Parking Rules in Yonkers, NY

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

Abandoned Vehicles

Yonkers City Code prohibits leaving a disabled or willfully abandoned motor vehicle on any public street, highway or City-controlled property for more than one week. The Police Commissioner can order it towed, and title vests in the City if it goes unclaimed for a month.

Key details: One-week trigger: Removal power after more than 1 week parked/left. Enforcement: Police Commissioner or lawful agent. Publication notice: 10 days before disposal as abandoned/junk. Title vesting: 1 month unredeemed, absolute 20 days after notice. General penalty: Up to $250 fine or 10 days jail.

Unlawfully abandoning or leaving a disabled vehicle beyond one week exposes the owner to towing and storage charges plus all outstanding fines and judgments before release, per § 109-146. Where no specific fine is set for a chapter 109 violation and the Parking Violations Bureau lacks jurisdiction, § 109-160A sets a general penalty of a fine up to $250 or up to 10 days in jail, or both.

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

EV Charging

Yonkers requires a building and electrical permit for every Level 2 or Level 3 electric vehicle charging station and treats EV chargers as an accessory use allowed in every zoning district. Level 1 residential chargers need only an electrical permit and skip site plan review. Screens over 50 feet from a right-of-way trigger Planning Board review under City Code Article XXI.

Key details: Governing law: Yonkers City Code Article XXI, §§ 43-244 to 43-252. Effective date: September 24, 2024 (Ord. No. 12-2024). Level 2/3 permits: Building permit and electrical permit both required. Level 1 permit: Electrical permit only, no site plan review. Screen size cap: 25.6 sq ft, 7.1 ft tall, 3.6 ft wide.

Violating any provision of Article XXI, including installing a Level 2 or Level 3 charger without a building and electrical permit or skipping required site plan review, is a Class II offense under City Code Section 43-153. A first violation is a separate offense and a repeat violation of the same section on the same property becomes a misdemeanor, exposing the owner, contractor or corporation to fines and possible imprisonment. Corporation Counsel can also sue for an injunction to stop or correct the violation.

Loading Zones

Yonkers caps commercial curb use in marked loading zones at 30 minutes and passenger zones at three minutes under City Code § 109-84, enforced whenever the posted zone hours are in effect. The Traffic Engineer designates each zone's location and hours under § 109-7, and delivery vehicles that need to back against the curb outside a zone can apply for an annual permit under § 109-8.

Key details: Passenger zone limit: 3 minutes while posted hours are in effect. Loading zone limit: 30 minutes while posted hours are in effect. Who sets zones: Traffic Engineer designates location and posted hours. Curb-loading permit: Annual, renewable permit under § 109-8. Enforcement cap: Parking Violations Office, up to $50 per violation.

Overstaying the posted three-minute passenger-zone or 30-minute loading-zone limit under § 109-84 is a parking violation prosecuted by the Yonkers Parking Violations Office, which under § 109-36B may impose up to $50 per violation unless the City Council raises that cap by resolution. Loading without the § 109-8 curb permit, or ignoring hours posted under § 109-7, is enforced the same way.

Street Parking Limits

Yonkers Code § 109-74 makes it unlawful to park anywhere parking is posted as prohibited or restricted, or in front of or partially blocking a private driveway. Companion sections back the same sign-based system: § 109-81 bans parking where "no parking" signs are posted, and § 109-82 bans parking from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on posted blocks, except Sundays and holidays.

Key details: Core rule: § 109-74: no parking where posted, no driveway blocking. Disabled vehicle grace period: 3 hours. Posted-hours ban: 8am-6pm except Sun/holidays (§109-82). Posted time limit: 1 hour max (§109-83). Minimum roadway clearance: 10 feet (§109-78).

Parking where a "no parking" sign is posted, parking during posted restricted hours, exceeding a posted one-hour limit, or blocking or partially blocking a private driveway all violate Article IX of Chapter 109. Fines are capped at $50 per violation under § 109-36B, and the Police Commissioner can have an illegally parked vehicle towed under the chapter's removal authority.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Yonkers bans parking a commercial vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, house-on-wheels, bus, school bus, or any food-delivery vehicle on a city street except while actively loading, unloading, or performing a commercial service, under City Code § 109-79. The rule has been amended five times since 2005, most recently in 2023, to keep pace with branded delivery traffic.

