San Rafael, CA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Hillside Overlay District only
- Trigger
- Average slope ≥25%
- Requirement
- All-weather pavement or hardscape
- Slopes >15%
- Non-asphalt hardscape required
- Slopes >18%
- Traction grooves/scoring required
Summary
In San Rafael's Hillside Development Overlay District, driveways and vehicle maneuvering areas must be all-weather pavement or permeable hardscape: city code bars leaving dirt, gravel or other unpaved surfaces for parking and turnaround areas on qualifying steep-slope lots.
Driveway and maneuvering areas shall consist of suitable all-weather pavement or permeable hardscape surface approved by the city.G.Lot Standards. Minimum lot sizes and widths for lots created after November 21, 1991 are subject to the slope tables established under Chapter 15.07 of the subdivision ordinance.H.Street and Driveways. New street and driveway grades shall not exceed eighteen percent (18%) unless an exception has been granted by the hearing body, and the design has been recommended by the public works director and fire marshal to allow a driveway or street slope up to a maximum twenty-five percent (25%) grade. Streets and driveways with slopes over fifteen percent (15%) shall be a permanent, durable, non-asphalt hardscape surface. Streets and driveways with slopes over eighteen percent (18%) shall have grooves/scoring for traction.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 37).
Full Breakdown
SRMC §14.12.030 governs lots with an average slope of 25% or more, or in the hillside resource/hillside residential general plan designations. Subsection F requires driveway and maneuvering areas to be suitable all-weather pavement or a city-approved permeable hardscape surface, and it also requires two additional on-site parking spaces (not on the driveway apron) for homes on streets narrower than 26 feet. Subsection H adds that streets and driveways over 15% slope must use a permanent, non-asphalt hardscape surface, and those over 18% slope must have grooves or scoring for traction, subject to Public Works and fire marshal review. This is a hillside-overlay standard, not a citywide driveway-surfacing rule.
Violations & Fines
Leaving a hillside-lot driveway or vehicle maneuvering area unpaved, or using asphalt on a slope over 15% where non-asphalt hardscape is required, violates SRMC §14.12.030(F) and (H) and can hold up final building inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does San Rafael require driveways to be paved everywhere in the city?
Can I have a gravel driveway on a San Rafael hillside lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Rafael
California rules heatmap·Compare San Rafael to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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