Taunton, MA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Section 440-704, Off-Street Parking, sets three separate standards that together govern how driveways and parking surfaces function in Taunton. Subsection A(3)(b) requires that every parking and loading area be graded, subsurfaced with a nondusting material, drained, and suitably maintained so it doesn't create a nuisance from dust, erosion, or water flowing onto streets or adjoining properties; a bare-dirt or gravel driveway that washes out onto a neighbor's lot or the street fails this standard. Subsection A(4)(e), added May 21, 2024, caps how much of a residential front yard can be paved or otherwise used for parking and egress at 60%, preserving green space and limiting the driveway creep that turns a whole front lawn into pavement.

Subsection C, titled Driveways, separately requires that any street access drive serving a parking area with five or more spaces, or serving a loading area, sit at least 70 feet from any intersecting street or roadway, a spacing rule meant to keep turning traffic clear of busy intersections. All three requirements are reviewed by the City Planner during site plan approval and enforced afterward by the Zoning Enforcement Officer, and each applies citywide except where the Business District or Central Business District parking-waiver provisions in the same section allow relief.