How Winston-Salem Handles Parking Rules: A Practical Guide

Winston-Salem maintains 88 local ordinances across all categories, and 8 of those deal specifically with parking rules. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Winston-Salem falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Driveway Rules

Winston-Salem bars parking vehicles, boats, campers or trailers on front lawns unless on an improved driveway or pad at least 10 feet wide, capped at 30% of the front yard.

Key details: Minimum driveway width: 10 feet. Max front-yard coverage: 30% (up to 50% circular drives). Per-vehicle penalty: $25.00. Uncorrected-surface penalty: $150.00 or 10% of abatement cost. Applies in: RS, RSQ, RM zoning districts.

Civil penalty of $25.00 per vehicle under § 42-175(c)(10) for parking on the lawn in violation of § 42-173. Separately, uncorrected front-yard surface violations under § 42-173(h) draw a $150.00 (or 10% of abatement cost, whichever is greater) civil penalty, city abatement, and a lien on the property after a 30-day notice period.

EV Charging

Winston-Salem requires vehicles parked in designated electric vehicle charging spaces to be actively plugged in and charging, requires drivers to move once charging ends or the posted time limit is reached, and still charges normal parking fees while the charger is in use.

Key details: Charging required: Must be plugged in and charging. Move deadline: When charging ends or time limit hits. Parking fees: Normal fees still apply. Cord rule: Can't cross streets or sidewalks. Penalty: Up to $50.00 infraction.

Violating the EV charging space rule is a parking infraction under Sec. 42-2(b), punishable by a penalty of up to $50.00, not the class 3 misdemeanor that applies to most other chapter 42 offenses.

Abandoned Vehicles

Winston-Salem defines abandoned vehicles as those parked on public streets over 72 hours or inoperative vehicles on private property. Police tag suspicious vehicles with 7-day notice before towing. Owners charged towing and storage fees.

Key details: Street Limit: 72 hours continuous. Notice: 7 days before tow. Private Property: 30-day limit. Tow Fee: 125-175 dollars. Storage: 15-25 per day.

Towing fees 125 to 175 dollars plus daily storage. Property maintenance violation: 100 dollars per day civil penalty. Unclaimed vehicles sold after 30 days.

Towing & Impound Rights

When Winston-Salem has a vehicle towed, Chapter 42 gives the owner a fixed set of rights: notice within 24 hours if the car carries a North Carolina plate and 72 hours if it does not, a probable cause hearing before a Forsyth County magistrate, and 30 days from the mailed notice to pay the lien before the car is deemed abandoned and sold by the private tower.

Key details: Notice deadline: 24 hours for a North Carolina plate, 72 hours out of state. Pre-tow windshield warning: Seven days, but only for a vehicle with no valid plate or registration. Where to contest: Probable cause hearing before a Forsyth County magistrate. Claim deadline: 30 days from the mailed notice before the car is deemed abandoned. City administrative fee: $60.00, separate from the private tower charges.

Removing a wheel lock, or taking a vehicle out of impoundment before the civil penalties and applicable charges are paid or a payment plan is approved, is unlawful under section 42-176(h). Section 42-316 makes remedies cumulative, so the city can collect the parking civil penalty and impound the same vehicle for the same violation. Section 42-350 adds a $250.00 civil penalty for repeat patterns: an owner whose vehicle has been towed four times in six months for abandonment pays it on the fifth tow, and an owner towed twice in six months from an area designated a red zone pays it on the third. An unpaid civil penalty becomes a debt the city can sue for in the general court of justice if it is not paid within ten days of notification. Section 42-315 disclaims any city liability for damage to an impounded vehicle or for loss or theft of its contents.

Street Parking Limits

Winston-Salem requires vehicles parked on a street to sit parallel to the curb, headed in the direction of traffic, within 12 inches of it, and bars stopping on sidewalks, in driveways, or near fire hydrants and intersections.

Key details: Curb clearance required: within 12 inches. Wrong-way parking fine: $30.00. Blocking driveway fine: $30.00. Fire hydrant clearance: 15 feet. Ticket payment deadline: 60 days.

Civil penalty of $30.00 for parking too far from the curb or in violation of most §42-153(a) spots; $30.00 for blocking a driveway/alley, $50.00 near a fire hydrant, per §42-175(c). Unpaid tickets add a $25.00 delinquency fee after 60 days.

Loading Zones

Winston-Salem caps curb loading zone stops at 30 minutes for active loading or unloading, and reserves commercial loading zones for vehicles carrying a state commercial registration.

Key details: Max loading stop: 30 minutes. Commercial zones: state commercial registration only. Zones set by: city manager, traffic study. Signage: required, states applicable hours.

Stopping, standing, or parking in a curb loading zone for any other purpose, or exceeding the 30-minute limit without the police chief's permission, is a code violation subject to citation; each day of continued violation is a separate offense under the city's general enforcement authority (G.S. 160A-175).

RV & Boat Parking

Winston-Salem bars parking boats, campers, trailers, and vehicles on front lawns, but only inside neighborhoods that petition the city for a 'no parking on the lawn' designation: like the permanently designated Stonewall neighborhood.

Key details: Improved pad required: minimum 10 feet wide. Front-yard coverage cap: 30% of front yard area. Where it applies: designated no-parking-on-lawn areas only. Per-vehicle penalty: $25.00 civil penalty. Eligible zoning: RS, RSQ, RM districts only.

Parking on an unimproved front lawn area in a designated zone draws a $25.00 civil penalty per vehicle (Code § 42-175(c)(10)); the city can also issue a correction notice and, if unresolved in 30 days, remove the violation and assess a $150.00 penalty (§ 42-173(h)(4)).

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Winston-Salem prohibits parking private vehicles or trailers wider than 80 inches or longer than 30 feet on any city street, except while actively loading or unloading, under Code of Ordinances § 42-171.

Key details: Width limit: 80 inches maximum. Length limit: 30 feet maximum. Exception: actively loading or unloading. Penalty: $50.00 civil fine. Repeat violations: new ticket every hour.

$50.00 civil penalty per violation (§ 42-175(c)(11)); each additional hour parked in the same space counts as a new violation and new ticket under § 42-175(h).

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

The Bottom Line

Winston-Salem'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 Winston-Salem is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Winston-Salem'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.