Palm Springs, CA Parking Rules: Street Parking Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Signage requirement
- Prohibitions/time limits apply only when signs are posted
- One-way streets
- Park within 18 inches of left curb, facing traffic
- Enforcement
- Citable infraction under Chapter 1.01 of the Municipal Code
- Towing authority
- Police, sheriff's deputies or CHP may tow illegally parked cars
- Enforcing agency
- Palm Springs Police Department and city traffic engineer
Summary
Palm Springs bans stopping, standing or parking anywhere a posted sign or curb marking sets a prohibition or time limit under Municipal Code Section 12.32.010. On one-way streets, Section 12.28.060 requires parking within eighteen inches of the left-hand curb facing the direction of travel unless signs say otherwise. Illegally parked vehicles can be towed and impounded under Section 12.28.150.
§ 12.32.010. Parking prohibited or time limited on certain streets. When authorized signs are in place giving notice thereof, specifying certain parking prohibitions or time limits, said prohibitions or time limits to be established by the city council by resolution, or by the city traffic engineer pursuant to authority vested in him by this chapter, or by the Vehicle Code, no person shall stop, stand, park, or leave standing any vehicle in violation of any such prohibition or time limit so specified by the said signs. ... § 12.28.060. Parking parallel with curb. (a) Subject to other and more restrictive limitations, a vehicle may be stopped or parked within eighteen inches of the left-hand curb facing in the direction of traffic movement upon any one-way street unless signs are in place prohibiting such stopping or standing. ... § 12.28.150. Impounding of vehicle illegally parked. Whenever a vehicle is illegally parked on a street or highway in violation of any provision of this chapter or of this code, any ... police officer ... may cause such vehicle to be impounded, driven or towed away and stored, so long as signs are posted giving notice of the removal.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4923139; v14 updated 2026-06-24).
Full Breakdown
010 makes it unlawful to stop, stand or park in violation of whatever a sign specifies once it is in place. 040 when the council designates a limited parking zone. 060 requires a stopped or parked vehicle to sit within eighteen inches of the left-hand curb and face the direction of traffic movement, the local rule addressing wrong-way parking on one-way streets specifically; where a highway carries two or more separate one-way roadways, parking on the left-hand side is barred unless signage permits it. 080.
150 lets any salaried city police officer, a Riverside County sheriff's deputy, or a California Highway Patrol officer have an illegally parked vehicle towed and stored once removal-notice signs are posted, with towing and storage costs billed to the vehicle's owner and driver. Because Palm Springs' street grid crosses checkerboarded Agua Caliente trust-land sections in parts of downtown and the Indian Canyons, drivers should confirm a block sits on city-controlled right-of-way before assuming these municipal signs and enforcement apply, since tribal trust parcels are not governed by this title.
Violations & Fines
Violating a posted parking prohibition, time limit or the one-way curb-parking rule is charged as an infraction under Chapter 1.01 of the Municipal Code, enforced by Palm Springs police and code enforcement officers. Beyond a citation, Section 12.28.150 authorizes any city police officer, Riverside County sheriff's deputy, or CHP officer to have an illegally parked vehicle towed and impounded once removal-notice signage is posted, with towing and storage costs billed to the vehicle's owner and the driver responsible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Palm Springs tow my car for a parking violation?
How do I know if a street prohibits parking?
Do Palm Springs parking rules apply on tribal trust land downtown?
What is the rule for parking on a one-way street?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Springs
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How other cities in Riverside County handle street parking limits.