Lawrence, MA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Non-loading limit
- 15 minutes in a service zone
- Active loading/unloading cap
- 30 minutes (one-half hour) total
- Parking method required
- Parallel to curb, wheels within 12 inches
- Angle parking
- Expressly prohibited in service zones
- Enforcement tool
- Towing under § 10.32.140
Summary
Lawrence caps parking in a designated service zone at 15 minutes under Code of Ordinances § 10.32.110, unless the vehicle is actually loading or unloading, in which case it can stay up to 30 minutes; vehicles must park parallel to the curb and angle parking is barred.
A.No person shall park a vehicle upon any street in any service zone for a period of time longer than 15 minutes except while actually engaged in loading or unloading; provided, that such loading and unloading does not exceed a period of time longer than one-half hour.B.Vehicles parked in service zones for loading and unloading must be parked parallel with the curb with both wheels on the right side of the vehicle not more than 12 inches from the curb or edge of the roadway. Angle parking in service zones is expressly prohibited.C.Vehicles parked in violation of this section shall be subject to being towed in accordance with the provisions of section 10.32.140 as well as subject to punishment by fine.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 8).
Full Breakdown
32 (Parking Generally), governs the city's service zones, the curb areas set aside for commercial loading and unloading. Subsection A sets the baseline rule: no vehicle may park in a service zone for longer than 15 minutes unless it is actually engaged in loading or unloading cargo, and even that active loading or unloading cannot run past a half hour (30 minutes) total. Subsection B fixes how vehicles must sit while loading: they must be parked parallel with the curb, with both right-side wheels no more than 12 inches from the curb or roadway edge, and angle parking in a service zone is expressly forbidden regardless of how briefly the vehicle stops.
140 in addition to a parking fine. The section descends from former Code § 19-82 and was last codified alongside the broader parking chapter reorganization in Doc. 379A/2010 (effective September 23, 2011). 110 alone.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle left in a service zone beyond the 15-minute cap, or beyond 30 minutes of active loading or unloading, or parked at an angle instead of parallel to the curb, is in violation and subject to towing under § 10.32.140 at the owner's expense, along with the standard parking-ticket fine process the police department uses for illegally parked vehicles.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a delivery truck sit in a Lawrence loading zone?
Can a truck park at an angle in a Lawrence service zone to load faster?
What happens if a vehicle overstays a Lawrence loading zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lawrence
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