Des Moines, IA Parking Rules: Snow Removal Parking Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Snow route ban
- No parking until curb-to-curb clearance
- Odd/even zones
- Odd dates = odd address side
- Fine
- $35 per violation
- Signs required
- City engineer posts snow route/zone signs
- CBD exception
- Separate downtown schedule applies
Summary
Des Moines bans parking on designated snow routes during plowing and restricts odd/even side parking in snow zones, with a $35 fine for violators.
Standing or parking of vehicles upon a street designated as a "snow route" shall be prohibited at any time when snow route snow-removal operations are in progress and before such operations have resulted in the removal or clearance of snow from such streets curb to curb... A person who violates the provisions of subsections (d) or (e) of this section shall pay a fine of $35.00.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
On streets signed as a "snow route," parking is banned the moment snow-removal operations start and stays banned until the street is cleared curb to curb, per Municipal Code § 114-236(d). In signed "odd/even side snow parking" zones, parking during city-wide snow removal shifts to the odd-address side on odd-numbered dates and the even-address side on even-numbered dates. Central business district streets follow a separate division 12 schedule instead. Violating the snow-route or odd/even rule costs $35.
Violations & Fines
Fixed $35 fine per violation of subsection (d) or (e); vehicles left on a snow route or on the wrong side of an odd/even zone during active plowing can also be towed under the city's general parking-prohibition authority in § 114-358.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to move my car every time it snows in Des Moines?
How is the odd/even side determined if my street has no house numbers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Des Moines
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