Parking Rules in Santa Fe, NM (2026)
8 verified parking rules for Santa Fe, New Mexico, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
RV & Boat Parking
Santa Fe excludes personal recreational vehicles, boats and trailers from its commercial-vehicle parking ban under Section 14-6.3(B)(2)(c), but still bans parking any vehicle within 3 feet of the front property line or blocking a sidewalk, and requires side- or back-yard parking to be screened from the public right-of-way with a wall or solid fence, not a cover or tarp.
Santa Fe RV and Boat Yard Parking Rules
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code (SFCC 1987) § 14-6.3(B)(2)(c)(i)(B), (vi)-(vii)
B.Commercial or industrial vehicles do not include:1.recreational vehicles, boats, or trailers that are used for personal purposes; or2.passenger vehicles, pickup trucks, or small trailers that are used for business purposes related to a registered home occupation business. ... (vi)Parking any vehicle in the front yard setback, within three (3) feet from the front property line or blocking or o...
Driveway Rules
Santa Fe does not let driveways stay bare dirt. Subsection 14-8.6(B)(2) requires every driveway, parking space and access aisle to sit on a compacted six-inch subgrade, and sets a minimum four-inch gravel surface for smaller lots or two inches of asphalt-treated material once a lot reaches 40 spaces or more.
Santa Fe sets driveway surface standards
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code § 14-8.6(B)(2)
(2)Minimum Standards for Surface Preparation(a)All parking spaces, driveways and parking lot access aisles shall be constructed with a six-inch subgrade compacted to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Standard T-180-95%.(b)Parking lots with fewer than 40 spaces must have a four-inch gravel surface and must be graded in such a manner to prevent erosion of...
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Santa Fe bars storing or parking commercial and industrial vehicles in any residentially zoned district under Section 14-6.3(B)(2)(c)(i), unless a special use permit or other non-residential approval authorizes it. The ban sweeps in tour buses, concrete mixers, tow trucks, cranes, earthmoving equipment, most trailers and tractors, and any vehicle a manufacturer designs for business use.
Santa Fe Commercial Vehicle Parking Ban in Residential Zones
Heavy RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code (SFCC 1987) § 14-6.3(B)(2)(c)(i)
The following activities are prohibited within residentially zoned districts:(i)Storage or parking, either continuous or intermittent, of commercial or industrial vehicles except for those vehicles that are authorized by a special use permit or other permitted non-residential use.A.Commercial or industrial vehicles include:1.vehicles requiring a commercial driver's license to operate;2.tour bus...
Street Parking Limits
Santa Fe bans stopping, standing, or parking on a sidewalk, in front of a driveway, within an intersection or crosswalk, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, or in over a dozen other listed places under City Code Section 12-6-6.1. A separate rule requires cars to park facing traffic within 18 inches of the right-hand curb.
Santa Fe On-Street Parking Restrictions
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code § 12-6-6.1
A.No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, in any of the following places:(1)on a sidewalk;(2)in front of a public or private driveway;(3)within an intersection;(4)within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant;(5)on a crosswalk;(6)within twenty feet...
Overnight Parking
Santa Fe prohibits parking on any street in a non-residential area for more than 30 minutes between 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. under City Code Section 12-6-6.5. The only exception is a physician responding to an emergency call; violators face a civil parking fine under the Uniform Traffic Ordinance.
Santa Fe All-Night Parking Ban
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code § 12-6-6.5
No person shall park a vehicle on any street in a non-residential area for a period of time longer than 30 minutes between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. of any day, except physicians on emergency calls.
Abandoned Vehicles
Santa Fe treats a street-parked vehicle as abandoned, and subject to impoundment, if it displays no current license plate or sits unattended in the same spot for 72 hours without a police storage sticker, under City Code Section 12-12-18(F). A separate section lets property owners dispose of an abandoned vehicle left on private land.
Santa Fe Abandoned Vehicle Impoundment Rules
Some RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code § 12-12-18(F)(1)-(2)
F.Abandoned Vehicles.(1)Any municipal police officer, or any municipal employee who is authorized to direct traffic or enforce state or local parking or motor vehicle laws, may order the impoundment of any abandoned vehicle within the municipal corporate limits. A vehicle is abandoned if:(a)the vehicle is parked on or along any street, alley or public way and the vehicle displays no current lic...
Loading Zones
Santa Fe's curb loading zones cap passenger stops at three minutes and freight stops at twenty minutes under Sections 12-6-8.3 and 12-6-8.4. Freight vehicles must also display a permit from the city administrator, under Section 12-6-8.2, which expires every December 31 and can be revoked for misuse.
Santa Fe Curb Loading Zone Time Limits and Permits
Some RestrictionsSFCC 1987 §§ 12-6-8.2, 12-6-8.3, 12-6-8.4
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 curb loading zone during hours when the regulations applicable to the curb loading zone are effective and then only for a period not to exceed three minutes. (12-6-8.3) A.No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle...
Preferential Parking Districts
Santa Fe's governing body can designate special parking permit areas where a permit is required to park on the street, the city's tool for residential and preferential parking districts, under City Code Section 12-6-6.15. Parking in a signed permit area without a permit is a $32.00 civil violation.
Santa Fe Special Parking Permit Areas
Significant RestrictionsSanta Fe City Code § 12-6-6.15
A.The governing body establishes areas within the city for which a special parking permit is required in order to park on the street. The parking administrator shall establish the procedures necessary to obtain the permit. The city shall erect and maintain appropriate signage denoting special parking permit areas.B.Special parking area permits are not and shall not be construed as rights in pro...