Stanislaus County, CA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Yellow zones
- 13 sites, § 11.12.020
- White zones
- 8 sites, § 11.12.040
- School zone hours
- 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. school days
- Authority
- Vehicle Code § 21458
- Scope
- Unincorporated county only
Summary
Stanislaus County marks specific unincorporated curbs yellow or white to create loading zones under Code §§ 11.12.010–11.12.040, following Vehicle Code § 21458 curb-color authority. Most zones apply around the clock, but stops on Hawthorne Street and Elm Street near Modesto-area schools are limited to 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. on school days only.
Section 21458 of the Vehicle Code of California provides whenever local authorities enact local parking regulations and indicate them by the use of paint upon curbs, yellow indicates stopping only for the purpose of loading or unloading passengers or freight for such time as may be specified. ... Hawthorne Street. On the northerly side of Hawthorne Street from its intersection with Merced Avenue, to a point two hundred eighty-five feet westerly of the intersection; loading zone is effective from eight a.m. to three-thirty p.m. on school days only;
Full Breakdown
12 of the Stanislaus County Code creates two types of loading zones on named unincorporated road sections. 020 then lists thirteen individual yellow-zone sites, from Daly Avenue and Gilmore Avenue to Ninth Street and Poppy Glen Road. on school days only, matching drop-off and pickup traffic at nearby schools; the rest apply without a time limit once posted. 040 lists eight white-zone sites including Bonita Avenue, Oakdale Road, Keller Street and Enterprise Way. As with the county's other curb-color ordinances, the restriction only takes effect once the county has actually painted the curb or posted a sign at the specific site named in the ordinance, the color and the location must match what the code lists.
Both lists have been amended repeatedly since the 1980s as new commercial sites were added or repealed; the yellow-zone list was last updated in 2005 and the white-zone list in 2012. Because the chapter governs the unincorporated county only, loading zones on streets inside Modesto, Turlock, Ceres or the county's other cities are set by that city's own code.
Violations & Fines
Parking in a marked loading zone for longer than the posted purpose allows, or parking there outside the loading-only use entirely, is a Vehicle Code curb-color violation, cited by the Sheriff's Office. On Hawthorne Street and Elm Street, parking in the zone outside the 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. school-day window, or for any purpose other than school loading, is likewise citable once the zone is signed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a yellow curb mean in Stanislaus County?
Are any loading zones time-limited?
What is the difference between a yellow and a white zone here?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stanislaus County
California rules heatmap·Compare Stanislaus County to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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