Maine Statewide Rule
Maine state law: on-street parking restrictions
Key Facts
- Statute
- 29-A MRS § 2068
- Clear-passage rule
- 10 feet minimum
- Sight-line rule
- 300 feet beyond parked vehicle
- Removal authority
- 29-A MRS § 2074
- Local rule basis
- 30-A MRS § 3001 (home rule)
Summary
Maine statute 29-A MRS § 2068 sets the statewide on-street parking baseline (10-foot clear passage, 300-foot sight line, no parking in restricted zones). Time limits, residential permit zones, and winter parking bans are set by municipal ordinance under 30-A MRS § 3001 home-rule authority.
A. A person may not park a vehicle, whether attended or unattended, on the traveled portion of a public way outside of a business or residence district when it is practicable to park off of the way.
Full Breakdown
Per 29-A MRS § 2068 (Stopping, standing or parking), a person may not park a vehicle on a public way unless (1) a clear and unobstructed width of at least 10 feet is left for free passage of other vehicles on the way and (2) an approaching vehicle has a clear view of the way for 300 feet beyond the parked vehicle, before approaching within 200 feet of it. The statute also prohibits parking on a traffic lane, deceleration lane, acceleration lane, bridge, or on the shoulder to the left of traffic lanes on a limited-access highway, and prohibits stopping, standing, or parking in violation of any restriction posted by sign by the Maine Department of Transportation.
Maine sets no statewide overnight on-street parking ban or maximum-hours rule; those windows are set by municipal ordinance under 30-A MRS § 3001 (Ordinance Power) home-rule authority. Most Cumberland County coastal municipalities and many northern-Maine towns operate a winter parking ban running November 1 through April 1 (or November 15 through April 15) to allow plowing. Per 29-A MRS § 2074 (Removal of vehicles), a law-enforcement officer may have a violating vehicle towed at the owner's expense.
Violations & Penalties
Violation of 29-A MRS § 2068 is a traffic infraction enforced by state and municipal police; fines are set in the Maine Uniform Fine Schedule (typically $50-$200). Local parking-ticket fines are set by municipal ordinance (commonly $15-$50 per violation, escalating on repeat or in winter-ban violations). Vehicles may be towed under 29-A MRS § 2074.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Maine set a statewide overnight street parking ban?
How close to a fire hydrant may I park in Maine?
Can my car be towed for a parking violation in Maine?
Sources
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