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Santa Clara County, CA Parking Rules: Commercial & Oversized Vehicles (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Weight threshold
10,000 lbs GVWR or more
Fine
$50.00 per violation
Exception
commuter pickups, mounted campers
Exception
active loading or permitted construction
Applies to
unincorporated county residential streets

Summary

Unincorporated Santa Clara County bars parking any commercial vehicle rated 10,000 pounds or more on a residential street, with narrow exceptions for daily-commute pickups, mounted campers, and active loading, delivery, or permitted construction trips.

City-specific rules exist: Mountain View, San Jose, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale have their own commercial & oversized vehicles rules that differ from Santa Clara County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

No person shall park a commercial vehicle having a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more, upon any street or portion thereof, in a residential district. This prohibition shall not apply to the parking of pickup trucks or mounted campers used in daily commuting, or any commercial vehicle parked or standing temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in making pickups or deliveries of goods, wares or merchandise from or to any building or structure located on the restricted streets or highways or for the purpose of delivering materials to be used in the actual and bona fide repair, alteration, remodeling or construction of any building or structure upon the restricted streets or highways for which a building permit has been previously obtained.(b)Where any vehicle subject to this section is parked in violation thereof, and where such vehicle is left parked or standing beyond the time of 12:00 midnight on any given day, each such subsequent day shall constitute a separate violation under this section.(c)As used in this section "commercial vehicle" shall be as defined in California Vehicle Code § 260, "residential district" shall be as defined in California Vehicle Code § 515 and "park" shall have that meaning as defined in California Vehicle Code § 463.(d)The penalty for violation of this section shall be a fine of $50.00 for each violation. (Ord. No. NS-1004.120, § 1, 11-3-80)

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).

Full Breakdown

Under Sec. B12-96.21, no one may park a commercial vehicle with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more on any street in a residential district in unincorporated Santa Clara County. The ban exempts pickup trucks or mounted campers used for daily commuting, and vehicles temporarily standing while actually loading, unloading, or delivering construction materials to a permitted job site. "Commercial vehicle," "residential district," and "park" carry their California Vehicle Code definitions (§§ 260, 515, 463).

Violations & Fines

Each violation carries a $50.00 fine. If the vehicle stays past midnight, every additional day it remains parked counts as a separate, separately fineable violation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I park my work truck overnight in front of my unincorporated Santa Clara County home?
Not if it's rated 10,000 lbs or more, unless it's a pickup with a mounted camper or you're actively loading or delivering: each day it stays past midnight is a separate $50 violation.
Does this truck-parking ban apply inside San Jose or Sunnyvale?
No. Sec. B12-96.21 governs only unincorporated Santa Clara County streets; each of the fifteen cities in the county sets its own commercial-vehicle parking rules.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Santa Clara County

All Santa Clara County rules

California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Clara County to another location·View the California parking rules overview

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