Parking Rules in Wake County, NC (2026)
4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Wake County, North Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Driveway Rules
Any new driveway or expanded driveway that ties into an NCDOT-maintained road in unincorporated Wake County requires an NCDOT Driveway Permit under 19A NCAC 02B .0610 and the NCDOT Policy on Street and Driveway Access to North Carolina Highways. Wake County itself does not issue separate driveway permits in the unincorporated areas because the county does not maintain a public street system.
Wake County Driveway Access. NCDOT Permit Required
Some RestrictionsNCDOT Policy on Street and Driveway Access to North Carolina Highways (July 2003), Chapter 1.D (Permit Classifications) and Definitions
Private Residential Driveway - A driveway connecting to a State-maintained street or highway to provide entrance to and/or exit from a private residential dwelling for the exclusive use and benefit of those residing within.
Street Parking Limits
Wake County does not own or maintain a public street system in its unincorporated areas: those roads are NCDOT right-of-way governed by NCGS Chapter 20. Inside Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, Garner, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wendell, and Zebulon, each town's police department enforces its own on-street parking ordinance.
Wake County Street Parking. NCDOT & Municipal Jurisdiction
Some RestrictionsWake County GIS — Public and Private Streets
Public streets are maintained by the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) or the city or town where it is located. Streets without an SR that are outside city or town limits are maintained by agreements that have been made between the owners. The recorded plat for the property usually indicates whether the street is public or private. Wake County does not maintain streets. The county also re...
Abandoned Vehicles
Wake County's authority to remove abandoned and junked motor vehicles comes from NCGS §153A-132. The statute defines an abandoned vehicle as one left on public grounds in violation of a parking law, left more than 24 hours on county property, left more than 2 hours on private property without consent, or left more than 7 days on public grounds.
Wake County Abandoned & Junked Vehicles (NCGS §153A-132)
Some RestrictionsNCGS §153A-132(b)(1)
An 'abandoned motor vehicle' is one that: a. Is left upon a public grounds or county-owned property in violation of a law or ordinance prohibiting parking; b. Is left for longer than 24 hours on property owned or operated by the county; c. Is left for longer than two hours on private property without the consent of the owner, occupant, or lessee of the property; or d. Is left for longer than se...
Loading Zones
Wake County bars loading or unloading from the right-of-way of a collector or arterial street and requires off-street loading spaces of set minimum dimensions on approved site plans.
Wake County Off-Street Loading Standards
Some RestrictionsWake County UDO § 15-11-1
At no time may goods be loaded or unloaded from the right-of-way of a collector or arterial street. No part of any vehicle may be allowed to extend into the right-of-way of a collector or arterial street while being loaded or unloaded.
Parking Rules by City in Wake County
3 cities in Wake County have their own parking rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Wake County ordinances
See every category we cover for Wake County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Wake County Ordinance Hub →