Parking Rules in Memphis, TN (2026)
10 verified parking rules for Memphis, Tennessee, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
RV & Boat Parking
Memphis code bars parking or storing boats, campers, trailers and other recreational equipment on any public street in a residential district, and separately bars leaving a recreation vehicle unattended on a residential street or in a residential district except while it is actively being loaded or unloaded. Violators face towing and a misdemeanor charge.
Memphis RV, Trailer & Boat Street Parking Ban
Significant RestrictionsMemphis Code of Ordinances §§ 11-40-11(C), 11-40-12(A)
No recreation vehicle shall be parked or left unattended on any residential street or in any residential district, except while actively being loaded or unloaded. ... It is unlawful for any person to park or store any nonmotorized vehicle or equipment, such as, but not limited to, campers, trailers, boats, or other recreational type equipment, on any public street located within a residential d...
Driveway Rules
Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County share one zoning code, and its Access Management chapter caps residential driveway width at 16 feet where the driveway meets the street right-of-way. A driveway leading to a detached garage, carport, or a home with no garage must run at least 20 feet past the front facade, and access points must sit at least 20 feet from any intersection.
Memphis Driveway Width & Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsMemphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code § 4.4.4
Residential driveway access to and from streets must be constructed in accordance with City or County standards as outlined below: ... Width of Driveway Residential driveways may be no wider than 16 feet at the right-of-way and must extend at least 20 feet beyond the front façade of the house in instances where the driveway leads to a detached garage or carport or where there is no garage or ca...
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Memphis Code § 11-40-11(B) bars trucks, truck trailers, tractors and buses from parking or sitting unattended on any residential public street, though standard two-axle pickups, vans and SUVs are expressly excluded. The only exceptions are active loading/unloading or a vehicle actually working a job on the adjacent property; violators face a $25.00 fine and possible impoundment.
Memphis Truck & Bus Residential Parking Ban
Significant RestrictionsMemphis Code § 11-40-11(B)
No truck, truck trailer, or tractor or bus, as defined in this title, but specifically excluding pickup trucks with two axles and passenger vans and sport utility vehicles, shall be parked or left unattended on any public street located within a residential district and/or zone, as defined in the Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code, except while actively being loaded or unloaded,...
Street Parking Limits
Memphis Code § 11-40-2 lists 16 places where a vehicle may never stop, stand or park: blocking a driveway, parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, sitting in an intersection or crosswalk, or stopping within 20 feet of a crosswalk. A base violation carries a $10.00 fine, rising to $20.00 for parking in a posted restricted zone.
Memphis On-Street Parking Prohibitions
Some RestrictionsMemphis Code § 11-40-2(A)
No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the direction of a police officer or traffic-control device, in any of the following places: ... 3.In front of a public or private driveway;4.Within an intersection;5.Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant;6.On a crosswalk;7.Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, ...
Overnight Parking
Memphis Code § 11-40-11(A) makes it unlawful to park, or knowingly permit parking, of any vehicle on a residential street for longer than 24 consecutive hours. The rule applies to all vehicles, not just trucks or RVs, and a violation is a misdemeanor carrying a $25.00 civil forfeiture plus possible impoundment.
Memphis 24-Hour Residential Street Parking Limit
Some RestrictionsMemphis Code § 11-40-11(A)
It is unlawful for any person to park, or knowingly permit, any vehicle as defined in this title, on any residential street in the city for a period of time longer than 24 hours consecutively.
EV Charging
Memphis regulates electric vehicle charging through the joint Memphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code. A private, non-fee charger is an accessory use allowed in any zoning district, but a commercial fee-based charging station is sited like a gas station, with 20-foot property-line setbacks and up to a 125-foot residential buffer.
Memphis EV Charging Station Siting Rules
Some RestrictionsMemphis and Shelby County Unified Development Code § 2.6.3.J
J. Convenience Store with Gas Pumps, Gas Station, Commercial Electric Vehicle Charge Station 1. General Standards b. Gasoline pumps, tanks, vents, EV chargers and pump islands shall be located no closer than 20 feet to any side or rear property line or right-of-way. c. No sign of any type or any gasoline pump, tank, or EV charger shall be located within 20 feet of any residential district. F...
Abandoned Vehicles
When a vehicle is wrecked or abandoned in a Memphis street or alley and obstructs traffic, the police division can have it towed to a designated storage lot and held until the owner claims it. Release costs a flat $30.00 pull-in charge plus $5.00 for every day it sits in storage.
Memphis Impounds Abandoned Street Vehicles
Some RestrictionsMemphis Code of Ordinances § 11-40-26
In order to remove all obstructions and to provide free use of the streets and alleys for the fire and police divisions and for the public, whenever a motor vehicle is wrecked or abandoned in the street or is found parked in violation of any of the provisions of this title, and it becomes necessary, in the opinion of the police division, to remove such vehicle from the street as an obstruction,...
Loading Zones
Memphis caps stops in a marked loading zone at 30 minutes unless a vehicle is visibly and continuously loading or unloading. Businesses must apply to the city engineer and get abutting-owner consent before a curb loading zone is installed, and violators face a $20 forfeiture under the traffic violations bureau's schedule.
Memphis Loading Zone Time Limits & Rules
Some RestrictionsMemphis Code of Ordinances § 11-40-18
No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle for any purpose or length of time other than for the expeditious unloading and delivery or pickup and loading of property in any place marked as a loading zone. The stop for loading and unloading of property shall not exceed 30 minutes, unless visible and continuously active loading or unloading of property cannot be completed within this period.
Preferential Parking Districts
Memphis lets the city council designate permit parking districts by resolution, exempting residents' vehicles displaying a valid permit from otherwise-applicable street parking restrictions. Designation requires a petition approved by 75 percent of property owners, and an annual permit costs $50.00, prorated to no less than $15.00.
Memphis Residential Permit Parking Districts
Significant RestrictionsMemphis Code of Ordinances § 11-40-29
Permit parking district means a residential area with streets and boundaries designated by a city council resolution wherein vehicles displaying a valid permit shall be exempt from parking restrictions established pursuant to this section. ... The city engineer shall prepare rules and procedures for the designation of permit parking districts setting forth the petition process (requiring approv...
Towing & Impound Rights
Memphis fixes the price of a non-consent tow by ordinance instead of leaving it to the tow company. Chapter 6-88 caps a Class A tow of a passenger car or pickup at $225.00 when the vehicle can be driven and $275.00 when it is wrecked, sets storage at $30.00 for each 24-hour period after the first 24 hours, and allows a $75.00 administrative fee only after the first 72 hours of impoundment. If you reach your car after the wrecker has hooked it up but before it leaves the lot, Sec. 6-88-6(C) says it must be released for a fee of no more than $75.00, and if you get there before it is connected at all, there is no charge.
Memphis Caps Non-Consent Tow and Storage Fees by Wrecker Class
Significant RestrictionsSecs. 6-88-6 and 6-88-7
The following fees shall apply for each class of wrecker services providing non-consensual tow services: A. Class A wrecker service: The maximum charge ... shall be as follows: Recovery Base Rate / Wrecker Class / Towed / Wrecked A $225.00 $275.00 Extra Winching $100.00 one-time fee B. Class B and C wrecker service fees: B Straight Trucks, Vans, etc.: $370.00 $475.00 C Tandem-Axle, Loaded: $465...
Looking for Shelby County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Memphis city rules.
Parking Rules in Shelby County →