Irvine, CA Parking Rules: Street Parking Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code Sec. 6-3-582
- Stall rule
- Vehicle must be wholly within one marked stall
- Parallel stalls
- Must face the direction of roadway travel
- Diagonal stalls
- Front end within 12 inches of the curb
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 92-10, July 14, 1992
Summary
Irvine regulates how vehicles sit within marked on-street parking stalls under Municipal Code Section 6-3-582. A vehicle must fit wholly inside a single marked stall, park facing the same direction as roadway travel in a parallel stall, and pull within 12 inches of the curb in a diagonal stall: rules aimed at keeping right-of-way parking orderly.
No person shall park or leave standing any vehicle in an area within the public right-of-way which has marked parking stalls unless such vehicle is wholly within a single marked parking stall. Nor shall any person park any vehicle in: A.A parallel parking stall, unless the vehicle is parked in the direction of travel of the roadway section immediately adjacent to the parking stall; orB.A diagonal parking stall, unless the front end of the vehicle is within 12 inches of the curbside portion of the stall.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20 | Zoning: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
Section 6-3-582, "Parking stalls within public right-of-way," opens with a blanket rule: no one may park or leave a vehicle standing in a marked-stall area of the public right-of-way unless the vehicle is wholly within a single marked stall, straddling two stalls or overhanging into a travel lane both violate the section. It then adds two directional requirements. In a parallel parking stall, subsection A requires the vehicle to be "parked in the direction of travel of the roadway section immediately adjacent to the parking stall," Irvine's local prohibition on wrong-way, nose-to-traffic parking along the curb.
In a diagonal stall, subsection B requires the front end of the vehicle to be "within 12 inches of the curbside portion of the stall," preventing cars from parking too far back and encroaching into the drive aisle or an adjoining stall. The section was adopted by Ordinance No. F-682, and sits in Article e (Parking) alongside the City's bus stop, no-parking, and time-limit rules, all enforced through the same Public Works signage-and-marking framework established in Sections 6-3-503 and 6-3-504.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle parked outside its stall, facing the wrong direction in a parallel stall, or set back more than 12 inches from the curb in a diagonal stall is subject to citation under the Code's general penalty schedule, Title 4, Division 13: a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail, or an infraction starting at a $100 fine that rises to $200 and $500 for repeat violations of the same provision within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park facing the wrong way in an on-street parallel stall in Irvine?
How close to the curb do I need to park in a diagonal stall?
What if my car overlaps two marked parking spaces?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Irvine
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