Monterey County, CA Parking Rules: Preferential Parking Districts (2026)
Key Facts
- Restricted hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. daily
- Governing section
- Monterey County Code § 12.28.025
- Streets covered
- Arriba Way, Calle La Cruz, Cuesta Way, Meadow Way, Pradera Road, Ribera Road
- Enforcement basis
- Signs/curb markings must be posted first
- Permit cap
- Director of Transportation may limit permits per residence
- Penalty track
- Civil violation, Fee Resolution fine per § 1.20.040(C)
Summary
In unincorporated Monterey County, six specific residential streets near Pradera Road are designated overnight residential parking permit zones: no vehicle may stop, stand or park there between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless a residential parking permit is displayed. County Code § 12.28.025 sets the rule; it does not apply citywide or in incorporated cities.
As provided under Section 22507 of the California Vehicle Code, no person shall stop, park, or leave standing any attended or unattended vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a peace officer or official traffic-control device, in any of the following places between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., unless a residential parking permit for the affected location is appropriately displayed on the vehicle. The Director of Transportation of the County of Monterey is directed to place and maintain appropriate signs or curb markings giving notice of this regulation at such places. The Director of Transportation may establish a maximum number of permits to be issued to residences on the affected roads: Arriba Way, in its entirety; Calle La Cruz, in its entirety; Cuesta Way, on both sides of Cuesta Way easterly to a point seventy-five (75) feet east of Pradera Road; Meadow Way, on both sides of Meadow Way from Pradera Road easterly for ninety (90) feet; Pradera Road, in its entirety.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
025 creates a residential-permit overnight parking zone under authority of California Vehicle Code § 22507. , no attended or unattended vehicle may stop, park or stand on the listed streets unless it displays a residential parking permit for that location, except when avoiding a traffic conflict or complying with a peace officer or traffic-control device. The affected roads are Arriba Way (in its entirety), Calle La Cruz (in its entirety), Cuesta Way (both sides easterly to a point 75 feet east of Pradera Road), Meadow Way (both sides from Pradera Road easterly for 90 feet), Pradera Road (in its entirety), and three segments of Ribera Road near Calle La Cruz.
The Director of Transportation must post signs or curb markings at these locations before the restriction is enforceable, and the Director may cap the number of permits issued per residence, meaning even a resident household is not guaranteed unlimited permits. This is a narrow, street-by-street scheme rather than a countywide residential parking permit program: it applies only to the specific segments named in the ordinance, all near Pradera Road in the Prunedale/North County area, and traces to Ordinance 3904 (1997), codified through Ordinance No. 5301 § 2 (2018).
025 is the only section that ties the overnight restriction to a displayed residential permit rather than an outright ban. Outside these named streets, the county has not established a general preferential/residential parking permit district ordinance in Title 12.
Violations & Fines
Stopping, standing or parking on an affected segment of Arriba Way, Calle La Cruz, Cuesta Way, Meadow Way, Pradera Road or Ribera Road between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. without a displayed residential parking permit is a standing/parking violation under County Code § 12.28.025. Under § 1.20.040(C), violations of Chapter 12.28 are processed as civil violations: the violator pays the civil fee listed in the Monterey County Fee Resolution plus collection costs, handled by the County Administrative Officer. The County Administrative Officer and Sheriff's deputies are authorized to issue citations for these violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Monterey County streets have residential parking permit zones?
What happens if I park overnight on Pradera Road without a permit?
Does this residential permit rule apply inside Salinas, Monterey or Carmel-by-the-Sea?
Can the county limit how many permits a household gets?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey County
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey County to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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