Parking Rules in San Rafael, CA (2026)
9 verified parking rules for San Rafael, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
RV & Boat Parking
San Rafael lets homeowners park RVs, trailers and boats on residential property in Marin County, but only in set spots, driveways, screened side or rear yards, under Zoning Code § 14.18.190.
San Rafael RV, Boat & Trailer Parking
Some RestrictionsSan Rafael Municipal Code § 14.18.190
In any of the following locations, parking of recreational vehicles, camper shells, trailers, boats and other similar equipment, when parked or stored incidental to the basic residential use of the property, is permitted for loading, unloading and storage purposes providing it does not obstruct the view of pedestrians and vehicles on the adjacent sidewalk and/or street and does not otherwise co...
Driveway Rules
In San Rafael's Hillside Development Overlay District, driveways and vehicle maneuvering areas must be all-weather pavement or permeable hardscape: city code bars leaving dirt, gravel or other unpaved surfaces for parking and turnaround areas on qualifying steep-slope lots.
San Rafael Hillside Driveway Paving Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Rafael Municipal Code § 14.12.030(F), (H)
Driveway and maneuvering areas shall consist of suitable all-weather pavement or permeable hardscape surface approved by the city.G.Lot Standards. Minimum lot sizes and widths for lots created after November 21, 1991 are subject to the slope tables established under Chapter 15.07 of the subdivision ordinance.H.Street and Driveways. New street and driveway grades shall not exceed eighteen percen...
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
San Rafael bars parking commercial vehicles over 10,000 pounds, trailers, or oversized vehicles longer than one hour on residential streets, unless the owner gets a discretionary exception permit from public works.
San Rafael Commercial Vehicle Parking Limit
Significant RestrictionsSan Rafael Municipal Code § 5.40.140(A)
No person shall park any commercial vehicle of more than ten thousand (10,000) pounds unladen gross weight, any oversized vehicle, any trailer, semi-trailer, utility trailer or auxiliary dolly (as these vehicles are defined in the California Vehicle Code) for more than one (1) hour upon any city street or portion thereof, within any residential district (Chapter 14.04), planned residential deve...
Street Parking Limits
San Rafael prohibits leaving any vehicle parked on a city street or alley for more than 72 consecutive hours, and separately bars parking in a private driveway without the owner's consent.
San Rafael On-Street Parking Time Limit
Some RestrictionsSan Rafael Municipal Code § 5.40.030
(a)No person who owns or has possession, custody or control of any vehicle shall park or leave the vehicle standing upon any street or alley for more than seventy-two (72) consecutive hours, or for longer than any shorter maximum time indicated on posted signs.(b)If signs are posted giving notice of such requirement, then for purposes of this section, a vehicle will be deemed to have been parke...
Overnight Parking
San Rafael bars parking any vehicle on a city street for more than three hours between 12:01 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. under Municipal Code § 5.40.210. The rule applies citywide, is a police-enforced infraction under § 5.12.020, and sits alongside a separate 72-hour tow rule and a full recreational-vehicle overnight parking ban.
San Rafael Overnight Street Parking Limit
Some RestrictionsSan Rafael Municipal Code § 5.40.210
5.40.210 - Overnight parking. No person shall park or cause or permit to be parked any motor vehicle or other vehicle for a greater period than three hours in or upon any street within the city between the hours of 12:01 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. of the same day. (Ord. 958 § 1, 1969).
EV Charging
New or substantially renovated San Rafael parking facilities with 25 or more spaces, including multifamily developments, must install capped electrical conduit for future EV charging stations.
San Rafael EV Charging Prewiring Rule
Some RestrictionsSan Rafael Municipal Code § 14.18.045(D)
D.Prewiring for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations. In new or substantially renovated parking facilities of twenty-five (25) or more spaces electrical conduit capable of supporting suitable wiring for an electric vehicle charging station shall be installed between an electrical service panel and an area of clean air vehicle parking spaces as required by this section. The conduit shall be capped...
Abandoned Vehicles
San Rafael treats any abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle on private or public property as a public nuisance under state Vehicle Code authority, and the code enforcement officer can order its removal after a ten-day mailed notice. Owners get the right to a hearing before the city manager, and abandoning a vehicle on a highway or someone else's property draws a fine of at least $100.
San Rafael Abandoned Vehicle Removal
Some RestrictionsSan Rafael Municipal Code §§ 11.38.010, 11.38.090, 11.38.160(C)
The accumulation and storage of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles or parts thereof on private or public property is hereby found to create a condition tending to reduce the value of private property, to promote blight and deterioration, to invite plundering, to create fire hazards, to constitute an attractive nuisance creating a hazard to the health and safety of minors, to...
Curb Color Rules
San Rafael's traffic engineer paints curbs red, yellow, white, green, or blue to mark no-parking, loading, and disabled-parking zones, each with its own legal meaning under the traffic code.
San Rafael Curb Color Parking Zones
Some RestrictionsSan Rafael Municipal Code § 5.44.020
"Red" means no stopping, standing or parking at any time except as permitted by the Vehicle Code, and except that a bus may stop in a red zone marked or signed as a bus zone. "Yellow" means no stopping, standing or parking at any time between seven am. and six pm. of any day except Sundays and holidays for any purpose other than the loading or unloading of passengers or materials... "Blue" mean...
Loading Zones
San Rafael's traffic engineer marks yellow loading zones and white passenger zones on business-district curbs, capping each block's reserved curb at half its length, under SRMC § 5.44.010.
San Rafael Loading Zone Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Rafael Municipal Code § 5.44.010
The city traffic engineer is authorized to determine and to mark loading zones and passenger loading zones as follows: At any place in any business district... In no event shall more than one-half of the total curb length in any block be reserved for loading zone purposes. Loading zones shall be indicated by a yellow paint line stenciled with black letters, "Loading Only," upon the top of all c...
Looking for Marin County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement San Rafael city rules.
Parking Rules in Marin County →