Imperial County, CA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Two separate rules govern driveways in unincorporated Imperial County. First, parking that blocks a driveway is controlled by state law: California Vehicle Code Section 22500(e) prohibits stopping, standing or parking in front of a public or private driveway, with narrow exceptions for buses, schoolbuses or taxicabs loading passengers where authorized by local ordinance. In unincorporated areas, the statute treats a surface plainly marked by vehicle use as a private-road entrance as a driveway. The county's own parking chapter (Title 10, Chapter 10.24, Section 10.24.010) reinforces this by requiring vehicles to park within 18 inches of the curb and limiting standing to under 72 hours. Second, constructing or altering a driveway or any access connection within the county road right-of-way requires an encroachment permit from the Imperial County Department of Public Works. The encroachment-permit program is administered under Ordinance No. 1370 (adopted 2003) and the street-improvement requirements of Title 12 of the county code, and covers activities in public streets, roads, sidewalks and alleys. Working in the right-of-way - including a new driveway approach - without that permit is itself a violation.