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

Curb painting in the unincorporated area is governed primarily by California Vehicle Code Section 21458. That statute states that whenever local authorities enact parking regulations and indicate them by paint on curbs, only the following colors may be used: red means no stopping, standing, or parking (except a bus at a marked bus zone); yellow means stopping only to load or unload passengers or freight for the time specified by local ordinance; white means stopping only to load or unload passengers or to deposit mail in an adjacent mailbox; green means time-limit parking specified by local ordinance; and blue means parking limited exclusively to vehicles of disabled persons and disabled veterans. Because these colors carry legal force only when used by a local authority, a private property owner or resident may not paint a public curb to create or imply an enforceable parking restriction. Madera County applies this framework through Zoning/Traffic provisions: Chapter 10.36 (No Parking Zones) directs the traffic engineer, 'pursuant to Vehicle Code Section 21458,' to prohibit parking at listed locations by painting the curb red and/or posting signs, after which parking there is unlawful. Fines and penalties for those no-parking zones are set by the board of supervisors by resolution (Section 10.36.020). Residents who want a red curb, loading zone, or disabled space should request it through Madera County Public Works rather than painting the curb themselves.