Portsmouth, VA Parking Rules: Street Parking Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- General parking fine
- $25.00 (Sec. 22-578(a))
- Driveway/hydrant fine
- $50.00 flat (Sec. 22-563)
- Payment window
- 14 days before $10 added penalty
- Wrong-way parking
- Barred under Sec. 22-561(b)
- Enforcing agency
- Portsmouth Police Department
- Towing trigger
- 3+ unpaid tickets (Sec. 22-581)
Summary
Portsmouth requires vehicles to park close and parallel to the curb, facing with traffic, never against it. City Code § 22-561(b) bans parking on the wrong side, and § 22-562(a) separately forbids parking on a sidewalk, in front of a public driveway, within 20 feet of a crosswalk, or within 30 feet of a stop sign, signal or flashing beacon.
(b)No vehicle shall be stopped except close to and parallel to the righthand edge of the curb or roadway, except that a vehicle may be stopped close to and parallel to the lefthand curb or edge of the roadway on one-way streets or may be parked at an angle where permitted by posted city signage. Where back-in or font-in parking is required by posted city signage, no vehicle shall be parked in the opposite direction. No vehicle shall be parked or stopped with any of its wheels on or over the curb. ... (a)No person shall park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, in any of the following places:(1)On a sidewalk.(2)In front of a public driveway.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Section 22-561(b) of the Portsmouth City Code sets the baseline rule for every public street: a vehicle must stop close to and parallel to the right-hand curb, except on one-way streets where the left curb is allowed, or at an angle where city signage permits it. Where signage requires back-in or front-in parking, parking in the opposite direction is unlawful, and no vehicle may sit with its wheels on or over the curb. Section 22-562(a) then lists eleven specific places where stopping is barred outright: sidewalks, in front of a public driveway, on a crosswalk, within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, within 30 feet of a flashing beacon or stop sign, within 30 feet of a safety zone, within 50 feet of a railroad crossing, alongside a street excavation, on the roadway side of a parked vehicle, on a bridge or in a tunnel, or wherever posted signs prohibit it.
00 fine. 00 to the city treasurer or police records office, or to contest it. 00. Contested tickets go to Portsmouth General District Court after the police chief certifies the objection in writing.
Violations & Fines
A first notice for a general parking violation carries a $25.00 fine, due within 14 days before a $10.00 penalty is added; nonpayment past 28 days is a separate offense punishable by $25.00 to $100.00, and it can trigger towing once three tickets go unpaid. Blocking a private driveway, fire hydrant, or fire-station entrance under Section 22-563 draws a flat $50.00 fine instead. The Portsmouth Police Department issues citations; contested tickets are certified by the chief of police to Portsmouth General District Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park facing the wrong direction on my street in Portsmouth?
What's the fine for parking in front of someone's driveway in Portsmouth?
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Sources & Official References
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