Santa Barbara County, CA Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Red curb meaning
- Designated bus loading zone, no parking
- Who paints curbs
- Transit provider, with public works approval
- Near-side zone length
- 100 feet at intersection
- Mid-block zone length
- 140 feet, extendable to 160 feet
- County lots
- Red curb = no parking zone, Sec. 12A-23(c)
Summary
In unincorporated Santa Barbara County, red curb paint along county roads means a designated bus zone: Sec. 23-11.11 lets the public works director authorize transit and school bus operators to paint adjacent curbs red and post signs marking the loading zone, with set lengths depending on whether the stop sits near, far or mid-block.
(a)Authorization. The public works director or designee is hereby authorized to establish and remove "No Parking" zones for buses (bus zones) along county roads for the purpose of loading and unloading buses upon request by the transit or school bus service provider. ... (d)Markings. "No Parking" zones (bus zones) shall be appropriately marked to indicate that they have been designated. The public works director or designee may allow the transit provider to paint adjacent curbs red, install bus signs and to maintain and remove such zones or facilities.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 11 authorizes the public works director or a designee to establish and remove 'No Parking' bus zones along county roads on request from a transit or school bus provider, with 'bus' limited to transit buses and school buses as defined by the California Vehicle Code. The dimensions are fixed by code: a bus stop on the near side of an intersection gets a 100-foot no-parking zone, the far side gets 75 feet, a far-side stop after a left turn gets 110 feet, a near-side stop before a right turn gets 140 feet, and a far-side stop after a right turn gets 100 feet; mid-block zones run 140 feet, extendable to 160 feet if the public works director finds it necessary.
Under subsection (d), the director may let the transit provider paint the adjacent curb red and install bus signage to mark, maintain and remove the zone. Separately, County Code Sec. 12A-23(c) defines a 'no parking zone' inside any off-street county parking facility as the paved area in front of red-painted curbing or any area posted 'No Parking' or 'No Parking Anytime,' so red curbing carries the same no-stopping meaning in county lots as it does on county roads. The public works director can also designate certain bus zones as 'School Bus Zones,' restricted to school buses only during posted hours when school is in session; outside those hours anyone may stop, stand or park in the zone.
Violations & Fines
Stopping, standing or parking in a red-curbed bus zone violates the posted 'No Parking' designation under Sec. 23-11.11 and is enforceable as an ordinary parking infraction; in a designated School Bus Zone, parking anything but a school bus during posted school-session hours is also prohibited. Sec. 23-12 separately requires that any board-adopted parking regulation be marked by posted signs or painted curbs before it becomes enforceable, so an unmarked red curb cannot be cited against a driver.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a red-painted curb mean in Santa Barbara County?
Who is allowed to paint a curb red?
How long is a bus zone at an intersection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Barbara County
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Barbara County to another location·View the California parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.