Alexandria, VA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Use restriction
- Immediate, continuous loading/unloading only
- Angle for loading
- 45 degrees or less from curb
- Steeper angle
- Requires traffic & parking board permit
- Food trucks
- Barred from loading zones entirely
- Standard fine
- $40 if paid within 30 days
Summary
Alexandria limits designated loading zones to immediate, continuous loading or unloading of freight or passengers during the hours the zone is signed for that purpose. Vehicles loading or unloading must park at 45 degrees or less from the curb unless a special hardship permit allows a steeper angle.
No person shall stop or park a vehicle in a loading zone except for the immediate and continuous unloading and delivery or pickup and loading of materials from or to a truck or of passengers from or to a passenger vehicle during hours when such zones are restricted to parking for loading purposes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 156 | Zoning: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 10-4-18 restricts stopping or parking in a loading zone to the immediate and continuous unloading and delivery, or pickup and loading, of materials to or from a truck, or of passengers to or from a passenger vehicle, and only during the hours the zone is restricted for loading purposes. Sec. 10-4-17 requires vehicles and other mobile equipment that are loading or unloading to park at an angle of 45 degrees or less from the curb line, parking parallel where practical; a special permit from the traffic and parking board can authorize a steeper angle at a specific location in cases of extreme hardship, and such permits are issued to the affected property owner, not to individual drivers, and must be displayed on request of a police officer.
Food and ice cream trucks are separately barred under Sec. 10-4-47(c)(4) from encroaching on any part of a designated loading zone or fire lane, and the food truck vending-location rules in Sec. 9-15-15(B)(v) likewise keep designated on-street vending spots out of any loading zone.
Violations & Fines
Loading zone violations fall under the general parking penalty schedule in Sec. 10-4-48: a $40 civil penalty if the citation is paid to the director of finance within 30 days, unless a different amount is set elsewhere in the code or by state law. A vehicle occupying a loading zone outside the permitted loading window, or beyond the immediate loading/unloading activity, is subject to the same citation and to towing under the city's general parking-enforcement authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park in an Alexandria loading zone while I run into a store?
What angle should a delivery truck park at when loading in Alexandria?
Can food trucks park in loading zones in Alexandria?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alexandria
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