Gilroy, CA Parking Rules: Street Parking Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Intersection clearance
- 5 feet in central/business districts
- Max street parking
- 72 consecutive hours
- Enforcement
- Gilroy Police Department
- First-offense fine
- up to $100 (§ 1.7)
- Residential relief
- paid resident parking permits available
Summary
Gilroy bars parking within 5 feet of an intersection in the central traffic district or any business district, and caps parking on any city street or alley at 72 consecutive hours. A vehicle left longer than that can be treated as abandoned and towed by police under Sections 15.60 and 15.67 of the City Code.
At any place within five (5) feet of an intersection in the central traffic district or in any business district except on the approach to a traffic signal, boulevard stop sign or official electric flashing device at the intersection; provided, however, that a bus may stop at a designated bus stop. ... No person who owns or has possession, custody and control of any vehicle shall park such vehicle upon any street or alley for more than a period of seventy-two (72) consecutive hours. In the event a vehicle is parked or left standing upon a street in excess of seventy-two (72) consecutive hours, it may be considered abandoned and any member of the police department authorized by the chief of police may remove such vehicle from the street in the manner and subject to the requirements of the California Vehicle Code.
Full Breakdown
Article VI, Division 1 of Chapter 15 sets the baseline street-parking rules that apply everywhere signs or markings are not otherwise controlling. Section 15.60 lets the city administrator sign or mark no-stopping zones within 5 feet of an intersection in the central traffic district or a business district (except at a signal, boulevard stop or bus stop), anywhere deemed an unusual traffic hazard, and on residential streets seeing heavy non-resident parking, where the city may instead issue paid resident permits. Section 15.67 caps parking on any street or alley at 72 consecutive hours; once that limit is exceeded, any police officer may treat the vehicle as abandoned and have it removed under Vehicle Code procedures.
Section 15.55 separately bans parking any non-operating vehicle, or an unattached trailer, on a public street. Angle parking is prohibited citywide except where the council designates it by resolution (Sections 15.56 and 15.57), and where narrower streets under 20 or 30 feet wide are signed no-parking, that signage controls (Section 15.58). Parking time limits, permit-parking fees and specific prohibited zones are set separately by council resolution and posted with signs or curb markings under Section 15.69.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of these Chapter 15 parking rules is an infraction punishable by a fine of up to $100 under the general penalty in Section 1.7; a second violation within a year draws up to $200, a third up to $500, and a fourth or later violation becomes a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 or up to six months in jail, or both. Vehicles over the 72-hour limit may also be towed at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gilroy
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Street Parking Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle street parking limits.