Bowie, MD Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)

Section 14-10 does not specify what color or pattern the City must use for a curb-painted fire lane; it simply makes it unlawful to park 'in an area designated by signs or curb painting as a fire or emergency lane,' leaving the designation itself, whether by curb paint, a posted sign, or both, to the City's traffic-control authority. The rule sits in the same subsection tier as Subsection T, which bars parking in a space reserved for the disabled without a valid registration plate or placard, and § 14-25B(2) fines a violation of either Subsection T or Subsection U at $250, roughly two-and-a-half times the $100 fine for a bare hydrant violation under Subsection A.

The fine doubles automatically if not paid within 30 days of the citation under § 14-25B. Because fire lanes are typically kept clear for emergency apparatus, a vehicle parked in one can also be impounded under the general impoundment authority in §§ 14-14 and 14-15, which let the City Manager or designee remove a vehicle without prior notice when it poses an immediate danger to public safety or blocks emergency access, independent of the parking citation itself.