Parking Rules in Nashville, TN (2026)
11 verified parking rules for Nashville, Tennessee, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
RV & Boat Parking
Metro Nashville bans front-yard storage of trailers and watercraft on single-family and two-family lots: they must sit on a paved or graveled driveway or behind the home's front facade.
RV, Trailer & Boat Parking Rules in Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 16.24.330(P)
No trailer or watercraft located on Private single family or two-family residential property shall be stored in the front yard of the property, but shall be stored on a paved or graveled driveway, or behind the front facade of the residential structure. For purposes of this subsection the following definitions shall apply: "Trailer" means every non-motorized vehicle drawn by a motor vehicle des...
Driveway Rules
Metro Nashville requires vehicles parked on private property to sit on a paved or graveled surface, not grass or dirt, and caps that paved parking area at 25% of an unimproved residential lot.
Nashville Front-Yard Parking and Driveway Rules
Some RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 16.24.330(K)(3)
Every motor vehicle located on private property shall be either stored inside a fully enclosed structure or similarly enclosed area designed and approved for such purposes, or parked or stored in a safe manner on a paved or graveled area, other than a sidewalk. For the purposes of this section, "paved or graveled area" includes, but is not limited to, parking areas which use asphalt, concrete, ...
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Metro Nashville bans parking, stopping, or standing large commercial or heavy-duty vehicles in the public right-of-way without an NDOT permit, and bars overnight parking outright.
Nashville Oversized Vehicle Parking Rules
Significant RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 12.40.180
"Large vehicle" means any commercial, oversized, or heavy-duty vehicle classified by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) vehicle classification system as Class 4 or higher... The parking, stopping, or standing of any large vehicle in the public right-of-way is strictly prohibited unless otherwise authorized by a valid permit issued by the Nashville Department of Transportatio...
Street Parking Limits
Metro Nashville bars stopping or parking on sidewalks, in intersections, or within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, and bans standing in front of any driveway, even briefly, under the Metro Code's on-street parking rules.
Nashville On-Street Parking Rules
Some RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 12.40.040
2.Stand or park a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except momentarily to pick up or discharge a passenger or passengers:a.In front of a public or private driveway,b.Within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant,c.Within thirty feet of a crosswalk at an intersection,d.Within thirty feet upon the approach to any flashing signal, stop sign, yield sign or traffic-control signal located at the side of a ro...
Overnight Parking
Metro Nashville prohibits overnight parking, stopping, or standing by large vehicles, USDOT Class 4 and up, including box trucks, semi-trailers and dump trucks, anywhere in the public right-of-way, with no permit exception for the overnight hours.
Nashville Overnight Large-Vehicle Parking Ban
Heavy RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 12.40.180(B)(1)-(2)
The parking, stopping, or standing of any large vehicle in the public right-of-way is strictly prohibited unless otherwise authorized by a valid permit issued by the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT). ... Overnight parking by large vehicles in the public right-of-way is prohibited.
EV Charging
In Metro Nashville parking lots with 10 or more spaces, marked EV charging spaces are reserved for plug-in electric vehicles only, backed by a $50 fine.
Nashville EV Charging Space Rules
Some RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 12.40.040.F
In parking lots with designated spaces for ten or more vehicles, no vehicle shall be parked in a space designated for charging any electric vehicle by any sign or pavement marking using the term "electric vehicle charging," or otherwise reasonably indicating designation for electric vehicle charging, unless the vehicle is a plug-in electric vehicle. The owner of any motor vehicle found in viola...
Abandoned Vehicles
Metro Codes Administration can tag, tow and demolish an abandoned vehicle left on public streets, alleys or thoroughfares in Nashville and Davidson County.
Abandoned Vehicle Rules in Nashville
Significant RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 12.08.210
No person shall permit an abandoned vehicle to remain on any alley, street, highway or thoroughfare within the area of the metropolitan government. "Abandoned motor vehicle" ... means a motor vehicle that is over four years old ... that is left unattended on public property for more than ten days, or a motor vehicle that is in an obvious state of disrepair and is left unattended on public prope...
Curb Color Rules
Metro Nashville treats a painted curb the same as a posted sign: Section 12.40.020 requires the Department of Public Works to paint curbs or the street surface wherever parking is restricted, and the rule isn't enforceable until that paint (or a sign) is in place.
Red Curb Parking Rules in Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 12.40.020
Whenever by this or any other regulation of the traffic and parking commission, any parking time is imposed or parking is prohibited on designated streets, it shall be the duty of the department of public works to erect appropriate signs or to paint the curbs and/or street surface giving notice thereof. No such regulations shall be effective unless such signs are erected and in place, or the cu...
Loading Zones
Metro Nashville's traffic and parking commission runs a curb loading zone management program that can reserve specially designated curb loading zones for permitted, fee-paying users and adds dedicated staff and automated enforcement to cut double parking.
Curb Loading Zone Management in Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 12.48.025
The traffic and parking commission shall establish a curb loading zone management program ("program"). The purpose of the program is to increase availability and efficiency of curb loading zones and reduce double parking by loading vehicles. The curb loading zone management program may include continuing to treat some curb loading zones as they always have been treated while identifying some sp...
Preferential Parking Districts
Metro Nashville lets residents petition the Traffic and Parking Commission to create Residential Permit Parking (RPP) areas, exempting resident vehicles with a $10 annual permit from posted time limits based on parking-attractor proximity and off-street scarcity.
Nashville Residential Permit Parking Areas
Some RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws § 12.42.030
In determining whether an area identified as eligible for residential permit parking shall be designated as a residential permit parking area, the chief traffic engineer shall take into consideration the following factors: A.The extent of the desire and need of the residents for residential permit parking and their willingness to bear the administrative costs in connection therewith;B.Proxim...
Towing & Impound Rights
Metro Code Chapter 6.80 puts nonconsent towing in Nashville under the Metropolitan Transportation Licensing Commission: a wrecker may pull a car off private property only with the property owner's approval, must report the tow to the police department within one hour, must haul the vehicle to a lot inside Davidson County, and owes the driver a full refund plus a fifty dollar fine to Metro if it tows without that approval.
Nashville Impound Release and Wrongful Tow Refunds
Significant RestrictionsMetropolitan Code of Laws §§ 6.80.452 and 6.80.550(G)
6.80.452 - Towing of unauthorized vehicles. A.A licensee may tow an unauthorized vehicle from private property only upon the approval of the owner of the private property or the agent or lessee of the owner.B.If a licensee tows an authorized vehicle in violation of this section, the licensee shall provide a full refund to the vehicle owner or operator for any towing fee paid, plus a fifty dolla...