Tucson, AZ Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)

Chapter 20's definitions section, § 20-1(18), states that a "no parking zone" is a space adjacent to a curb designated by red markings on the curb, by appropriate signs, or by both. Section 20-277 then makes the prohibition operative: except for public buses in marked bus-loading zones, authorized commercial or government-plated trucks in freight loading zones, disabled vehicles in disabled zones, or passengers being dropped in passenger loading zones, it is unlawful to stop, stand, or park a vehicle in red zones, listed as item (5) among eight prohibited locations that also include sidewalks, driveways, crosswalks, and areas within twenty feet of a crosswalk.

The only general exceptions across the section are stopping to avoid a traffic conflict or to comply with a law, a police officer's direction, or a traffic-control device. Unlike metered or time-limited spaces, a red curb carries no grace period, permit exemption, or hazard-flasher allowance, the marking itself is the enforcement trigger, whether or not additional signage is posted. Article VII, Division 6, which contains Section 20-277, sets its own penalty schedule separate from the general parking-fee structure that applies elsewhere in the chapter.