Medford, MA Parking Rules: Commercial & Oversized Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Weight threshold
- Commercial vehicle over 15,000 lbs GVW
- Where banned
- All Residence Districts
- Exception
- Vehicle parked inside enclosed garage
- Governing section
- Medford Revised Ordinances § 94-3.3.6
- Maximum fine
- $300 per day, § 94-11.3.2
Summary
Medford's zoning code bars overnight parking of any commercial vehicle over 15,000 pounds gross vehicle weight in the city's Residence Districts unless it sits inside an enclosed garage. Revised Ordinances § 94-3.3.6 lists the ban among the accessory uses specifically prohibited on residential lots, alongside commercial auto repair and outdoor storage.
94-3.3.6 Prohibited Accessory Uses. The following accessory uses are prohibited: ... 2.Residence Districts. In the Residence Districts, the following accessory uses are prohibited: ... c.Overnight parking (except in an enclosed garage) of any commercial vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of more than 15,000 pounds.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 94's accessory-use article treats certain activities as incompatible with residential character no matter how they might otherwise qualify as accessory to a dwelling. Sec. 94-3.3.6.2 singles out the Residence Districts and prohibits three specific accessory uses there: commercial auto repair or service, outdoor storage or display of materials or goods, and overnight parking of any commercial vehicle with a gross vehicle weight over 15,000 pounds, unless the vehicle is kept in an enclosed garage. The 15,000-pound threshold reaches medium and heavy-duty trucks, tow trucks and box trucks used for a homeowner's business, not ordinary pickup trucks or SUVs registered for personal use.
The prohibition is separate from, and stricter than, the home-occupation standard in Sec. 94-3.4.1.5, which already bars exterior parking of commercial vehicles for any home occupation; Sec. 94-3.3.6 extends the ban to any resident of a Residence District regardless of whether a home occupation is involved. Because the rule sits in the accessory-use article rather than the traffic and vehicles chapter, it is a zoning violation, not a parking ticket, and is enforced by the building commissioner rather than the police department's traffic division.
Violations & Fines
A resident who parks a qualifying commercial vehicle outdoors overnight in a Residence District is in violation of Chapter 94, investigated by the building commissioner under Sec. 94-11.3.1 after a written complaint or on his own initiative. The building commissioner sends written notice to the owner and occupant with a deadline to abate; a conviction is punishable by up to $300.00 for each day the violation continues under Sec. 94-11.3.2, and the city may instead pursue the noncriminal fine ladder of $25, $50, $100 and $200 per offense under Sec. 94-11.3.3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park my work truck overnight at my Medford home?
Does the ban apply to personal pickup trucks?
Who enforces the truck-parking ban and what is the penalty?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Medford
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