Multnomah County, OR Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- MCC Section 15.807(L)
- Enforcement
- Multnomah County Sheriff's Office
- Exception
- 30-second load/unload in tow-away zone
- Penalty
- Class A violation fine, Section 15.999
- Scope
- County roads only, not Portland
Summary
Multnomah County treats painted curbs the same as official signs: once curb paint marks a spot as no standing, no stopping or no parking, stopping there is unlawful under the county's parking code, enforced by the Sheriff's Office.
At any place where official signs, curb paint or markings have been installed prohibiting standing, stopping or parking, provided, however, that driver-attended private passenger motor vehicles and taxicabs may stop for no longer than 30 seconds in the tow away zone for the sole purpose of loading or unloading passengers; (M)Within a 25-foot radius of the intersection of the centerlines of a street, road or highway and a railway crossing;
(N) In front of the entrance or other place where mail is received of any post office or postal station, or within ten feet of a private mailbox during the hours of delivery;
(O) In any street so as to prevent the free passage of other vehicles in both directions at the same time, except on one-way streets, or so as to prevent any vehicle from turning from one street into another street;
(P) In any street, road, highway, alley, lane, sidewalk or parking strip for the storage of any vehicle in lieu of a garage or offstreet parking area;
(Q) In any street, road or highway for the purpose of displaying the vehicle for sale or exchange;
(R) In any emergency zone;
(S) In any entrance zone except to load or unload passengers for a period of time not to exceed one minute, except in any area designated as a tow
away zone during the hours when stopping or parking is prohibited;
Full Breakdown
Multnomah County Code Section 15.807(L) bans stopping, standing or parking 'at any place where official signs, curb paint or markings have been installed prohibiting' it -- curb paint carries the same legal weight as a posted sign. The only carve-out: driver-attended private passenger vehicles and taxicabs may stop up to 30 seconds in a tow-away zone solely to load or unload passengers. This rule sits in the Sheriff's traffic subchapter governing county roads outside Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village, each of which enforces its own curb markings under its own municipal code.
Violations & Fines
Stopping, standing or parking beside a painted curb zone is a Class A violation under Section 15.999, punishable by a fine set by state law; each day of violation is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does painted curb count as a no-parking zone in Multnomah County?
Does this rule apply if I live in Portland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Multnomah County
Compare Multnomah County to another location·View the Oregon parking rules overview
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