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

Driveway and on-site parking surface standards in unincorporated Merced County are set in the Unified Development Ordinance (Title 18, Zoning Code), Chapter 18.38 (Off-Street Parking Regulations and Design Standards). Under Section 18.38.140(A), all parking and maneuvering areas and driveways required by the County in urban areas must be paved with an asphaltic or concrete surface. In agricultural areas, the surface materials must be appropriate based on vehicular characteristics, soil conditions, and surrounding land uses, allowing for alternatives to full paving where suitable. Section 18.38.140(C) requires that parking area drainage be handled through on-site percolation, detention or retention basins, or connection to a community drainage system. For recreational vehicle storage in residential zones, Section 18.38.120 separately allows a paved, graveled, or approved alternative material driveway surface. The number of required off-street parking spaces for dwellings is set in Section 18.38.040 and Table 3-8: single- and two-family dwellings need two spaces per unit (three for units with five or more bedrooms, at least one covered), and multi-family units require between 1.5 and 3 spaces depending on bedroom count, plus guest parking. These standards apply to new development and improvements reviewed by the County Planning Division.