nuisance under Sec. 14.72(O). Street parking ban hours: 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.. Loading exception: Up to 48 hours per 7-day period. Enforcement for nuisance: Building Official, infraction + lien. Enforcement for street parking: Citation, towing, or both.

A property owner who maintains a lawn nuisance under Sec. 14.72 is guilty of an infraction punishable under Sec. 1.7B, and the Enforcement Officer can order abatement, with the City's abatement costs becoming a lien on the property if the owner does not clear the violation after notice and a hearing (Secs. 14.73-14.80). An RV parked on a public street outside the 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. window's exemptions is subject to citation, towing, or both, and the Police Department can remove it under Vehicle Code Sec. 22650 et seq. (Sec. 20.101.5(B), (E)).

Compared to other cities, Redwood City takes a harder line on rv & boat parking. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Preferential Parking Districts

Redwood City's Community Development and Transportation Director issues residential parking permits exempting local vehicles from posted time limits in designated residential permit parking areas. Sec. 20.202 caps issuance at 3 permits per address, and Sec. 20.207 sets the default restricted hours at Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Key details: Max permits per address: 3 (Sec. 20.202). Default restricted hours: Mon-Fri 7am-6pm (Sec. 20.207). Visitor permits per unit/year: 10 max (Sec. 20.203). Permit validity: Up to 1 year, renew by Jan 15 (Sec. 20.202). Issuing authority: Community Development & Transportation Director (Sec. 20.201).

Parking beyond the posted time limit without a valid, unexpired residential or visitor permit violates Section 20.208, as does displaying an expired, terminated, or area-mismatched permit. Falsely claiming eligibility, submitting false information on an application, or using a permit or sticker on a vehicle other than the one it was issued for are each separate violations, enforceable as parking infractions citable by police officers or parking enforcement staff.

Compared to other cities, Redwood City takes a harder line on preferential parking districts. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

EV Charging

Redwood City Code § 20.230 lets the City Manager designate curbside spaces as Electric-Charging Parking, restrict them to electric vehicles only, and charge drivers for the electricity used, under a program set by City Council resolution.

Key details: Who designates spaces: City Manager or designee, by resolution. Restriction: EV-only use of designated spaces. Fee: City may charge for electricity used. Curb-length cap: Max 1/2 of block's curb for designated zones. Default fine: $100/$200/$500 for 1st/2nd/3rd violation, Sec. 1.7B.

Because Division 15 does not set its own penalty, a violation of the electric-charging space restriction falls under Code § 1.7B's general infraction schedule: a fine of up to $100 for a first violation, 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, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Redwood City bans parking any oversized commercial vehicle in a residential district at any time under Code § 20.101. Elsewhere, oversized trucks get only two hours curbside and none at all from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.; police can tow violators.

Key details: Residential parking: Banned at any time (loading/service exception). Street limit elsewhere: 2 consecutive hours max. Overnight ban citywide: 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.. Oversized threshold: 24.5 ft long, 7.5 ft tall/wide, or 8,000 lb GVWR. Enforcement: Redwood City Police Department, towing authorized.

A vehicle deemed parked or left standing if it hasn't moved at least one vehicle length within the applicable time window is subject to citation for illegal parking, and any Police Department member authorized by the Chief of Police may tow the vehicle under Vehicle Code § 22650 et seq. Towing and storage costs fall on the registered or legal owner.

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

Loading Zones

Redwood City's City Manager designates loading zones by curb marking or signage under Sec. 20.108, capping any zone at half a block's curb length. Zones are painted yellow and stenciled "LOADING ONLY." Sec. 20.110 then limits actual use: 20 minutes for commercial materials, 3 minutes for passengers.

Key details: Max commercial loading time: 20 minutes (Sec. 20.110). Max passenger loading time: 3 minutes (Sec. 20.110). Curb marking: Yellow paint, "LOADING ONLY" (Sec. 20.108). Zone size cap: Max 1/2 of block curb length (Sec. 20.108). Designating authority: City Manager (Sec. 20.108).

Stopping, standing or parking in a loading zone for any purpose other than loading or unloading, or beyond the 20-minute (materials) or 3-minute (passenger) window, violates Sections 20.110 and 20.111. Police officers and parking enforcement staff cite these the same way as other Chapter 20 parking offenses, and a vehicle in a posted tow-away zone is subject to removal at the owner's expense under the Chapter's Vehicle Code towing authority.

Abandoned Vehicles

Redwood City Code Chapter 39 declares any abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle on private or public property a public nuisance. The Chief of Police may abate and remove it, but only after mailing a ten-day notice to the land owner and the vehicle's registered owner, who can request a hearing before removal.

Key details: Enforcing officer: Chief of Police. Notice period before removal: 10 days, registered/certified mail. Appeal deadline: 15 days to City Manager. DMV/DOJ notice after removal: Within 5 days. Unpaid cost recourse: Assessed as lien on parcel after 30 days.

If administrative and removal costs charged against a land owner under Chapter 39 are not paid within thirty days of the abatement order (or the resolution of an appeal), the City assesses those costs against the parcel of land under Government Code Section 38773.5 and transmits the assessment to the County Tax Collector, where it carries the same priority as other City property taxes. Failure to request a hearing within the ten-day notice period forfeits the right to contest removal absent a timely sworn denial.

Street Parking Limits

State law lets Redwood City police tow a vehicle blocking a driveway, obstructing traffic, or parked more than 72 hours in one spot under Vehicle Code § 22651. The officer must post 24-hour notice for most local no-parking removals.

Key details: Blocking a driveway: Removal authorized, Veh. C. § 22651(d). Obstructing traffic/hazard: Removal authorized, § 22651(b). 72-hour local violation: Removal authorized, § 22651(k). Local no-parking ordinance: Signs required before towing, § 22651(n). 5+ unpaid citations: Impound allowed after written warning, § 22651(h).

Towing and storage costs, plus any local administrative charge the City has adopted under Vehicle Code § 22850.5, are billed to the vehicle's registered or legal owner and become a lien against the vehicle if unpaid. A registered owner disputing an impound for five-or-more unpaid citations may demand an immediate hearing before a magistrate or hearing examiner rather than posting bail.

The Bottom Line

Redwood City is tougher than many cities when it comes to parking rules. Out of the 9 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Redwood City, 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 Redwood City's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.