Costa Mesa, CA Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)

California Vehicle Code 21458 defines the meaning of painted curb markings used by local authorities statewide, including on county-maintained roads in unincorporated Orange County. Red means no stopping, standing, or parking, whether the vehicle is attended or unattended (except a bus may stop in a red zone marked as a bus loading zone). Yellow means stopping only for the purpose of loading or unloading passengers or freight for the time specified by local ordinance. White means stopping only for loading or unloading passengers, or to deposit mail in an adjacent mailbox. Green means time-limited parking for the duration specified by local ordinance. Critically, CVC 21458 ties these colors to markings placed by local authorities - private property owners and residents may not paint public curbs (for example painting a curb red or adding 'no parking' to reserve a space in front of their home); doing so is an unauthorized marking, and only the county/road authority may establish and paint curb zones. On private property, the county property-maintenance standards (Title 3, Division 13) govern parking surfaces and vehicle storage rather than curb color. Drivers should obey the painted curb as marked and report faded or disputed markings to OC Public Works.