San Bernardino County, CA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- County Code § 83.11.030(a), Ord. 4011 (2007)
- Front-yard parking
- Allowed only within the driveway itself
- Right-of-way land
- Never counts as required parking
- Multi-family driveway parking
- Must be unit-specific and properly sized
- Standard space size
- 9 ft by 19 ft, § 83.11.070(a)
- Penalty
- Infraction $100-$500 or misdemeanor up to $1,000
Summary
County Code § 83.11.030(a) bars parking in front-yard setbacks except inside a driveway built for a single-family home, or inside a multi-family driveway specifically designed and long enough to hold a unit's off-street space. Right-of-way land can never count toward required parking, and every space must sit on the same site as the use it serves or on a site plan-approved lot.
(a) Location. The required parking spaces shall be located on the same site with the primary use or structure, on premises contiguous to them, or in a location conforming to a Site Plan approved in compliance with Chapter 85.08 (Site Plan Permits). Property within the ultimate right-of-way of a street or highway shall not be used to provide required parking or loading facilities. Parking shall not be allowed in the front yard setback other than in the driveway for a single-family residential use or within a driveway in a multi-family development that is specifically designed for and has sufficient length to provide off-street parking for a specific dwelling unit... (g) Use of Parking Area for Activities Other than Parking. Required off-street parking, circulation, and access areas shall be used exclusively for the temporary parking and maneuvering of vehicles and shall not be used for the sale, lease, display, repair, or storage of vehicles, trailers, boats, campers, mobile homes, merchandise, or equipment, or for any other use not authorized by the provisions of this Code.
Full Breakdown
08 Site Plan Permit, and no part of the ultimate street or highway right-of-way can be counted toward a project's required parking or loading. The front-yard setback carve-out is narrow: parking is barred there except inside a driveway serving a single-family home, or inside a multi-family driveway engineered with enough length to hold an assigned unit's off-street space, meaning a car parked on the lawn, on gravel next to the driveway, or angled across the setback is out of compliance even where the driveway itself is legal.
030 layers on related duties: subsection (b) requires new parking whenever a property's use changes, though an infill multi-family or affordable project can use a Minor Use Permit to size that requirement; subsection (c) requires added parking only for the expanded portion when a use is enlarged or intensified; subsection (e) makes parking and loading spaces permanent, marked, and maintained, with only the Director able to approve a temporary reduction tied to a Temporary Use Permit for a seasonal use; subsection (f) bars an owner, tenant, or manager from blocking authorized users out of required spaces without the Director's approval; and subsection (g) prohibits using required parking and access areas for vehicle sales, display, repair, or storage, or for storing trailers, boats, campers, mobile homes, merchandise, or equipment. 070(a): nine feet by 19 feet for a standard space, ten feet by 20 feet for an enclosed residential garage space.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle parked outside the driveway on a front-yard setback is a Development Code violation enforceable under County Code § 11.0206. Code Enforcement can cite it as an infraction, with base fines of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a repeat within a year, and $500 for each further violation, or pursue it as a misdemeanor carrying a $500 to $1,000 base fine or up to six months in county jail; each day the vehicle remains counts as a separate violation under § 11.0204(d).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park on my lawn or a gravel strip next to the driveway in San Bernardino County?
Does the driveway itself count toward my house's off-street parking?
Can I use my required parking space to store a boat or trailer?
If I add a room to my house, do I need more parking?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino County to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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