Stockton, CA Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Red curb
- No stopping/standing at any time
- Yellow curb
- Freight loading, 20-min limit
- White curb
- Passenger loading, 3-min limit
- Green curb
- 12- or 24-minute parking
- Curb authority
- City Traffic Engineer / City Manager
- Governing sections
- SMC §§ 10.04.580-.1060
Summary
Stockton paints curbs to mark parking rules: red means no stopping or standing (§ 10.04.580), yellow marks freight loading zones (§ 10.04.820), white marks passenger loading zones capped at three minutes (§ 10.04.990), and green marks 12- or 24-minute limited parking outside the meter zone (§ 10.04.1060). Each color is set by the City Traffic Engineer with City Manager approval.
§ 10.04.580. No parking areas. A. No operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand, park, or leave standing such vehicle at any time in any area established by the City Manager as a no parking area, when such area is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface. ... § 10.04.820. Authority to establish freight loading zones. The City Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to appropriately sign, or to have painted yellow, such curbs ... as ... freight loading zones. § 10.04.990. Establishing passenger loading zones. The City Traffic Engineer is hereby authorized to have painted white such curbs ... as ... passenger loading zones. § 10.04.1060. 12- and 24-minute parking zones outside of the parking meter zone. A. The City Traffic Engineer is hereby directed to have painted green such curbs, upon public streets in front of public or private business establishments ... B. No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle for any purpose longer than 24 minutes in any parking place adjacent to a curb colored green, except when signs are in place limiting the time to 12 minutes.
Full Breakdown
580, bars stopping, standing or parking at any time in areas the City Manager designates, whether marked by signs or by red paint; the section also lists default no-parking zones such as within 22 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, within 44 feet of a stop sign or flashing beacon, within 50 feet of a railroad crossing, and within five feet of a driveway on a street narrower than 30 feet. m. in the Central Traffic District). 990, marks passenger loading zones where stops cannot exceed three minutes except for depositing mail in a courtesy box.
1060, allows parking for up to 24 minutes, or only 12 minutes where signs say so, in front of business establishments outside the parking meter zone. 690, restricted to vehicles displaying a DMV disabled placard or plate. 050).
Violations & Fines
Parking against the wrong curb color, or overstaying a colored zone's time limit, is an infraction under the Title 10 default in § 1.08.010(D): up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second violation of the same section within a year, and up to $500 for each further violation. Stopping in a red zone or a disabled space without a placard can also draw towing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a green curb mean in Stockton?
How long can I stop at a white curb?
Can I park at a yellow curb overnight to load my truck?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stockton
California rules heatmap·Compare Stockton to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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Curb Color Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle curb color rules.