San Rafael, CA Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Red
- No stopping/standing/parking
- Yellow
- Loading only, 7am-6pm
- Blue
- Disabled placard only
- Green
- 20-min limit, govt buildings
Summary
San Rafael's traffic engineer paints curbs red, yellow, white, green, or blue to mark no-parking, loading, and disabled-parking zones, each with its own legal meaning under the traffic code.
"Red" means no stopping, standing or parking at any time except as permitted by the Vehicle Code, and except that a bus may stop in a red zone marked or signed as a bus zone. "Yellow" means no stopping, standing or parking at any time between seven am. and six pm. of any day except Sundays and holidays for any purpose other than the loading or unloading of passengers or materials... "Blue" means parking limited at all times exclusively to the vehicles of physically handicapped persons.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 37).
Full Breakdown
SRMC § 5.44.020 authorizes the city traffic engineer to mark curbs in San Rafael with color-coded zones and defines what each color means: red bars all stopping, standing, or parking except as the Vehicle Code allows (buses may stop in a signed red bus zone); yellow blocks parking from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on non-holiday weekdays except brief passenger or material loading; white limits stopping to short passenger loading or mail drop-off; green caps standing at 20 minutes at government buildings; and blue reserves the space at all times for vehicles displaying a disabled placard under Vehicle Code § 22511.7.
Violations & Fines
Parking in violation of a marked curb color zone is a citable parking infraction, and vehicles in red no-stopping zones or unauthorized blue disabled spaces are subject to citation and towing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a blue curb mean in San Rafael?
How long can I park in a yellow zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Rafael
California rules heatmap·Compare San Rafael to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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