Fullerton Driveway Rules Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

The City of Fullerton Municipal Code regulates the parking and storage of vehicles on private residential property through its zoning provisions and nuisance abatement standards. All vehicle parking on residential lots must occur on an approved paved surface — concrete, asphalt, or permeable pavers meeting city engineering standards. Parking on bare dirt, grass, gravel, or landscaped areas is prohibited. In Fullerton's older neighborhoods near downtown, the CSUF area, and the Sunny Hills district, where many homes were built in the 1950s and 1960s with narrow driveways designed for a single car, homeowners sometimes attempt to create informal dirt or gravel parking pads alongside driveways. These unpermitted surfaces are a common code enforcement issue. Any expansion of existing paved driveway area requires a right-of-way permit from the Public Works Department and must comply with lot coverage, setback, and stormwater drainage requirements.

Vehicles parked on a driveway may not extend beyond the property line into the public sidewalk or right-of-way. Fullerton's residential sidewalks are actively used by pedestrians, students walking to nearby schools and colleges, and families with strollers, making sidewalk obstruction both a safety concern and a potential ADA compliance issue. Vehicles overhanging the sidewalk may be cited by Fullerton Parking Services or reported through the Community Development code enforcement process.

Inoperable vehicles — those that are not in running condition, have flat tires, are missing major components, or display expired DMV registration — may not be stored in open view on driveways, front yards, or side yards visible from the public right-of-way. Such vehicles must be kept inside an enclosed garage or behind a solid fence or wall at least six feet tall that fully screens them from public view. A tarp or car cover draped over a vehicle in an open driveway does not satisfy the screening requirement. All vehicles stored on residential property must carry current DMV registration with valid tags visible.

Fullerton's zoning code requires that residential properties maintain the minimum number of off-street parking spaces specified for their zone — typically two covered spaces for a single-family dwelling. Converting a required garage to a living space, workshop, or storage room without pulling permits and either providing replacement parking or qualifying under California's Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) provisions is a zoning violation. Contact the City of Fullerton Community Development Department at (714) 738-6531 for questions about driveway permits, vehicle storage, or garage conversion requirements.