Parking Rules in Charleston, SC (2026)
9 verified parking rules for Charleston, South Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Driveway Rules
Charleston requires new surface parking lots and driveways to be paved with a durable, hard-surfaced material, but Section 54-318(d) lets specific land uses, led by houses with ten or fewer units, skip paving entirely if drainage is handled and any required paved apron at the street entrance is built.
Charleston Driveway Paving Rules for New Lots
Some RestrictionsCharleston Zoning Ordinance § 54-318(d)
d.Surface material requirements. But for the exceptions listed below, all surface parking lots shall be paved with a durable, hard surfaced material which is appropriate for the intended land use. All handicapped parking spaces, and the paths connecting spaces to buildings, shall be hard-surfaced regardless of the land use.1.Exceptions. ... (a)Exclusively residential uses with ten (10) or fewer...
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Charleston bars parking a truck or other vehicle over 20 feet long on any street for more than one hour, citywide, under Sec. 19-237, unless the vehicle is actively picking up or dropping off passengers or freight. A tractor and trailer combination counts as a single vehicle for the length measurement.
Charleston Oversized Truck Parking Limit
Some RestrictionsCharleston City Code § 19-237
Sec. 19-237. - Trucks or vehicles more than twenty feet long. No person shall stop, stand or park a truck or other vehicle having an overall length of more than twenty (20) feet at any point upon any street for a period of more than one hour, except that such bus, truck or other vehicle may be stopped or parked for such length of time as may be necessary for the pickup and loading or unloading ...
Street Parking Limits
Charleston bars stopping, standing or parking anywhere except to avoid a traffic conflict, follow a police officer's directions, or where curbs are painted yellow, under Sec. 19-234. Sec. 19-240 separately bans blocking a public or private driveway or parking within three feet of one, and requires at least 10 feet of roadway kept clear for traffic.
Charleston On-Street Parking and Driveway Rules
Some RestrictionsCharleston City Code § 19-234(a), (c); § 19-240(b)
Sec. 19-234. Area where stopping or parking prohibited. (a)No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, or where curbs are painted yellow...(c)When signs, curb painting, pavement markings, or other approved notices or markings are installed giving noti...
Overnight Parking
City Code § 19-238 makes it unlawful to camp, sleep, lodge, or take up residence in a camper, van, bus, or other motor vehicle on Charleston's public streets, in city parks, or in any public place. The rule targets vehicle dwelling rather than routine overnight parking: an empty, legally parked car breaks no rule here, but sleeping inside one on a public street does, unless the city's special events committee grants a nuisance-free exception.
Charleston Bans Overnight Camping in Parked Vehicles
Heavy RestrictionsCharleston, S.C. Code of Ordinances § 19-238
No person shall camp, camp out, sleep, lodge, or take up residence in any camper, van, bus, or other motor vehicle on the public streets or in any park or public place; provided, however, that the city's special events committee may authorize such activity so long as the activity shall not constitute a nuisance and adequate measures shall be taken to ensure the safety of campers, preserve the c...
EV Charging
In Charleston's Upper Peninsula District, parking spaces designated as electric vehicle charging stations count toward a project's minimum off-street parking requirement. Buildings using the district's height and density bonuses can also earn points by installing EV chargers for at least four spaces or 5 percent of total parking, whichever is greater.
Charleston Upper Peninsula EV Charging Parking Rule
Light RestrictionsCharleston Zoning Ordinance §§ 54-299.28 and 54-299.32(4)
Spaces that are subject to an approved space-sharing agreement, or that are part of a car share program, or that are designated as electric vehicle charging stations, or that are designated for compact car only, count toward fulfilling minimum parking requirements... 1.Install electric vehicle car charging stations (minimum Level 2 or DC fast charging) with appropriate signage for electric vehi...
Abandoned Vehicles
Charleston treats a vehicle as abandoned if it's unregistered and disabled, sits on private property without consent for more than 24 hours, sits on a public street for more than 7 days, or sits on other city property for more than 24 hours. City Code Section 14-32 bans abandoning a vehicle anywhere in the city and bars property owners from letting one remain.
Charleston Abandoned Vehicle Prohibition
Some RestrictionsCharleston City Code §§ 14-31, 14-32
For the purposes of this article, a vehicle shall be determined to have been abandoned if:(1)The vehicle fails to display a current license plate, and it is partially dismantled or wrecked or incapable of self-propulsion or of being moved in the manner for which it was originally intended; or(2)The vehicle is left on private property without the consent of the owner, occupant or lessee thereof ...
Curb Color Rules
A curb painted yellow in Charleston functions as a standing no-stopping, no-standing and no-parking zone under Sec. 19-234(a), carrying the same legal weight as a posted sign. Curb painting also marks fire lanes under Sec. 19-234(c), where parking becomes unlawful once the lane is signed, painted or otherwise marked.
Charleston Yellow Curb No-Parking Rule
Some RestrictionsCharleston City Code § 19-234(a), (c)
Sec. 19-234. Area where stopping or parking prohibited. (a)No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, or where curbs are painted yellow.(b)When signs are erected in each block giving notice thereof, it shall be unlawful to park a vehicle as prohibite...
Loading Zones
City Code § 19-242 limits commercial vehicles to thirty minutes when loading or unloading materials in a marked commercial loading zone, and only vehicles bearing commercial markings and a commercial license plate may use the space during posted hours. Passenger loading zones are stricter still: any use other than briskly picking up or dropping off passengers is unlawful, and commercial vehicles can never block a travel lane to load.
Charleston Commercial Loading Zone 30-Minute Limit
Some RestrictionsCharleston, S.C. Code of Ordinances § 19-242
(a)No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle for any purpose or period of time other than for the expeditious loading or unloading of passengers in any place marked as a passenger loading zone.(b)Only commercial vehicles identified by commercial markings and bearing a commercial license plate, shall stop, stand or park for expeditious unloading and delivery or pick-up and loading of materia...
Preferential Parking Districts
City Council may designate a residential area as a permit parking district under §§ 19-266 through 19-280 when nonresidential on-street parking from adjacent commercial, industrial, or institutional uses severely impacts the neighborhood. Once designated, on-street parking beyond the time posted on district signs is limited to vehicles displaying a valid residential decal, with ten numbered districts already established across the peninsula.
Charleston Residential Parking Permit Districts
Significant RestrictionsCharleston, S.C. Code of Ordinances §§ 19-268, 19-278
Whenever the city council shall determine, after a traffic survey of a particular residential area of the city and after a public hearing, that such an area is severely impacted by nonresidential on-street parking by reason of adjacent commercial, industrial, or institutional uses, it may designate such residential area as a permit parking district. ... Upon designation by council of a permit p...
Looking for Charleston County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Charleston city rules.
Parking Rules in Charleston County →