Kent, WA Parking Rules: Street Parking Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Base parking infraction
- $50 (KCC 9.38.180)
- Driveway buffer
- 5 feet of curb radius
- Fire hydrant buffer
- 15 feet
- Crosswalk stopping buffer
- 20 feet
- Railroad crossing buffer
- 50 feet
- Enforced by
- Kent PD & parking enforcement aide
Summary
Kent's KCC 9.38.180 bars stopping, standing, or parking on sidewalks, in intersections, on crosswalks, in bike lanes, or blocking a driveway within five feet of the curb radius, plus stopping within 15 feet of a hydrant or 20 feet of a crosswalk. Every violation is a $50 infraction enforced citywide by Kent police and parking enforcement.
Except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic, or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or official traffic control device, no person shall: A. Stop, stand, or park a vehicle: 1. On the roadway side of any vehicle stopped or parked at the edge or curb of a street. 2. On a sidewalk or street planting strip. 3. Within an intersection. 4. On a crosswalk. ... B. Stand or park a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except momentarily to pick up or discharge a passenger or passengers: 1. In front of a public or private driveway or within five feet of the end of the curb radius leading thereto; ... G. Any violation of the provisions of this section shall be an infraction and punishable by a monetary penalty of $50.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4542, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
KCC 9.38.180 is Kent's general stopping-standing-parking prohibition, layered on top of the street-specific restrictions found elsewhere in Chapter 9.38. Subsection A bars parking on the roadway side of another parked vehicle, on a sidewalk or planting strip, within an intersection, on a crosswalk, within 30 feet of a safety zone's curb ends, alongside a street excavation that would obstruct traffic, on a bridge or in a tunnel, on railroad tracks, in the median of a divided highway, outside a marked parking stall, in a marked bicycle lane, or wherever repairing or advertising a vehicle for sale.
Subsection B adds stricter no-standing zones, even for brief stops beyond picking up or dropping off a passenger: in front of a driveway or within five feet of its curb radius, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, within 20 feet of a crosswalk, within 30 feet of the approach to a stop sign, yield sign, or signal, and within 20 feet of a fire station driveway (75 feet on the opposite side if signposted). Subsection C bars parking within 50 feet of a railroad crossing except while actively loading. The section also makes it illegal to move an improperly parked vehicle into another prohibited spot, or to reserve a public parking space for exclusive use.
Every violation under subsection G is a $50 infraction, the same base penalty used across most of Chapter 9.38, enforced by Kent police officers and the city's parking enforcement aide under KCC 2.22.060.
Violations & Fines
Blocking a driveway, parking in a crosswalk or bike lane, or stopping within 15 feet of a hydrant is a $50 infraction under KCC 9.38.180(G). Officers or the parking enforcement aide can also have an illegally parked vehicle towed under Chapter 9.39 KCC when it threatens public safety, separate from and in addition to the infraction itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to park in front of my neighbor's driveway in Kent?
How close to a fire hydrant can I park in Kent?
Can Kent tow my car for a parking violation instead of just ticketing it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent
Compare Kent to another location·View the Washington parking rules overview
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Street Parking Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle street parking limits.