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San Mateo County, CA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Applies in
Broadmoor Police Protection District only
Allowed area
Improved driveway to garage/carport
Covers
Vehicles, boats, boat trailers, camper shells
Violation class
Infraction

Summary

Front-yard vehicle, boat and camper-shell parking is banned outside the driveway in the Broadmoor Police Protection District.

City-specific rules exist: Daly City has its own driveway rules rules that differ from San Mateo County's county-level regulations. If you live in Daly City, check the city-specific page instead.

No person shall park or store a vehicle, as defined in the Vehicle Code, or a boat of any type, or any boat trailer, or camper shell(s), in the front yard of a lot, whether improved or unimproved, including the lawn area thereof, in any residential zone within the territory of the Broadmoor Police Protection District, except upon that improved area which shall comprise the driveway to a garage or carport; provided that this section shall not cover abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles or vehicle parts within the scope of chapter 7.60. For the purposes of this section "front yard" shall not have that definition established in section 6102.85 but shall mean that space on a lot which is not covered or obstructed by any structure and is visible from the street. The violation of this section shall be an infraction.

(Prior code § 3731.21; Ord. 3096, 02/17/87; Ord. 3301, 03/12/91)

Source: SMC Parking RestrictionsView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 47).

Full Breakdown

Ordinance Code § 7.28.190 bars parking or storing a vehicle, boat, boat trailer or camper shell in the front yard of any residential lot within the Broadmoor Police Protection District, except on the improved driveway area leading to a garage or carport. "Front yard" here means the unobstructed space visible from the street, not the zoning-code definition. This is a narrow geographic rule tied to the small Broadmoor district near Daly City, not a county-wide driveway standard; it excludes abandoned/wrecked vehicles, which fall under the separate Chapter 7.60 abandoned-vehicle rules.

Violations & Fines

Violating this section is an infraction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I park on my lawn in unincorporated San Mateo County?
Only in the Broadmoor Police Protection District does § 7.28.190 ban it outright, requiring parking on the improved driveway instead.
Does this front-yard parking ban apply county-wide?
No, it is limited to the Broadmoor Police Protection District, a small unincorporated area near Daly City.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in San Mateo County

All San Mateo County rules

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