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Sonoma, CA Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Overnight ban
Repealed 2013 (Ord. 01-2013)
Current limit
72 consecutive hours max (SMC § 10.48.050)
Enforcement
Mandatory police removal, SMC § 10.16.090(A)
Time-limited zones
Set by council resolution, SMC § 10.48.190
Current through
Ordinance 13-2025 (Dec. 3, 2025)

Summary

The City of Sonoma does not ban overnight street parking outright; its old all-night parking prohibition was repealed in 2013. What remains in force is Sonoma Municipal Code § 10.48.050, which bars leaving any vehicle on a city street or alley for more than 72 consecutive hours, day or night, after which police must remove it.

No person who owns or has possession, custody or control of any vehicle shall park such vehicle upon any street or alley for more than a consecutive period of 72 hours.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 13-2025, passed December 3, 2025).

Full Breakdown

195. 190, provided the limits are posted, painted or marked before they take effect; parking in violation of a posted resolution limit is separately unlawful. 050. This scheme is current through Ordinance 13-2025, passed December 3, 2025.

Violations & Fines

A vehicle left on a street or alley for 72 or more consecutive hours must be removed by police under § 10.16.090(A), independent of any citation. Violating § 10.48.050 itself is enforced through the citywide general penalty in § 1.12.010: an infraction punishable by up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third within a year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the City of Sonoma ban parking on the street overnight?
Not anymore. Sonoma repealed its blanket all-night parking prohibition (former SMC § 10.48.240) under Ordinance 01-2013. The rule that remains in force is SMC § 10.48.050, which bars leaving any vehicle on a city street or alley for more than 72 consecutive hours, day or night.
What happens if my car sits on a Sonoma street for more than three days?
Under SMC § 10.16.090(A), a police officer must remove or cause to be removed any vehicle parked or left standing on a street or highway for 72 or more consecutive hours, in addition to any citation issued for violating SMC § 10.48.050.
Can the city post shorter time limits on specific streets?
Yes. SMC § 10.48.190 lets the city council regulate parking time limits by resolution on any city street or off-street lot it owns or operates, as long as the limits are posted, painted or marked; parking in violation of a posted resolution limit is separately unlawful.
Are residents with a preferential parking permit exempt from these time limits?
Permit holders under Sonoma's preferential parking program (SMC § 10.48.260) are exempt from the restrictions of SMC §§ 10.48.190 and 10.48.240, the resolution-based and former all-night parking rules, but that exemption does not reach the separate 72-hour storage limit in § 10.48.050.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Sonoma

Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsDriveway RulesSome RestrictionsEV ChargingLight RestrictionsCurb Color RulesSome RestrictionsLoading ZonesSome RestrictionsPreferential Parking DistrictsSignificant RestrictionsCommercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsAbandoned VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Native PlantsFew RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Weed OrdinancesSome RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Tree TrimmingSome RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage TreesSignificant RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: CompostingSome RestrictionsWater Use Rules: Recycled Water RulesSome Restrictions

All Sonoma rules

How Sonoma compares: Cities with the Strictest Overnight Parking Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma to another location·View the California parking rules overview

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Overnight Parking in Nearby Cities

How other cities in Sonoma County handle overnight parking.

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