Costa Mesa, CA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 20-8(b), Table 20-8(c)
- Unpaved storage
- Prohibited citywide, all zones
- Required screen wall/fence
- 6 feet high, solid, opaque
- Driveway exception
- Paved driveway to garage/carport allowed
- Alley exception
- Paved alley-accessed space, single-family only
- Maximum fine
- $1,000 per day (§ 20-13)
Summary
Costa Mesa bars parking or storing any vehicle or recreational vehicle on an unpaved surface anywhere on residential or nonresidential property. Table 20-8(c) only allows outdoor storage on a paved, screened area set back from the street, or on a paved driveway or alley-accessed parking space.
(b) Keep, store, or maintain upon any premises under his/her control any vehicle or recreational vehicle, except as permitted by Table 20-8(c)... 4. Other residential storage options. Stored or parked on a paved area that meets the following criteria: a. A screened paved surface that is not within the required building setback area abutting a public street excluding alleys; and, b. The screening shall consist of a 6-foot high permanent, solid, opaque fence or wall... 6. Stored or parked on any unpaved surface, except as permitted above.
Full Breakdown
Section 20-8(b) of the Costa Mesa Municipal Code makes it unlawful to keep, store, or maintain upon any premises any vehicle or recreational vehicle, except as permitted by Table 20-8(c). Table 20-8(c) lists the only lawful outdoor storage options, and option 6 flatly prohibits parking on any unpaved surface except as permitted above, marked prohibited for both operative vehicles/RVs and inoperative vehicles in residential and nonresidential zones alike.
The lawful residential alternative is option 4, 'Other residential storage options': a vehicle or RV may sit outdoors only on a screened paved surface that is not within the required building setback area abutting a public street excluding alleys, with the screening built from a 6-foot high permanent, solid, opaque fence or wall meeting the zoning code's fence and wall standards, or a building serving the same screening function. Two exceptions apply without the paving-and-screening rule: a vehicle or RV may sit on a paved driveway connecting a garage or carport with a public or private street or alley, or on a paved parking space accessible from the alley at a single-family detached home.
Footnote 1 to the table also excludes large commercial vehicles, buses, tow trucks, dump trucks, flatbed trucks and tractor trailers over 25 feet long, 8 feet high or 90 inches wide from residential storage entirely, except as separately allowed under Section 20-3(a).
Violations & Fines
Vehicles or RVs stored on bare dirt, gravel or lawn are cited as a Table 20-8(c) violation and, under Section 20-12(k), independently qualify as a declared public nuisance. The Development Services Director can issue a posted-and-mailed notice to abate under Sections 20-15 and 20-16, with civil fines of up to $1,000 per day under Section 20-13(a) if the vehicle is not moved to a conforming paved surface.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park my car on the dirt or gravel side yard in Costa Mesa?
Where can I legally store an RV outside in Costa Mesa?
What happens if code enforcement finds a vehicle on unpaved ground?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Costa Mesa
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