New York, NY Parking Rules: Dibs & Space Saving (2026)

Unlike cities such as Chicago or Pittsburgh that informally tolerate space-saving ('dibs') after heavy snowfall, New York City does not permit the practice. Public parking spaces on NYC streets are first-come, first-served, and no private party has the right to reserve or claim a public space. Items placed in the roadway — chairs, cones, trash cans, or other objects used to 'save' a spot — may be removed by the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) as illegal dumping or obstruction. Under NYC Administrative Code §16-120, placing refuse or personal property on public streets is prohibited. The city enforces Alternate Side Parking (ASP) rules for street cleaning, which already creates a complex rotation of available spots. During snow emergencies, NYC activates Snow Emergency Rules that restrict parking on designated arterial routes, but even then, saving shoveled-out spaces is not sanctioned. Community norms in some outer-borough neighborhoods may informally recognize space-saving after storms, but it has no legal backing and enforcement discretion applies.