Westminster, CA Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Westminster Code § 10.44.050
- Time limit
- 72 consecutive hours on any street/alley
- Anti-shuffle rule
- Moving under 0.2 mile doesn't reset clock
- Nonmotorized loading cap
- 24 hours for trailers/campers
- Towing trigger
- After 3 citations (Veh. Code §§22650-22651)
Summary
Westminster Code § 10.44.050 bars leaving any motor or nonmotorized vehicle parked or stored on a public street or alley for more than 72 consecutive hours, and treats moving the vehicle less than two-tenths of a mile within that window as staying in the same spot. Violators face citation and towing after three tickets.
Except as provided in subsections B and C of this section, no person who owns or has possession, custody, or control of any motor or nonmotorized vehicle shall park or store such vehicle upon any public street or dedicated alley for a consecutive period of more than seventy-two hours. The term "store" for purposes of this subsection is defined as the parking or leaving unattended any motor or nonmotorized vehicle in one location for the period described in this section. The term "one location" shall include any movement or relocation or re-parking of such vehicle within two-tenths of a mile from any prior parking location used within the preceding seventy-two hours.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4982734; v10 updated 2026-06-10).
Full Breakdown
050(A) prohibits parking or storing any motor or nonmotorized vehicle on a public street or dedicated alley for a consecutive period exceeding 72 hours, defining "store" as leaving the vehicle unattended in one location for that period. The section closes the obvious workaround: "one location" includes any relocation or re-parking of the vehicle within two-tenths of a mile of any prior parking spot used in the preceding 72 hours, so shuffling a car down the block does not restart the clock. 245 rather than the flat 72-hour cap.
Subsection C separately limits nonmotorized vehicles, such as trailer coaches, camp trailers and fifth-wheel travel trailers, to loading and unloading only, capped at 24 consecutive hours, unless the nonmotorized vehicle is attached to a motor vehicle and complies with the city's traffic ordinance. Subsection D authorizes any police officer to remove a vehicle left parked past these time limits, once it is not moved as required and after three citations have already been issued, under the removal procedures of Vehicle Code §§ 22650 and 22651 et seq. The section was amended most recently by Ordinance 2613 in 2024.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle left in violation of the 72-hour or 24-hour limits is first subject to citation, and after three citations for the same vehicle, § 10.44.050(D) authorizes a police officer to have it towed under Vehicle Code §§ 22650 and 22651 et seq. Because Chapter 10.44 sets no separate fine for this section, citations are prosecuted under § 10.44.280 as a misdemeanor or, at the city attorney's discretion, as an infraction carrying the citywide $100-$500 escalating fine schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can I leave my car parked on a Westminster street?
Can I move my car down the block to avoid the 72-hour rule?
What happens after repeated 72-hour violations?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Westminster
How Westminster compares: Cities with the Strictest Overnight Parking Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Westminster to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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Overnight Parking in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle overnight parking.