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

Under the San Buenaventura Municipal Code and the city's zoning ordinance, residential driveways must be improved with a hard surface — concrete, asphalt, pavers, or an approved permeable paving material — before a vehicle may be parked there. Parking a vehicle on an unpaved surface, including grass, gravel, dirt, or decorative rock landscaping in the front yard setback area, is prohibited. This rule applies to all vehicles, including passenger cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, and trailers. The purpose of the requirement is both aesthetic — preserving the residential character of the neighborhood — and environmental, preventing soil compaction and runoff from unimproved surfaces.

Front yard paving coverage is regulated by the zoning ordinance. In residential zones, the percentage of the front yard that may be covered with impervious surface is limited to prevent the wholesale conversion of landscaped front yards into parking lots. Property owners who want to add or widen a driveway to accommodate additional vehicles must obtain a permit through the city's Public Works or Community Development Department, and the resulting driveway apron width at the public curb cut is regulated. Curb cuts serving residential driveways must be approved and constructed to city standards; unauthorized curb cuts are prohibited and may be removed at the property owner's expense.

Vehicles parked in the driveway must not extend over the public sidewalk, as this creates a hazard for pedestrians, including those using wheelchairs. Encroachments into the public right-of-way may result in parking citations. Additionally, inoperable vehicles — those that are not currently registered with the California DMV, lack current license plates, or are in a dismantled state — may not be stored outdoors on residential driveways for extended periods. The city's Code Compliance Division enforces driveway and front yard parking violations on a complaint-driven basis and during proactive enforcement patrols.