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Pacifica, CA Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)

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

Key Facts

Red curb
No stopping or parking at any time
Yellow curb window
7 a.m.-6 p.m. except brief loading
White curb limit
3 minutes for passengers or mail
Municipal Pier yellow zones
Restricted at all times, not just daytime
Governing section
Pacifica Municipal Code § 4-7.1302

Summary

Pacifica's curb colors carry fixed legal meaning under Municipal Code § 4-7.1302: red bars stopping, standing, or parking at any time except for a posted bus zone; yellow bars standing between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. except brief loading; white bars standing except brief passenger drop-off or mail deposit; and green caps standing to the posted time limit. The Traffic Engineer paints and enforces every marking.

(a)Authorized. The Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized ... to place, and when required shall place, the following curb markings to indicate parking or standing regulations, and such curb markings shall have the following meanings:(1)Red shall mean no stopping, standing, or parking at any time except as permitted by the provisions of the Vehicle Code of the State and except that a bus may stop in a red zone marked or signed as a bus zone.(2)Yellow shall mean no stopping, standing, or parking at any time between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 pm. of any day, except Sundays and holidays, for any purpose other than the loading or unloading of passengers or materials; provided, however, the loading or unloading of passengers shall not consume more than three (3) minutes, and the loading or unloading of materials shall not consume more than twenty (20) minutes. Where such zone is located in front of the Municipal Pier, the restrictions shall apply at all times. ... (4)Green shall mean no standing or parking for longer than the posted time limits of any day, except Sundays and holidays.

Full Breakdown

1302 of the Pacifica Municipal Code gives the City Traffic Engineer authority to paint curb markings and spells out exactly what each color means. Red curbs mean no stopping, standing, or parking at any time, with two narrow exceptions: whatever the state Vehicle Code separately allows, and a bus stopping in a red zone that is also marked or signed as a bus zone. on any day except Sundays and holidays, and during those hours the only lawful use is loading or unloading, capped at three minutes for passengers and twenty minutes for materials; where a yellow zone sits in front of the Municipal Pier, the section makes those restrictions apply at all times, not just the daytime window.

White curbs run the same daytime window and limit standing to passenger loading or a quick mail deposit of no more than three minutes, except that a white zone in front of a hotel or mailbox is restricted at all times, and a white zone in front of a theater is restricted whenever the theater is open. Green curbs limit standing to whatever time limit is posted, on any day except Sundays and holidays. Subsection (b) makes disobeying any legible curb marking a violation in itself, and the code states no person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle adjacent to any such legible curb marking in violation of the section. 1306.

Violations & Fines

Stopping, standing, or parking against a legible red, yellow, white, or green curb marking in a way that conflicts with the color's meaning is a violation of Section 4-7.1302(b) on its own. Overstaying a yellow or white loading window, or parking in a marked bus zone in a non-bus vehicle under Section 4-7.1306(d), draws a Pacifica Police parking citation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a yellow curb mean in Pacifica?
No stopping, standing, or parking between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on any day except Sundays and holidays, unless you are actively loading, capped at three minutes for passengers or twenty minutes for materials. Section 4-7.1302(a)(2) makes the restriction run all day near the Municipal Pier.
Can I stop in a red zone at all?
Only if the state Vehicle Code separately allows it, or if you are driving a bus stopping in a red zone that is also signed as a bus zone. Section 4-7.1302(a)(1) otherwise bars stopping, standing, or parking in a red zone at any time of day.
Is a green curb the same as unrestricted parking?
No. Green curbs under Section 4-7.1302(a)(4) still carry a posted time limit; you just cannot exceed the number of minutes or hours shown on the adjacent sign, and the limit applies every day except Sundays and holidays.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Pacifica

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