Parking Rules in Simi Valley, CA: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Simi Valley or are thinking about moving there, parking rules are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Simi Valley has 9 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of parking rules, and some of them might surprise you.

Overnight Parking

Simi Valley does not impose a blanket overnight on-street parking ban for ordinary cars, but vehicles must be moved within 72 hours (CVC 22651(k)) and RVs or oversized vehicles cannot remain on the street more than 48 hours (SVMC 4-9.402).

Key details: Blanket overnight ban?: No - not a citywide rule. Standard vehicle limit: 72 hours (CVC 22651(k)). RV/oversized limit: 48 hours (SVMC 4-9.402). Posted-sign restrictions: Enforced separately under SVMC Title 4 Ch. 9. Complaint hotline: (805) 583-6921.

Vehicles in violation of the 72-hour rule may be towed under CVC 22651(k). Oversized vehicles violating the 48-hour limit are cited under SVMC 4-9.402 and may be towed at the owner's expense.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Simi Valley gives residents more flexibility on overnight parking.

Abandoned Vehicles

Simi Valley enforces abandoned vehicle regulations on both public streets and private property. Vehicles that appear inoperable, unregistered, or have been stationary for extended periods may be declared abandoned and removed.

Key details: Street Notice Period: 72 hours before tow. Private Property: Must be operable and registered. Storage Requirement: Enclosed structure if inoperable. Report Line: Code Enforcement (805) 583-6238.

Abandoned vehicles on streets are tagged with a 72-hour notice and towed if not moved. Owners must pay towing and storage fees to recover vehicles. Inoperable vehicles on private property result in Code Enforcement notices with 10-day compliance deadlines. Fines for maintaining an abandoned vehicle on private property start at $100 per day.

Simi Valley is more permissive than most cities when it comes to abandoned vehicles. That said, there are still limits.

Street Parking Limits

Vehicles parked on Simi Valley city streets must be moved every 72 hours or the Police Department may cite or tow them under California Vehicle Code Section 22651(k) as authorized by local ordinance.

Key details: Maximum stay (standard vehicle): 72 consecutive hours. Maximum stay (RV/oversized): 48 hours at registered Simi Valley address. State authority: California Vehicle Code 22651(k). Report hotline: Simi Valley PD Parking Hotline (805) 583-6921. Enforcing agency: Simi Valley Police Department.

A warning notice may be left and the tires marked; if the vehicle has not moved after 72 hours, it may be cited and towed at the owner's expense pursuant to CVC 22651(k).

EV Charging

Simi Valley fast-tracks electric vehicle charging stations under SVMC Title 8, Chapter 25: a complete permit application gets a decision within seven business days, and installations in a single-family garage skip the checklist entirely and go straight to over-the-counter issuance.

Key details: Expedited review time: 7 business days. Permit for standard install: None; zoning clearance not required. Single-family garage path: Over-the-counter electrical permit. ID sign limit: 4 sq ft, 8 ft high, non-illuminated. Appeal deadline: 10 days to Planning Commission.

An incomplete application draws one written correction notice detailing every deficiency (8-25.06(d)); it is not simply denied outright. If the Building Official finds a specific, adverse public-safety impact and no feasible mitigation, a use permit can be required and, if denied, the applicant may appeal to the Planning Commission under Section 9-76.030.D within ten days of the decision, with the Commission limited to the same health-and-safety-only review as the Building Official.

Simi Valley is more permissive than most cities when it comes to ev charging. That said, there are still limits.

Loading Zones

Every new or altered commercial, industrial and restaurant use in Simi Valley must maintain permanent off-street loading spaces sized to Table 3-6. Loading doors cannot face public streets and trucks cannot back into the street or use a public right-of-way to reach a dock.

Key details: Retail/industrial berth size: 12' wide x 50' long x 14' high. Office berth size: 11' wide x 35' long x 13' high. Loading door rule: Cannot open toward public street. Location: Rear or side lot areas only. Turning radius, retail/industrial: 45 feet.

Operating without the required permanently maintained loading spaces, or loading in the public right-of-way or a non-designated alley or street area, is enforced as a Development Code violation under Chapter 9-78 (Enforcement of Development Code Provisions), which can include a stop-work order or denial of occupancy until the required loading facilities are installed.

