Costa Mesa, CA Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 10-90
- Who may paint curbs
- Only the transportation services manager
- Exception
- House numbers under a city resolution
- First-offense fine
- Up to $100 (§ 1-33)
- Repeat violations
- Up to $200, then $500 per year
Summary
Costa Mesa bars anyone but the city from painting a street or curb surface under Municipal Code Section 10-90. The transportation services manager alone assigns red, yellow and white curb colors citywide; a resident or business that paints its own curb, even to keep a driveway clear, violates the section unless a separate city resolution specifically authorizes the painting.
No person, unless authorized by the city, shall 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.
Full Breakdown
' The only carve-out is for house-number stenciling done under a separate city resolution or ordinance; painting a curb red to keep visitors from blocking a driveway, or yellow to create a private loading zone, falls outside that exception and is unlawful. , and white for passenger loading and mail drop-off, also capped at three minutes on weekdays. Because those colors carry citywide legal meaning, a homeowner or contractor who paints a curb without authorization can create markings the code treats as unauthorized regardless of intent.
Requests for official curb painting, such as red curb near a driveway or a designated loading zone for a business, go through the transportation services manager, who evaluates traffic safety before ordering city crews to apply the marking. Once official markings are down, Section 10-183 separately makes it unlawful for any driver to stop, stand or park adjacent to a legible curb marking in violation of its meaning, layering a second offense on anyone who paints an unauthorized curb and then parks there.
Violations & Fines
Painting a curb without city authorization is enforceable as a general infraction under Section 1-33: up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense of the same ordinance within a year, and $500 for each additional offense within that year. Police officers and designated nonsafety employees issue the citations, and the city can require the unauthorized paint be removed or corrected at the property owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I paint the curb in front of my house red?
What about painting house numbers on the curb?
How do I get an official red curb for safety near my driveway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Costa Mesa
California rules heatmap·Compare Costa Mesa to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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How other cities in Orange County handle curb color rules.