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

Pasadena Municipal Code Title 10 (Vehicles and Traffic) and Title 17 (Zoning) together regulate how and where vehicles may be parked on private residential property. A key provision prohibits the parking or storage of any vehicle on unpaved surfaces in the front yard. Vehicles may only be parked on driveways and parking pads that are constructed of concrete, asphalt, or City-approved permeable paving material. Parking on lawns, dirt, gravel, or landscaped areas is prohibited and constitutes a code violation subject to enforcement by the Code Compliance Division.

Driveway aprons — the section of driveway that crosses the public right-of-way between the curb and the sidewalk — must be constructed and maintained to Public Works standards. Permits are required for new driveway aprons or modifications. The width of a driveway apron is typically limited to a maximum of 20 feet for single-family lots, or 30 feet where a two-car garage exists, and must align with the garage opening. Creating additional front-yard parking areas beyond the approved driveway footprint requires discretionary Planning Division approval, which is rarely granted in single-family residential zones to preserve landscaped front yards. Vehicles parked in private driveways must not extend beyond the property line onto the public sidewalk or right-of-way; any vehicle blocking a sidewalk is in violation of both the Municipal Code and the California Vehicle Code. Contact Pasadena Public Works at (626) 744-4192 for driveway permit questions and Code Compliance at (626) 744-4633 for front-yard parking violations.