Mendocino County, CA Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Blanket overnight street ban?
- No (county-wide)
- 72-hour continuous limit
- MCC 15.12.091
- 10 p.m.-6 a.m. no-parking roads
- Listed in MCC 15.12.040 (e.g., Ward Ave, Geysers Rd)
- Overnight vehicle camping
- Max one day on public property (MCC 14.28.050)
- Old habitation ban (15.14)
- Repealed by Ord. No. 4353 (2016)
Summary
Unincorporated Mendocino County has no blanket ban on parking a vehicle overnight on public streets, but a 72-hour continuous-parking limit applies, vehicle camping is capped at one day on public property, and a few specific roads bar parking between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Ord. No. 4353, § I, adopted April 5, 2016, repealed ch. 15.14, §§ 15.14.010—15.14.030, in its entirety. Former ch. 15.14 pertained to "Parking of Vehicles, House Cars, Campers and Trailer Coaches for Human Habitation."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
There is no general county ordinance forbidding overnight parking on every unincorporated street. Instead, three rules combine. 091 makes it unlawful to leave any vehicle standing on a street or highway for 72 or more consecutive hours (with a narrow exemption for non-RV passenger cars and pickups at the registered address), and authorizes towing after that period. 64. 050 bars parking a vehicle or trailer for camping, sleeping, or dwelling for more than one day on public property other than a licensed campground or designated County park, with several locations off-limits entirely. , was repealed in its entirety by Ordinance No. 28 camping framework.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle left on a public street for 72+ consecutive hours may be towed (MCC 15.12.091). Overnight parking on a road posted no-parking 10 p.m.-6 a.m. is an infraction (MCC 15.12.040/15.12.100). Overnight vehicle camping beyond one day violates MCC 14.28.050.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave my car parked overnight on a road in unincorporated Mendocino County?
Didn't Mendocino County ban sleeping in vehicles overnight?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mendocino County
How Mendocino County compares: Cities with the Strictest Overnight Parking Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Mendocino County 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.