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Sonoma County, CA Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Color meanings
California Vehicle Code Sec. 21458
Red curb
No stopping/standing/parking
Blue curb
Disabled parking only
Green curb
Time-limited parking (local ordinance)
Official markings
Public Works Director (Sec. 18-3.2)
Private address-curb painting
Encroachment permit required

Summary

On County roads in unincorporated Sonoma County, curb colors follow the statewide system in California Vehicle Code Sec. 21458 - red, yellow, white, green, and blue. Only the Public Works Director / Sonoma Public Infrastructure may apply official curb markings under County Code Sec. 18-3.2, and private address-number curb painting in the unincorporated area requires an encroachment permit.

City-specific rules exist: Petaluma, and Santa Rosa have their own curb color rules rules that differ from Sonoma County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

(a)(1) Red indicates no stopping, standing, or parking, whether the vehicle is attended or unattended, except that a bus may stop in a red zone marked or signposted as a bus loading zone. (2) Yellow indicates stopping only for the purpose of loading or unloading passengers or freight for the time as may be specified by local ordinance. (3) White indicates stopping for either of the following purposes: (A) Loading or unloading of passengers for the time as may be specified by local ordinance. (B) Depositing mail in an adjacent mailbox. (4) Green indicates time limit parking specified by local ordinance. (5) Blue indicates parking limited exclusively to the vehicles of disabled persons and disabled veterans. (b) Regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be effective on days and during hours or times as prescribed by local ordinances.

Full Breakdown

Curb-color meanings are fixed by California Vehicle Code Sec. 21458, which Sonoma County applies on its roads: red means no stopping, standing, or parking (a bus may stop in a red zone signed as a bus loading zone); yellow means stopping only to load or unload passengers or freight for the time set by local ordinance; white means stopping only to load or unload passengers (or deposit mail in an adjacent mailbox); green means time-limited parking specified by local ordinance; and blue means parking limited exclusively to vehicles displaying disabled-person or disabled-veteran plates or placards.

Under Sonoma County Code Sec. 2(c), the Public Works Director is authorized to maintain, by signs or paint on the curb surface, all no-stopping zones, no-parking areas, and restricted-parking areas; where legible curb markings or signs are in place, no driver may stop, stand, or park in violation of them. Official curb markings on County roads are installed and maintained by Sonoma Public Infrastructure - private parties may not paint regulatory curb colors. Separately, any individual, organization, or company that wishes to solicit and perform house-numbering curb painting (the white address-number curb service) within an unincorporated area must first obtain an encroachment permit from the County's Department of Public Works / Sonoma Public Infrastructure.

Violations & Fines

Parking in violation of a legible regulatory curb color (red, white, yellow, green, or blue) on a County road is a parking violation under Sec. 18-3.2 and the corresponding Vehicle Code provisions, subject to a civil penalty and removal. Performing solicited curb address-number painting in the unincorporated right-of-way without an encroachment permit is itself a violation of the County's encroachment rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the curb colors mean on a County road?
Per California Vehicle Code Sec. 21458: red = no stopping/standing/parking; yellow = load/unload passengers or freight for a posted time; white = load/unload passengers (or mail); green = time-limited parking set by local ordinance; blue = disabled parking only. Sonoma County follows this statewide system.
Can I paint my own curb red or paint my address on it?
No to regulatory colors - only the Public Works Director / Sonoma Public Infrastructure may apply official curb markings on County roads under Sec. 18-3.2. For address-number curb painting, anyone soliciting and performing that service in an unincorporated area must first obtain an encroachment permit from the County.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Sonoma County

All Sonoma County rules

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Curb Color Rules in Cities Across Sonoma County