Only the LA County Department of Public Works may paint or alter colored curbs on county-maintained streets in unincorporated areas. Title 17.04 and the California Vehicle Code define meanings: red no-stopping, yellow loading, white passenger, green time-limited, blue disabled.
Title 17.04 of the LA County Code aligns curb-color meanings with California Vehicle Code §21458. On county-maintained streets in unincorporated areas, only the Department of Public Works Traffic and Lighting Division may install or refresh colored markings. Residents and businesses cannot self-paint curbs to deter parking or claim a loading zone; unauthorized markings are removed at the painter's expense and carry no enforcement weight. Private requests for new colored zones go through Public Works traffic engineering, which evaluates volumes, sight lines, and adjacent uses. Faded official curbs should be reported via the LA County Works app or 211. Incorporated cities such as Long Beach and Pasadena maintain their own programs separately.
Painting or altering a county-maintained curb without Public Works authorization is an infraction under Title 17.04 with citations, removal costs billed to the painter, and the unofficial color carries no parking enforcement weight.
See how Santa Monica's curb color rules rules stack up against other locations.
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