Sandy Springs's Parking Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles parking rules a little differently. In Sandy Springs, Georgia, there are 5 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.

RV & Boat Parking

Sandy Springs bars parking or storing any unlicensed vehicle, trailer or equipment, or any vehicle, trailer or equipment left inoperable for more than 30 days, on residential property, unless it sits in an enclosed structure or is covered and kept in the rear yard.

Key details: Trigger 1: no current license plate. Trigger 2: inoperable over 30 days. Exception: enclosed structure storage. Exception: covered, in rear yard. Zone covered: residential zoned district.

Violating Sec. 58-40 is a violation of the Code of Ordinances, punished under the general penalty in section 1-10 as provided by Sec. 58-41 for the article; code enforcement may cite the property owner for an unlicensed or 30-day-inoperable trailer, boat or RV left uncovered outside the rear yard on residential-zoned property.

Street Parking Limits

Parking inside the defined City Springs area of Sandy Springs is limited by Sec. 58-121: no parking at a meter without payment, past the paid or posted time, in permit-only, no parking or reserved zones, or on the roadway side of a parked car. A citation is a $25.00 civil fine per infraction, rising to $55.00 after 15 days.

Key details: Where it applies: City Springs area only, as defined in Sec. 58-120. First fine: $25.00 civil fine per infraction. Late fine: Rises to $55.00 if unpaid within 15 days. Repeat offense: Second and later occurrences: impound at owner's expense. Free parking: Two hours maximum at designated spaces (Sec. 58-124).

Under Sec. 58-122(b), each infraction carries a $25.00 civil fine, which increases to $55.00 if unpaid 15 days after issuance. A fine unpaid after 30 days is subject to collection enforcement or is turned over to the city or the city police department to be adjudicated. The second and every subsequent occurrence is punishable by impounding and removal from City Springs property at the owner's expense, plus storage charges. A sworn police officer can also impound a vehicle that creates an operational or public safety hazard. The violation is civil: it is not a conviction and is not part of the person's criminal record.

Driveway Rules

Sandy Springs bars gravel, pebble or stone driveways, yards and lots built so that vehicles throw loose stone onto the adjacent street or sidewalk. City Code Sec. 50-2(b) targets unpaved surface maintenance, not driveway location, and pairs with the right-of-way obstruction ban next to it.

Key details: Regulated surfaces: Gravel, pebble or stone drives/yards/lots. Standard: No loose stone thrown onto street/sidewalk. Responsible party: Any person or company maintaining the surface. Penalty section: Sec. 50-1, citing Sec. 1-10. Governing section: City Code Sec. 50-2(b).

A gravel, pebble or stone driveway, yard or lot that throws loose material onto the street or sidewalk violates Sec. 50-2(b) and is punished under Sec. 50-1's cross-reference to the citywide Sec. 1-10 penalty: a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, up to 30 days of confinement at labor, or a combination, with continuing violations treated as a separate offense each day.

Abandoned Vehicles

Sandy Springs makes it unlawful to park or abandon a commercial motor vehicle, recreational vehicle or trailer on a city street or right-of-way for more than 72 consecutive hours; police may impound and store the vehicle at the owner's expense under Sec. 58-72 and Sec. 58-73.

Key details: Time limit: 72 consecutive hours. Vehicle types covered: commercial, RV, trailer. Location covered: streets and rights-of-way. Enforcement: sworn police officer only. Cost of removal: billed to owner.

A vehicle left on a street or right-of-way past 72 consecutive hours may be impounded and removed by a sworn police officer under Sec. 58-73, with the registered owner billed for both the removal and the resulting storage charges; the underlying parking/abandonment violation is punished under the general Code penalty in section 1-10.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Sandy Springs bans parking commercial vehicles and trailers on residential street rights-of-way except for active deliveries, caps buses and heavy trucks over 12,500 pounds to one hour on nonresidential streets, and requires an attendant for any vehicle wider than 8 feet or taller than 10 feet.

Key details: Residential ROW parking: delivery only. Heavy vehicle weight trigger: over 12,500 lbs GVW. Nonresidential time limit: 1 hour maximum. Oversized body width trigger: over 8 feet wide. Oversized body height trigger: over 10 feet tall.

A violation of Sec. 58-39 is a violation of the Code of Ordinances, enforced as a general offense under section 1-10's penalty schedule; officers may cite drivers or owners found parked in the residential right-of-way outside a delivery, or holding an oversized/heavy vehicle beyond the one-hour nonresidential limit without an attendant present.

The Bottom Line

Sandy Springs's parking rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Sandy Springs is broadly strict or permissive.

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