10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Santa Barbara County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Santa Barbara County has no RV- or boat-specific street ordinance. RVs, boats, and trailers on a county highway fall under the general 72-hour limit and California Vehicle Code rules. Large vehicles over six feet tall are restricted near intersections only where signs are posted (CVC 22507). On-lot storage is governed by zoning.
Santa Barbara County Code § 12A-23(e) (General Restrictions — County Parking Lots)
No person shall use any area of an off-street County parking facility for storage of any kind, including the parking of detached trailers, fifth wheels, and other equipment, or for storage of any personal property, or for any use other than parking a motor vehicle and accessing adjacent public facilities, unless authorized by the Director of General Services.
California Vehicle Code 22500 (applies in the unincorporated county) prohibits stopping, standing, or parking in front of a public or private driveway, so blocking a driveway is barred countywide. Driveway approaches and encroachments onto county roads require a Public Works encroachment permit. On-lot driveway design follows the County zoning code.
Santa Barbara County Code Chapter 23 restricts parking buses, trucks, and tractors in residential districts to two hours unless a permit is issued (Sec. 23-304), and regulates truck loading zones (Sec. 23-305). State law (CVC 22507) lets the County restrict commercial vehicle parking where signs are posted. Truck routes and weight limits apply to travel.
California Vehicle Code § 22507.5(a)
Notwithstanding Section 22507, local authorities may, by ordinance or resolution, prohibit or restrict the parking or standing of vehicles on certain streets or highways, or portions thereof, between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., and may prohibit or restrict the parking or standing, on any street, or portion thereof, in a residential district, of commercial vehicles having a manufacturer's gr...
On unincorporated county roads, parking is shaped by Santa Barbara County Code Chapter 23 (Article III) and the California Vehicle Code. The County may set time-limited zones and prohibit parking by resolution (Sec. 23-11). State law (CVC 22500) bars parking in crosswalks, sidewalks, in front of driveways, and near fire hydrants. Isla Vista has its own permit program (Chapter 23B).
Santa Barbara County Code § 23-11 (Parking regulations — Authorized by resolution)
The board of supervisors may by resolution designate portions of any highway under its jurisdiction as time-limited or altogether prohibited parking during certain hours... Portions of highways so designated shall be posted with signs stating the applicable parking limitations and the hours during which parking is time-limited or altogether prohibited.
Unincorporated Santa Barbara County has no blanket overnight ban on residential roads; the limit is the 72-hour rule. The County may post county highways as no-parking between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. by resolution (Sec. 23-11). In County off-street lots, parking is banned from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. unless part of the Safe Parking Program (Ordinance 5163).
Santa Barbara County Code § 12A-24(a) (Overnight parking prohibited), Ord. 5163 (2022)
Except as specifically authorized by the Director of the Department of General Services, or as otherwise validly authorized pursuant to County ordinance or resolution, it is unlawful for any person to stop, stand, or park any vehicle between the hours of eleven p.m. and five a.m. in any off-street parking area owned or operated by the County of Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara County Ordinance 5163 (Sec. 12A-25) makes it unlawful to park in a designated EV charging stall in a County parking lot unless the vehicle is an electric vehicle that is actively charging. Overnight parking for EV charging at County stations is allowed (Sec. 12A-24(c)). Violations are administrative penalties, not crimes.
A vehicle left on a county road more than 72 hours can be removed as abandoned under California Vehicle Code 22651(k). State law (CVC 22660-22669) lets the County abate abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles as a public nuisance, including on private property. County officers may also enforce CVC 22651 and 22658 (Ordinance 5163, Sec. 12A-26).
Curb colors in unincorporated Santa Barbara County follow California Vehicle Code 21458: red means no stopping, yellow is loading only, white is brief passenger loading, green is time-limited parking, and blue is disabled parking. Only the County installs regulatory curb markings; residents may not paint curbs to reserve street parking. In County lots, red curbs mark no-parking zones (Ord. 5163).
Santa Barbara County may establish loading zones by Board resolution and regulates truck loading zones under County Code (Sec. 23-11 and Sec. 23-305). California curb-color law (CVC 21458) marks yellow curbs for loading and white curbs for brief passenger loading. Loading zones are for active loading or unloading, not general parking, and apply where signs or markings are posted.
California Vehicle Code 22507 lets Santa Barbara County restrict parking of vehicles six feet or more in height within 100 feet of an intersection, but only where signs are posted. The County also caps buses, trucks, and tractors in residential districts at two hours unless permitted (Sec. 23-304). The 72-hour limit applies to all vehicles.
2 cities in Santa Barbara County have their own parking rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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