Sonoma, CA Parking Rules: Street Parking Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- One-way parking distance
- Within 18 inches of left curb (SMC § 10.48.200(A))
- Loading exception
- Commercial vehicles may back to curb while loading (SMC § 10.48.200(D))
- Diagonal parking
- Must fit entirely within marked space (SMC § 10.48.210)
- Enforcement
- General infraction penalty, SMC § 1.12.010
- Current through
- Ordinance 13-2025 (Dec. 3, 2025)
Summary
On a one-way street in the City of Sonoma, a vehicle must be stopped or parked within 18 inches of the left-hand curb and facing the direction of travel, per Sonoma Municipal Code § 10.48.200, unless posted signs say otherwise. A related rule, § 10.48.210, requires diagonal parking to sit entirely within a marked, signed space.
Subject to other and more restrictive limitations, a vehicle may be stopped or parked within 18 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. ... The requirement of parallel parking imposed by this section shall not apply in the event any commercial vehicle is actually engaged in the process of loading or unloading freight or goods, in which case such vehicle may be backed up to the curb; provided, that such vehicle does not extend beyond the centerline of the street and does not block traffic thereby.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 13-2025, passed December 3, 2025).
Full Breakdown
" On a divided highway with separate one-way roadways, parking on the left-hand side of a roadway is barred unless signs specifically permit it, and the city traffic engineer decides when to allow or restrict left-side parking and must post signs accordingly. The section carries one operational exception: a commercial vehicle actually loading or unloading freight may back up to the curb rather than parking parallel, as long as it does not cross the street's centerline or block traffic. Sonoma's Municipal Code does not separately restate a curb-direction rule for ordinary two-way streets; that baseline is set by state Vehicle Code, not city ordinance.
210 covers diagonal parking: a vehicle must park at the angle shown by signs or pavement markings and stay entirely within the allotted space, except while actively loading or unloading passengers or goods. Both sections are current through Ordinance 13-2025, passed December 3, 2025.
Violations & Fines
Neither § 10.48.200 nor § 10.48.210 states its own fine, so a violation is enforced under the citywide general penalty in § 1.12.010: an infraction punishable by up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second violation of the same section within a year, and $500 for a third or subsequent violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park facing the wrong way on a one-way street in Sonoma?
Does the City of Sonoma allow diagonal parking?
Can a delivery truck back up to the curb on a one-way Sonoma street?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma
California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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Street Parking Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle street parking limits.