Santa Ana Driveway Rules Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

The City of Santa Ana's zoning code (Chapter 41) and property maintenance standards regulate where and how vehicles may be parked on private residential property. All vehicle parking on residential lots must occur on an approved paved surface — concrete, asphalt, or permeable pavers meeting city standards. Parking on grass, bare dirt, or landscaped areas is prohibited. In Santa Ana's older residential neighborhoods, where many homes were built in the 1950s through 1970s on relatively small lots, front-yard parking on unpaved surfaces is one of the most commonly cited code enforcement violations. Any expansion of driveway paving requires a permit and must comply with lot coverage, setback, and stormwater drainage requirements.

Vehicles parked in driveways may not extend past the property line into the public sidewalk area, as this obstructs pedestrian access and potentially violates ADA accessibility requirements. Santa Ana's dense residential blocks — with an average population density exceeding 11,000 people per square mile — generate heavy pedestrian traffic, making clear sidewalks particularly important for safety. The city's narrow residential streets also require that vehicles parked in driveways do not project into the travel lane or obstruct sight lines at intersections and driveway aprons.

Inoperable, dismantled, or unregistered vehicles visible from the public right-of-way constitute a nuisance under the municipal code and applicable California Vehicle Code provisions. Such vehicles must be stored inside an enclosed garage or behind a solid fence or wall that fully screens them from public view. Covering a vehicle with a tarp on a driveway or in a front yard generally does not satisfy the screening requirement. Garage spaces that were included in the original building plans as required parking spaces under the zoning code must retain their vehicle-parking function; converting a required garage to living space, storage, or any other non-parking use without a planning permit and provision of replacement parking is a code violation.

Code enforcement matters related to driveway parking and on-property vehicle storage in Santa Ana are handled by the Code Enforcement Division at (714) 667-2780.