Carmel, IN Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)

Carmel controls where parking is prohibited through official signs and markings installed by the City, not through curbs painted by private residents. Under Section 8-47 (No Parking Areas), the Carmel Street Department posts appropriate 'no parking' signs or markings at designated locations and may indicate that those locations are 'tow away' zones. Section 8-48 establishes limited-parking areas with posted time limits, and Section 8-46 governs how vehicles must be positioned relative to the curb (right wheels within 12 inches, headed with traffic, parallel except where angle parking is marked). Because curb and street markings are an official traffic-control function, a resident generally may not paint a public curb to reserve or restrict parking; only the City may establish and mark such restrictions. State law fills in standard distance rules that apply citywide: Indiana Code 9-21-16-5 prohibits parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant and within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, regardless of whether a curb is painted. Drivers should rely on posted signs and official markings, and should not assume an unpainted curb is unrestricted where these statutory distances or posted zones apply.