Parking Rules in New Bedford, MA (2026)
6 verified parking rules for New Bedford, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
RV & Boat Parking
New Bedford bans leaving a boat trailer, utility trailer, or camper unattended on a public way or city property under § 23-22, unless it stays hitched to a vehicle ready to be towed away immediately. Violators face up to a $300 fine per day plus towing and storage costs.
New Bedford Boat & Trailer Parking Rule
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford, MA Code of Ordinances § 23-22
No automobile trailer, boat trailer, utility trailer, trailer coach, any portable structure or vehicle so constructed and designed as to be attached to a motor vehicle and any portable structure or nonmotorized vehicle so constructed and designed as to permit occupancy thereof, for dwelling, sleeping purposes or commercial uses, shall be parked on public ways or other city property unless such ...
Driveway Rules
New Bedford bars open-air parking in front of a home in residential districts, with a narrow exception for a driveway leading to a garage beneath the dwelling. Citywide, driveways must be paved in concrete or asphalt; only single- and two-family homes may use compacted gravel or stone instead.
New Bedford Front-Yard Parking and Driveway Surface Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford Zoning Ordinance §§ 3145, 3147
Open-air off-street parking facilities may be located in required front, rear and side yards, except that in a residential district, no open-air off-street parking space shall be located in front of the dwelling or principal building. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, in cases where a garage faces the frontage of the dwelling and is located beneath the dwelling, open-air off-street parking...
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
New Bedford bans parking any vehicle needing more than a Class D license, plus every tow truck, within residence zones AA, A, B, and C under § 23-23. The ban reaches private driveways and yards too, not just public streets, with only narrow delivery and construction exceptions.
New Bedford Heavy Truck Residential Parking Ban
Heavy RestrictionsNew Bedford, MA Code of Ordinances § 23-23
No vehicle which is required under M.G.L.A. c. 90 to have other than a "Class D" license, as well as all tow trucks, also known as wreckers... shall be parked or be left standing within residence zones AA, A, B or C at any time. The prohibition hereby imposed shall not apply to the parking or standing of such a vehicle for the purpose of making pickups or deliveries from or to any building or s...
Street Parking Limits
New Bedford makes it unlawful to leave any vehicle in a street or public place so it obstructs travel, once the driver has been asked to move it by someone who needs to use that street or ordered to move it by police. Blocking a designated fire lane, even briefly and unattended, is a separate, standalone violation.
New Bedford Street Obstruction, Fire Lane Ban
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford, MA Code of Ordinances § 23-8
(a)No person shall leave any vehicle of any description, in any street or public place, so as to obstruct the same, after having been requested by any person having occasion to use such street or public place, or after having been ordered by any member of the police force, to remove such obstruction.(b)No person shall obstruct or park a vehicle in any fire lane hereby established under the fire...
Abandoned Vehicles
New Bedford makes it unlawful to abandon a motor vehicle on any highway, or, if publicly visible, on private property, under section 12-48. Police may authorize towing after 48 hours on private property or 10 hours on a highway, and an unclaimed vehicle seven years old or newer can be sold at public auction after 30 days' notice.
New Bedford Abandoned Vehicle Removal Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford, Mass., Code of Ordinances § 12-48
The abandonment of a motor vehicle or other vehicle or any part thereof on any highway within the limits of the City of New Bedford is unlawful and subject to penalties as set forth herein. The abandonment of a motor vehicle or other vehicle or any part thereof on private or public property, other than a highway, in view of the general public, anywhere in the city is unlawful. A motor vehicle o...
Loading Zones
New Bedford lets commercial vehicles sit in a metered space without feeding the meter for up to thirty minutes, but only to load or unload. Once that half hour is up, the driver owes the parking meter coin like anyone else, and staying past the limit without depositing it is a violation of the parking-meter article.
New Bedford's 30-Minute Metered Loading Limit
Some RestrictionsNew Bedford, MA Code of Ordinances § 23-43
Operators of commercial vehicles may park in a metered space without depositing a coin for a period not to exceed thirty (30) minutes for purposes of loading or unloading. Parking in excess of this time limit without depositing the proper coin shall be deemed a violation of the provisions of this article.
Looking for Bristol County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement New Bedford city rules.
Parking Rules in Bristol County →