Bessemer, AL Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Surface requirement
- Sealed-surface construction required
- Single/two-family parking location
- Driveway, garage, or rear only
- Front setback parking
- Not permitted for 1-2 family homes
- Multi-family exception
- Front setback OK behind bufferyards
- Prohibited use
- No vehicle repair/dismantling on lot
Summary
Bessemer requires all permanent off-street parking to be sealed-surface construction and confines single- and two-family driveway parking to the driveway, garage or rear of the house, keeping it out of the required front setback, under Appendix B, Sections 10.8(3) and 10.8(9). Multi-family parking is allowed in the front setback only behind required bufferyards.
(3)All areas devoted to permanent off-street parking as required under this section shall be of a sealed-surface construction and maintained in such a manner that no dust will result from continuous use. ... (9)Parking areas for single and two household residential dwellings shall be confined to the driveway, garages or rear of the house, and shall not be permitted in the required front setback. Parking areas for multi-household dwellings are permitted within required front setbacks, although they must be located behind required bufferyards.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Republication).
Full Breakdown
8, 'Parking lot standards,' sets the surfacing and placement rules that apply to residential driveways and parking areas. Subsection (3) requires that all areas devoted to permanent off-street parking be of sealed-surface construction and maintained so that no dust results from continuous use, which rules out bare dirt or gravel as a permanent parking surface. Subsection (9) then places single- and two-household residential parking specifically: it must be confined to the driveway, garage, or rear of the house, and is not permitted in the required front setback.
Multi-household dwellings get a narrower exception: their parking is allowed within the required front setback, but only if it sits behind the required bufferyards. Subsection (11) defines a qualifying off-street parking space as an all-weather surfaced area connected to a street or alley by an asphalt or concrete driveway. Subsection (12) reinforces the surfacing standard, specifying asphalt, concrete, bituminous or other impervious material, and bars using the parking area for vehicle sale, repair, dismantling or servicing. Subsection (13) requires separation from walkways and streets by a wall, fence, curbing or similar device, and a minimum three-foot setback from any property line where no bufferyard applies.
Read together, the sections give Bessemer homeowners a two-part rule: park on a sealed, impervious surface, and keep that parking behind the front building line unless it is a driveway leading to it.
Violations & Fines
Parking on an unsealed surface, or parking a vehicle in the required front yard of a single- or two-family home outside a driveway, garage or rear-of-house location, violates Section 10.8. The building and inspections department enforces the zoning appendix's parking standards, and a violation carries the Code of Ordinances' general penalty under Section 1-8: a fine up to $500.00, imprisonment or hard labor up to six months, or both, with continuing violations charged per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park on a gravel or dirt driveway in Bessemer?
Can I park my car in my front yard in Bessemer?
Can I run a repair shop out of my home parking area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bessemer
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Driveway Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle driveway rules.