San Jose, CA Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)

Standard passenger vehicles may park on most San Jose public streets overnight without a permit, subject to street-sweeping schedules and posted time limits. Oversized vehicle rules under Municipal Code prohibit vehicles over 6 feet in height, 22 feet in length, or weighing over 10,000 lbs GVWR from parking on any public street between 2:00 AM and 5:00 AM. This includes RVs, box trucks, trailers, and commercial vehicles, and applies citywide. Exceptions are made for loading/unloading (up to 2 hours) and for permitted construction vehicles at active sites. Residential Permit Parking (RPP) zones blanket neighborhoods near SJSU, downtown, Japantown, Rose Garden, and Naglee Park. In RPP zones, overnight parking by non-permitted vehicles triggers citations starting around $65. Street-sweeping signs in most neighborhoods require moving vehicles weekly; tickets run $55-75. The 72-hour rule applies citywide: any vehicle parked in the same location for more than 72 hours without movement can be marked and eventually towed as abandoned. Living in a vehicle on public streets is restricted in certain posted zones and enforced through Code Enforcement and the Vehicle Abatement unit.