Berkeley, CA Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Core rule
- No curb painting without City authorization
- Only exception
- House-number stenciling under City resolution
- First-offense fine
- Up to $100 under Section 1.20.020
- Fourth-offense penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 or 6 months
- Who authorizes color
- City Traffic Engineer, not property owners
Summary
Painting a street or curb surface anywhere in Berkeley without city authorization is illegal under Municipal Code Section 14.12.080. The only exception covers house-number stenciling done under a City resolution or ordinance; every other curb color, from red no-parking zones to green short-term spaces, is reserved for the City Traffic Engineer to designate.
It is unlawful for any person, unless authorized by the City, to paint any street or curb surface; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to the painting of numbers on a curb surface by any person who has complied with the provisions of any resolution or ordinance of the City pertaining thereto.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 8031-NS, passed July 28, 2026).
Full Breakdown
080 flatly bars any person, unless authorized by the City, from painting a street or curb surface. The only carve-out is for house-number painting done by someone who has complied with a City resolution or ordinance governing that practice, a common curbside marking in Berkeley neighborhoods. 7. 080 even if the color matches an official meaning. Homeowners and businesses that want a curb color changed must route the request through the City's Traffic Engineering function rather than painting the curb unilaterally.
Violations & Fines
An unauthorized curb-painting violation is charged under the general penalty scheme of Chapter 1.20: a first infraction draws a fine of up to $100, a second up to $200, and a third within the same year up to $500 under Section 1.20.020(B). A fourth violation of the same section within a year may be elevated to a misdemeanor, punishable by up to $1,000 or six months in county jail, or both, under Sections 1.20.020(C) and 1.20.010(A).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I paint the curb red in front of my driveway?
Is painting house numbers on the curb allowed?
What color means what on a Berkeley curb?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Berkeley
California rules heatmap·Compare Berkeley to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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Curb Color Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle curb color rules.