Bay County, FL Parking Rules: Street Parking Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Driveway clearance
- no standing/parking in front of it
- Fire hydrant clearance
- 15 feet
- Crosswalk clearance
- 20 feet
- Stop sign/signal approach
- 30 feet
- Local civil fine
- $46.00 (Bay County Sec. 24-54)
- Violation type
- noncriminal traffic infraction
- Towing authority
- Sec. 24-62, at owner's expense
Summary
Florida's Uniform Traffic Control Law, enforced on every street in unincorporated Bay County, bars parking in front of a driveway, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, within 20 feet of a crosswalk, or within 30 feet of a stop sign or signal under Fla. Stat. § 316.1945(1)(b). The county backs the state rule with its own $46.00 civil fine and a registered-owner presumption under Code ch. 24.
(1)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: ... (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. 2. Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. 3. Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection. 4. Within 30 feet upon the approach to any flashing signal, stop sign, or traffic control signal located at the side of a roadway. 5. Within 20 feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station and on the side of a street opposite the entrance to any fire station within 75 feet of such entrance (when property signposted). 6. On an exclusive bicycle lane. 7. At any place where official traffic control devices prohibit standing.
Full Breakdown
Fla. 1945(1)(b) bars standing or parking a vehicle, except momentarily to pick up or drop off a passenger, in front of a public or private driveway, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, within 30 feet of the approach to a flashing signal, stop sign or traffic signal, within 20 feet of a fire station driveway (or within 75 feet on the opposite side when posted), in an exclusive bicycle lane, or anywhere official signs prohibit standing.
Subsection (2) separately bars moving a vehicle not lawfully under your control into any of those restricted spots. Bay County layers its own enforcement on top: Code Sec. 24-51 lets a law enforcement officer or parking enforcement specialist ticket the driver directly, or attach a notice to an unattended vehicle, processed through the Clerk of Circuit Court's Traffic Violations Bureau. Sec. 24-53 presumes the registered owner was the one who parked illegally unless someone else admits to being the driver at the time. Sec. " Sec.
24-62 lets the county tow and impound an offending vehicle at the registered owner's expense, including when towing is needed to clear access for emergency vehicles, regardless of whether tow-away signs are posted.
Violations & Fines
Violating the state parking prohibitions is a noncriminal traffic infraction under Fla. Stat. § 316.1945(4), punished as a nonmoving violation under chapter 318. Locally, Sec. 24-54 sets the fine at $46.00 per violation, and a driver has 30 days to pay or request a hearing before the fine escalates; if a hearing finds the infraction occurred, the civil penalty can reach $100.00 plus court costs. Registered owners with three or more unresolved parking tickets are reported to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and Sec. 24-62 authorizes towing and impoundment at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park in front of someone's driveway in unincorporated Bay County?
How close to a fire hydrant can I legally park?
What's the fine for an illegal parking ticket in Bay County?
Can Bay County tow my car for a parking violation?
Who is responsible for the ticket if I loan my car to someone who parks it illegally?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bay County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Bay County to another location·View the Florida parking rules overview
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