Santa Cruz, CA Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)

Santa Cruz County Code Section 9.36.010 establishes the meaning of authorized painted curb markings on County-maintained roads. Red curb markings mean no stopping, standing, or parking at all times, except a bus may stop in a red zone marked or signposted as a bus loading zone. Green curb markings indicate a maximum 20-minute parking limit unless a sign posts a different time. Yellow curb markings indicate a commercial loading zone, up to 30 minutes. White curb markings indicate passenger loading, not to exceed five minutes, or depositing mail in an adjacent U.S. mailbox. Blue curb markings indicate parking reserved exclusively for vehicles displaying the disabled license plate or placard issued under California Vehicle Code Section 22511.5, or to disabled veterans under Section 9105. The section also bars stopping or standing any vehicle between a painted white shoulder stripe and the center of a paved roadway (the shoulder-striping rule). These markings have legal effect only when the Director of Public Works has determined they are necessary and they are in place; painting a curb without county authorization does not create an enforceable restriction, and SCCC 9.70.540 bars marking streets, curbs, or sidewalks without a permit.