Monterey, CA Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Unauthorized painting
- Prohibited, § 20-38
- Curb colors defined
- Red, yellow, white, blue (§ 20-37)
- Who may mark curbs
- Only the City Traffic Engineer
- Yellow zone loading limit
- 20 minutes for materials
- First-offense infraction fine
- Up to $100
Summary
Only the City may paint a Monterey street or curb surface. Section 20-38 makes unauthorized curb painting unlawful, while § 20-37 sets the official meaning of each curb color the Traffic Engineer applies: red, yellow, white and blue.
Sec. 20-38. Unauthorized painting of curbs. No person, unless authorized by this City, shall paint any street or curb surface; provided, 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 this City pertaining thereto.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3721, passed July 7, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Monterey City Code § 20-38 flatly prohibits painting any street or curb surface unless authorized by the City, with one narrow carve-out for a person who has separately complied with a City resolution or ordinance permitting the painting of house numbers on a curb. window (with hotels and theaters enforced around the clock); and blue reserves the space exclusively for vehicles displaying a disabled-person placard or plate. Once the Traffic Engineer has placed legible curb markings under § 20-37, no driver may stop, stand or park adjacent to them in violation of the posted color.
The Traffic Engineer is the only official authorized to place these markings under § 20-37(a), and § 20-66 separately makes it unlawful to violate a posted or painted no-parking zone once the marking is in place. Because curb color assignments are how the City actually restricts on-street parking blockwide, a resident or business cannot repaint a curb on their own initiative to create or remove a zone, even in front of their own property or business.
Violations & Fines
Unauthorized curb painting and violating a posted curb-color restriction are both code violations. Parking-related violations, which include violating curb markings under § 20-37, are classified as infractions under § 1-1.06(b), with fines up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year and $500 for a third or subsequent violation within a year. A general code violation not falling within the infraction categories listed in § 1-1.06 can instead be charged as a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in County jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I paint the curb in front of my house red to stop people parking there?
What does a yellow curb mean in Monterey?
What is the penalty for repainting a curb myself?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey 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.
Curb Color Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Monterey County handle curb color rules.