Monterey, CA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Monterey City Code Section 38-22(D)(5)(b) splits the rule by lot size. On substandard lots under 5,000 square feet, or with less than 50 feet of street frontage, parking in the front-yard setback is confined strictly to the paved driveway apron serving covered parking or a required open parking space; the code states flatly that there shall be no parking in the front yard setback on non-driveway apron areas. On larger lots (5,000 square feet or more, or 50 feet or more of frontage), the same apron-only rule applies, but the apron itself may be widened up to an additional 10 feet, provided it stays at least 3 feet from a side property line.

That 3-foot buffer strip between the widened apron and the side property line must be landscaped, not paved or graveled over. Any widening has to match the existing driveway apron's paved surface or use an alternative paving material that city staff has reviewed and approved; staff may also allow additional improved parking area beyond that where a genuine hardship exists based on a lack of on-street parking, difficult topography, or natural features such as protected trees. Corner lots carry an added constraint: a garage door facing the street-side property line must be set back 20 feet.

Applications touching these front-yard parking standards run through the Community Development Department, with Development Review Committee and, in several triggering circumstances (design/development overlay, sub-5,000-square-foot lots, slopes over 15%, or noncompliance with neighborhood design guidelines), Planning Commission review under Section 38-22(E). Off-street parking counts for the district require two spaces per single-family dwelling, at least one covered, per the schedule in the same section.