Parking Rules in Winston-Salem, NC (2026)
8 verified parking rules for Winston-Salem, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
RV & Boat Parking
Winston-Salem bars parking boats, campers, trailers, and vehicles on front lawns, but only inside neighborhoods that petition the city for a 'no parking on the lawn' designation: like the permanently designated Stonewall neighborhood.
Winston-Salem RV, Boat, Trailer Front-Yard Parking
Some RestrictionsWinston-Salem Code of Ordinances § 42-173(a)
It shall be prohibited for any person owning or having control of a motor vehicle, water craft, non-motorized camper or any trailer designed to either be pulled by a motor vehicle or to carry a water craft, camper or motor vehicle to park or allow to be parked at any time in the front yards ... other than on an improved driveway or improved parking pad that is a minimum of ten feet in width.
Driveway Rules
Winston-Salem bars parking vehicles, boats, campers or trailers on front lawns unless on an improved driveway or pad at least 10 feet wide, capped at 30% of the front yard.
Winston-Salem Front Yard Parking Rules
Some RestrictionsWinston-Salem Code of Ordinances § 42-173(a)
It shall be prohibited for any person owning or having control of a motor vehicle, water craft, non-motorized camper or any trailer designed to either be pulled by a motor vehicle or to carry a water craft, camper or motor vehicle to park or allow to be parked at any time in the front yards ... other than on an improved driveway or improved parking pad that is a minimum of ten feet in width. .....
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Winston-Salem prohibits parking private vehicles or trailers wider than 80 inches or longer than 30 feet on any city street, except while actively loading or unloading, under Code of Ordinances § 42-171.
Winston-Salem Bars Oversized Vehicle Street Parking
Significant RestrictionsWinston-Salem Code of Ordinances § 42-171(2)
It shall be prohibited for any person to park any of the following vehicles on the streets within the corporate limits of the city at any time except when engaged in loading or unloading: ... (2) Private vehicles whose overall dimensions, including any trailer attached thereto, are more than 80 inches in width or 30 feet in length.
Street Parking Limits
Winston-Salem requires vehicles parked on a street to sit parallel to the curb, headed in the direction of traffic, within 12 inches of it, and bars stopping on sidewalks, in driveways, or near fire hydrants and intersections.
Winston-Salem On-Street Parking Rules
Some RestrictionsWinston-Salem Code of Ordinances §§ 42-152, 42-153(a)
It shall be prohibited for any person to 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)At a public or private driveway or alley in such a manner as to obstruct the driveway or alley...(4)Within 15 feet of a fire...
EV Charging
Winston-Salem requires vehicles parked in designated electric vehicle charging spaces to be actively plugged in and charging, requires drivers to move once charging ends or the posted time limit is reached, and still charges normal parking fees while the charger is in use.
Winston-Salem EV Charging Space Rules
Some RestrictionsWinston-Salem Code of Ordinances § 42-161(c)
No vehicle shall be parked in a designated electric vehicle charging space unless it is plugged into an electric vehicle charger and is actively being charged. Electric vehicles using an electric vehicle charger must be moved once the vehicle is no longer receiving an electric charge or the specified time limit has been reached. Where a designated parking space for electric vehicle charging is ...
Abandoned Vehicles
Winston-Salem defines abandoned vehicles as those parked on public streets over 72 hours or inoperative vehicles on private property. Police tag suspicious vehicles with 7-day notice before towing. Owners charged towing and storage fees.
Parking: Abandoned Vehicles
Some RestrictionsN.C.G.S. 160A-303 (Removal and disposal of junked and abandoned motor vehicles)
(a) A city may by ordinance prohibit the abandonment of motor vehicles on the public streets or on public or private property within the city, and may enforce any such ordinance by removing and disposing of junked or abandoned motor vehicles according to the procedures prescribed in this section. (b) A motor vehicle is defined to include all machines designed or intended to travel over land or ...
Loading Zones
Winston-Salem caps curb loading zone stops at 30 minutes for active loading or unloading, and reserves commercial loading zones for vehicles carrying a state commercial registration.
Winston-Salem Curb Loading Zone Limits
Some RestrictionsWinston-Salem Code of Ordinances § 42-168(c)
It shall be prohibited for any person to 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 material in any place marked as a curb loading zone during the hours when the provisions applicable to such zones are in effect. In no case shall the stop exceed 30 minutes except by special permission of the chie...
Towing & Impound Rights
When Winston-Salem has a vehicle towed, Chapter 42 gives the owner a fixed set of rights: notice within 24 hours if the car carries a North Carolina plate and 72 hours if it does not, a probable cause hearing before a Forsyth County magistrate, and 30 days from the mailed notice to pay the lien before the car is deemed abandoned and sold by the private tower.
Winston-Salem Towed Vehicle Notice and Hearing Rights
Some RestrictionsWinston-Salem Code of Ordinances §§ 42-312, 42-313
the authorizing person shall immediately notify the last known registered owner of the vehicle of the following:a.A description of the vehicle;b.The place where the vehicle is stored;c.The violation with which the owner is charged, if any;d.The procedure the owner must follow to have the vehicle returned to him; ande.The procedure the owner must follow to request a probable cause hearing on the...
Looking for Forsyth County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Winston-Salem city rules.
Parking Rules in Forsyth County →