Driveway Rules

Simi Valley bars parking or storing any vehicle, camper, or vessel on an unpaved surface within a yard or setback area that's visible from the street, alley, or an adjoining property, under SVMC § 4-9.202. The rule reaches inoperative vehicles too, and code enforcement or police can cite violators under the California Vehicle Code's local-ordinance authority.

Key details: Governing section: SVMC § 4-9.202. Ban covers: unpaved yard/setback surfaces visible from street. Also covers: campers, vessels, inoperative vehicles. Citation authority: Cal. Vehicle Code § 40202. Nuisance trigger: 3 citations, same vehicle, 1 year (§ 4-9.204).

A violation of SVMC § 4-9.202 draws a citation under California Vehicle Code § 40202, with the fine amount set by City Council resolution under Vehicle Code § 40203.5. Three citations for the same vehicle on the same lot within one year escalate the matter to a declared public nuisance under § 4-9.204, subject to abatement proceedings under SVMC §§ 5-2.01 et seq., which can include City-ordered removal of the vehicle at the owner's expense.

Curb Color Rules

Simi Valley marks no-parking and fire-lane zones with red curb paint under SVMC § 4-9.503(j) and (m), and reserves blue curb for disabled placard holders under § 4-9.506(d). Angle-parking zones get white lines under § 4-9.504(c) instead. Only the City Engineer, or the fire district for fire lanes, decides where curb colors go.

Key details: Red curb: no parking/stopping any time (§ 4-9.503(j)). Fire lanes: red curb or 'Fire Lane' lettering (§ 4-9.503(m)). Blue curb: disabled parking only (§ 4-9.506(d)). White lines: designated angle parking (§ 4-9.504(c)). Who designates colors: City Engineer (fire district for fire lanes).

Parking in a red-curb no-parking or no-stopping zone, or a designated fire lane, violates SVMC § 4-9.503(j) and (m). Parking or stopping in a blue-curb disabled zone without a valid placard, or blocking the adjacent blue cross-hatch loading area even with a placard, violates § 4-9.506. Violations of this article carry a civil penalty plus administrative charges under § 4-9.507, in the amounts set by the City's schedule of parking citation fines, and a contested citation is reviewed under California Vehicle Code § 40215 per § 4-9.508.

RV & Boat Parking

Simi Valley restricts parking of RVs, boats, and other oversized vehicles or detached trailers on every city street under SVMC Section 4-9.402, with a 48-hour visitor/loading allowance at a registered Simi Valley address.

Key details: Oversized dimensions: Over 23 ft long, 7 ft wide, or 8 ft high. Detached trailers: Prohibited on all city streets. Resident exception: Up to 48 hours at registered Simi Valley address. Visitor parking: Permit required (no grace period). Code section: SVMC 4-9.402.

Citations are issued under SVMC 4-9.402 and vehicles may be towed at the owner's expense. The flyer states: 'Violators will be cited under 4-9.402 S.V.M.C. and vehicles may be towed at their owner's expense.'

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Under SVMC 4-9.402, commercial and oversized vehicles longer than 23 feet, wider than 7 feet, or taller than 8 feet may not park on any Simi Valley city street, and commercial vehicles of 10,000+ lb GVW associated with a home occupation may not be parked overnight in residential areas.

Key details: Size threshold: Over 23 ft long, 7 ft wide, or 8 ft high. Detached trailers: Prohibited on all city streets. Home-occupation rule: No overnight commercial vehicle 10,000+ lb GVW in residential area. Permit option: Temporary permit via SVPD Traffic Bureau (case by case). Enforcement: Simi Valley Police Department; Code Enforcement for home-occupation.

Citation under SVMC 4-9.402 and towing at the owner's expense. Home-occupation violations are pursued separately through Code Enforcement under SVMC Title 9.

Simi Valley is more permissive than most cities when it comes to commercial & oversized vehicles. That said, there are still limits.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Simi Valley gives residents more room on parking rules. 4 of the 9 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

All of the above reflects Simi Valley'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.