Rochester, MN Parking Rules: Street Parking Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Driveway buffer
- 5 feet from driveway or alley entrance
- Hydrant buffer
- 10 feet, measured along the curb
- Mailbox buffer
- 10 feet from curbside mailbox
- School signal buffer
- 30 feet on approach
- Enforcement
- Police may tow and impound
- Governing section
- City Code § 11-6-10
Summary
Rochester bans stopping within five feet of any driveway or alley entrance, ten feet of a fire hydrant, and ten feet of a curbside mailbox. The rule applies to attended and unattended vehicles alike and is enforced citywide by police and the public works department.
No person shall park a vehicle, whether attended or unattended, 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 an improved boulevard between a sidewalk and a roadway.(2)Within five feet of the intersection of any public or private driveway or alley with any street.(3)Within ten feet of a fire hydrant located on or near any public street. This distance is measured by taking a direct line to the nearest street and measuring ten feet in either direction. All other fire hydrants will be measured as having a no parking zone within a ten-foot circumference of the hydrant itself.(4)Within ten feet of any curbside public or private mailbox.(5)Within 30 feet upon the approach of any flashing school signal, or school sign at the side of a roadway.(6)Except for a bus or taxicab, within a designated or marked bus stop or taxicab stand.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 8 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 11-6-10 lists twelve specific no-stop zones that apply on every Rochester street regardless of signage. Drivers may not stop within five feet of where a public or private driveway or alley meets a street, which is the section that directly bans blocking a driveway. The hydrant buffer is measured as a straight line ten feet in either direction along the curb from a hydrant on a public street, or a ten-foot circle around any other hydrant. Curbside mailboxes carry their own ten-foot buffer, and vehicles may not stop within 30 feet of a flashing school signal or roadside school sign.
Bus stops and taxicab stands are off-limits to other vehicles, as are marked transportation network company driver stands added by Ordinance No. 4291 in 2017. The prohibition covers stopping as well as parking, so a driver cannot wait at the curb in these zones even briefly, except when traffic conditions or a police officer's direction make it unavoidable. Section 11-6-42 separately authorizes any police officer to have an unoccupied vehicle parked in violation of the chapter towed and impounded immediately, with removal and storage costs charged to the owner.
Rochester's parking chapter was substantially reorganized by Ordinance No. 4388 in 2019 and by Ordinance No. 4291 in 2017, which added the transportation network company stand protection now found in subsection (12).
Violations & Fines
A first offense is a misdemeanor under City Code § 1-1-11, punishable by a fine up to $1,000.00, up to 90 days in jail, or both, unless the city has designated the specific violation a petty misdemeanor capped at $300.00. Vehicles left in a hydrant, driveway, or mailbox no-stop zone may also be towed and impounded at the owner's expense under § 11-6-42.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park in front of my own driveway in Rochester?
How is the ten-foot hydrant buffer measured?
What happens if I get towed from a no-stop zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rochester
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