Key details: Governing section: § 109-79, last amended 4-25-2023. Vehicles covered: Commercial vehicles, trailers, buses, food-delivery vehicles. Allowed only for: Active loading, unloading, or service. "Food-delivery vehicle" defined as: Any vehicle bearing a food business logo. Standard parking fine cap: $50.

Parking a commercial vehicle, trailer, bus, school bus, house-on-wheels, or a food-delivery vehicle on a Yonkers street outside the loading, delivery, or active-service window violates § 109-79. Parking violations under Chapter 109 are capped at $50 per ticket under § 109-36B unless the City Council raises the cap by resolution, and repeat violators risk towing under the chapter's vehicle-removal authority.

Preferential Parking Districts

Yonkers runs three named residential parking permit districts under Chapter 109, Article XII: Tibbetts Brook Park (§ 109-128), Garrett Park (§ 109-129), and Yonkers Raceway/Empire City (§ 109-130). Each caps non-permit parking to a set window, requires a Parking Violations Bureau permit to stay longer, and carries its own fine.

Key details: Tibbetts Brook Park district: § 109-128, added 1996. Garrett Park district: § 109-129. Raceway/Empire City district: § 109-130, added 2009. Tibbetts Brook permit fee: $5 resident / $10 nonresident. Garrett Park permit fee: $25 flat annual.

Parking in the Tibbetts Brook Park or Garrett Park district without a displayed Parking Violations Bureau permit during the restricted hours draws a fine of up to $65 under §§ 109-128G and 109-129G. Parking without a permit in the Yonkers Raceway/Empire City district, restricted around the clock, draws a fine of up to $70 under § 109-130G.

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

Snow Removal Parking Rules

When the Mayor of Yonkers declares a snow emergency, City Code Chapter 108 bars parking on eleven signed emergency routes, including North Broadway, South Broadway, Warburton Avenue and Yonkers Avenue, until the order is lifted. The same emergency also requires snow tires or chains on designated hill streets, and violating either rule is a Class II offense punishable by fine or jail.

Key details: Governing law: City Code Chapter 108, adopted 11-14-2017. Trigger: Mayor or designee proclaims a snow emergency. Emergency routes: 11 signed streets, e.g. North/South Broadway, Warburton Ave.. Snow tire streets: Separate named list of hills/connectors requires tires or chains. Penalty: Class II offense: $100-$5,000 fine or up to 15 days jail.

Parking on a posted snow emergency route while the Mayor's declaration is active is a Class II offense under § 108-5. Under the citywide penalty table at § 1-21, that carries a criminal fine of $100 to $5,000, up to 15 days in jail, or both, or a civil penalty of $250 to $5,000. Driving without required snow tires or chains on the § 108-4 streets during the same emergency carries identical Class II exposure.

RV & Boat Parking

Yonkers City Code § 43-41N allows only one recreational vehicle, camper, boat or trailer stored on a residential lot, owned by the resident, and it must be kept in a garage sized to hold it. The garage must sit in the side or rear yard, five feet from any property line.

Key details: RVs/boats/trailers allowed: One per lot, resident-owned. Storage requirement: Enclosed garage sized to fit it. Garage location: Side or rear yard only. Property line setback: 5 feet minimum. Commercial vehicles in that garage: Prohibited under N(4).

Storing more than one RV, camper, boat or trailer, storing one without a garage sized to hold it, or placing the storage garage in a front yard or within five feet of a property line, violates § 43-41N and is a Class II offense under § 43-153: a fine of $100 to $5,000, up to 15 days in jail, or a civil penalty of $250 to $5,000.

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

Driveway Rules

Single- and two-family homes in Yonkers may park at most two currently licensed passenger vehicles in a paved front-yard driveway, and only within specific zones defined by the driveway's relationship to the garage, side yard or a circular layout, under City Code § 43-133A.

Key details: Max vehicles in front-yard driveway: 2, licensed and active. Driveway must be: paved, built under a valid permit. Corner lot setback: matches side-street front yard depth. Minimum setback, back-to-back lots: 10 feet. Governing section: City Code § 43-133A.

Parking outside these designated areas, exceeding the two-vehicle cap, or parking on an unpaved surface violates the Zoning Ordinance's off-street parking rules and is a Class II offense under § 43-153 and City Code § 1-21, carrying a $100 to $5,000 fine or up to 15 days in jail plus a $250 to $5,000 civil penalty. The Commissioner of Housing and Buildings can withhold a certificate of occupancy or issue a summons for unpermitted driveway construction.

The Bottom Line

Yonkers 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 Yonkers, 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 Yonkers's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.