Porterville, CA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Loading zone color
- Yellow curb paint
- Passenger zone color
- White curb paint
- Material loading limit
- 20 minutes, commercial vehicles only
- Passenger loading limit
- 3 minutes
- Max curb reserved per block
- One-half of total curb length
Summary
Porterville's traffic engineer marks loading zones with yellow curbs and passenger zones with white, capped at half a block's curb length, and limits use to twenty minutes for materials and three minutes for passengers.
A. The city traffic engineer is hereby authorized to determine and to mark loading zones and passenger loading zones as follows: 1. In any business district. 2. Elsewhere in front of the entrance to any place of business or in front of any hall or place used for the purpose of public assembly. B. In no event shall more than one-half (1/2) of the total curb length in any block be reserved for loading zone purposes. C. Loading zones shall be indicated by yellow paint upon the top of all curbs within such zones. D. Passenger loading zones shall be indicated by white paint upon the top of all curbs in said zones. ... ... A. Permission herein granted to stop or stand a vehicle for purposes of loading or unloading of materials shall apply only to commercial vehicles and shall not extend beyond the time necessary therefor, and in no event for more than twenty (20) minutes. ... ... C. Permission herein granted to stop or park for purposes of loading or unloading passengers shall include the loading or unloading of personal baggage but shall not extend beyond the time necessary therefor and in no event for more than three (3) minutes.
Full Breakdown
Section 17-12 gives the city traffic engineer authority to determine and mark loading zones and passenger loading zones in any business district, or elsewhere in front of the entrance to a place of business or a hall used for public assembly. The section caps how much curb can be devoted to this use: in no event may more than one-half of the total curb length in any block be reserved for loading zone purposes. Loading zones must be marked with yellow paint on top of the curb, and passenger loading zones with white paint.
Section 17-12.2 then defines how long a vehicle may use a marked zone: permission to stop for loading or unloading materials applies only to commercial vehicles and never exceeds twenty minutes, covering commercial deliveries and express, parcel post and mail pickup; permission to stop for loading or unloading passengers, including personal baggage, never exceeds three minutes. Sections 17-12.3 and 17-12.4 make it unlawful to stand in a yellow or white zone for any purpose other than the loading or unloading permitted under 17-12.2, and section 17-12.5 extends the loading-only rule to any alley.
Section 17-12.6 separately lets the traffic engineer establish coach (bus) zones, normally on the far side of an intersection. These provisions trace to Ordinance 1162, adopted December 5, 1978.
Violations & Fines
Standing or parking in a marked yellow or white loading zone beyond the permitted twenty-minute material or three-minute passenger window, or for any purpose other than loading and unloading, violates sections 17-12.2 through 17-12.4 and is enforced by the Porterville Police Department; the same loading-only rule applies to alleys under section 17-12.5.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a delivery truck stay in a Porterville loading zone?
How much of a city block can be a loading zone?
Can a private car use a yellow loading zone to drop off a passenger?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Porterville
California rules heatmap·Compare Porterville to another location·View the California parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.