Ventura, CA Parking Rules: Curb Color Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 16.120.050(B)
- Rule
- No painting street or curb surface without city authority
- Exception
- Curb house numbers under a curb-numbering ordinance
- Related offense
- Defacing traffic signs/signals is § 16.120.050(A)
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine/6 months (§1.150.020)
Summary
In the City of Ventura, no one may paint any street or curb surface without city authorization, per San Buenaventura Municipal Code § 16.120.050(B). The only carve-out lets a property owner paint address numbers on a curb after complying with the city's separate curb-numbering resolution or ordinance. Unauthorized painted curbs, red zones, or lane markings imitating official traffic control markings can also trigger separate tampering charges under subsection (A).
B. Unauthorized Painting of Curbs. No person, unless authorized by this city, shall paint any street or curb surface; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to the painting of numbers on a curb surface by any person who has complied with the provisions of any resolution or ordinance of this city pertaining thereto.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
' Subsection (A) makes it unlawful for anyone, without lawful authority, to alter, deface, injure, knock down, or remove any official traffic control device, railroad sign, or signal, or any inscription, shield, or insignia on one. Subsection (B) is the city's stand-alone curb-painting ban: unless the city authorizes it, no person may paint any street or curb surface. 030. Curb color and painted markings are how Ventura posts many of its no-parking, loading, and time-limited zones, so an unauthorized paint job is treated the same as tampering with a posted sign, not a cosmetic act. 120, Traffic Control Devices, alongside the city traffic engineer's authority to install and maintain official curb markings.
Violations & Fines
Because § 16.120.050 is not among the sections listed as infractions in Municipal Code § 1.150.030(B), a violation defaults to a misdemeanor under § 1.150.020, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, unless the city attorney elects under § 1.150.030(C) to charge it as an infraction instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I paint my own curb red to keep people from parking in front of my house in Ventura?
Am I allowed to paint my house number on the curb?
What happens if I paint a curb without permission?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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Curb Color Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle curb color rules.