text:
(a) Notwithstanding Section 22507, local authorities may, by ordinance or resolution, prohibit or restrict the parking or standing of vehicles on certain streets or highways, or portions thereof, between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., and may, by ordinance or resolution, prohibit or restrict the parking or standing, on any street, or portion thereof, in a residential district, of commercial vehicles having a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more. The ordinance or resolution relating to parking between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. may provide for a system of permits for the purpose of exempting from the prohibition or restriction of the ordinance or resolution, disabled persons, residents, and guests of residents of residential areas, including, but not limited to, high-density and multiple-family dwelling areas, lacking adequate offstreet parking facilities. The ordinance or resolution relating to the parking or standing of commercial vehicles in a residential district, however, shall not be effective with respect to any commercial vehicle, or trailer component thereof, making pickups or deliveries of goods, wares, and merchandise from or to any building or structure located on the restricted streets or highways or for the purpose of delivering materials to be used in the actual and bona fide repair, alteration, remodeling, or construction of any building or structure upon the restricted streets or highways for which a building permit has previously been obtained.

(b) Subdivision (a) of this section is applicable to vehicles specified in subdivision (a) of Section 31303, except that an ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) of this section shall not permit the parking of those vehicles which is otherwise prohibited under this code.

(c) For the purpose of implementing this section, each local authority may, by ordinance, define the term “residential district” in accordance with its zoning ordinance. The ordinance is not effective unless the legislative body of the local authority holds a public hearing on the proposed ordinance prior to its adoption, with notice of the public hearing given in accordance with Section 65090 of the Government Code.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 518, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2005.)


kind: section

code: VEH

text: Local authorities may, by ordinance or resolution, prohibit or restrict the parking or standing of vehicles on designated streets or highways, or portions thereof, for the purpose of street sweeping. No ordinance or resolution relating to the parking or standing of commercial vehicles in a residential district shall be effective with respect to any commercial vehicle making pickups or deliveries of goods, wares, or merchandise from or to any building or structure located on the restricted street or highway, or for the purpose of delivering materials to be used in the repair, alteration, remodeling, or reconstruction of any building or structure for which a building permit has previously been obtained. No such ordinance or resolution shall be effective until the street or highway, or portion thereof, has been sign-posted in accordance with the uniform standards and specifications of the Department of Transportation, or local authorities have caused to be posted in a conspicuous place at each entrance to the street a notice not less than 17 inches by 22 inches in size, with lettering not less than one inch in height, setting forth the day or days and hours parking is prohibited. As used in this section, “entrance” means the intersection of any street or streets comprising an area of restricted parking for street-sweeping purposes on the same day or days and hours with another street or highway not subject to such a parking restriction, or subject to parking restrictions on different days and hours.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 466, Sec. 115.)

division: 11. RULES OF THE ROAD

chapter: 9. Stopping, Standing, and Parking

path: 11. RULES OF THE ROAD > 9. Stopping, Standing, and Parking


text:
(a) It is unlawful for any person to park or leave standing any vehicle in a stall or space designated for disabled persons and disabled veterans pursuant to Section 22511.7 or 22511.8 of this code or Section 14679 of the Government Code, unless the vehicle displays either a special identification license plate issued pursuant to Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 or 22511.59.

(b) It is unlawful for any person to obstruct, block, or otherwise bar access to those parking stalls or spaces except as provided in subdivision (a).

(c) It is unlawful for any person to park or leave standing any vehicle, including a vehicle displaying a special identification license plate issued pursuant to Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 or 22511.59, in either of the following places:

(1) On the lines marking the boundaries of a parking stall or space designated for disabled persons or disabled veterans.

(2) In any area of the pavement adjacent to a parking stall or space designated for disabled persons or disabled veterans that is marked by crosshatched lines and is thereby designated, pursuant to any local ordinance, for the loading and unloading of vehicles parked in the stall or space.

(d) Subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) apply to all offstreet parking facilities owned or operated by the state, and to all offstreet parking facilities owned or operated by a local authority. Subdivisions (a), (b), and (c) also apply to any privately owned and maintained offstreet parking facility.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 200, Sec. 12. (SB 734) Effective January 1, 2010.)


text:
Local authorities may establish a special enforcement unit for the sole purpose of providing adequate enforcement of Section 22507.8 and local ordinances and resolutions adopted pursuant to Section 22511.7.

Local authorities may establish recruitment and employment guidelines that encourage and enable employment of qualified disabled persons in these special enforcement units.

Members of the special enforcement unit may issue notices of parking violation for violations of Section 22507.8 and local ordinances adopted pursuant to Section 22511.7. Members of the special enforcement unit shall not be peace officers and shall not make arrests in the course of their official duties, but shall wear distinctive uniforms and badges while on duty. A two-way radio unit, which may utilize police frequencies or citizens’ band, may be issued by the local authority to each member of the special enforcement unit for use while on duty.

The local authority may pay the cost of uniforms and badges for the special enforcement unit, and may provide daily cleaning of the uniforms. Additionally, the local authority may provide motorized wheelchairs for use by members of the special unit while on duty, including batteries and necessary recharging thereof. Any motorized wheelchair used by a member of the special enforcement unit while on duty shall be equipped with a single headlamp in the front and a single stoplamp in the rear.

Members of the special enforcement unit may be paid an hourly wage without the compensatory benefits provided other permanent and temporary employees, but shall be entitled to applicable workers’ compensation benefits as provided by law. Insurance provided by the local authority for disability or liability of a member of the special enforcement unit shall be the same as for other employees performing similar duties.

Nothing in this section precludes a local authority from using regular full-time employees to enforce this chapter and ordinances adopted pursuant thereto.

This section applies to all counties and cities, including every charter city and city and county.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 124, Sec. 127. Effective January 1, 1997.)


text:
(a) A local authority shall not establish parking payment zones or fix the rate of fees for those zones except by ordinance. The rate of fees may be variable, based upon criteria identified by the local authority in the ordinance. An ordinance establishing a parking payment zone shall describe the area that would be included within the zone.

(b) A local authority may, by ordinance, cause streets and highways to be marked with white lines designating parking spaces and require vehicles to park within the parking spaces.

(c) An ordinance adopted by a local authority pursuant to this section with respect to a state highway shall not become effective until the proposed ordinance has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department of Transportation. The proposed ordinance shall be submitted to the department only by action of the local legislative body and the proposed ordinance shall be submitted in complete draft form.

(d) An ordinance adopted pursuant to this section establishing a parking payment zone or fixing rates of fees for that zone shall be subject to local referendum processes in the same manner as if the ordinance dealt with a matter of purely local concern.

(e) Except as described in Section 22508.2, a local authority may accept but shall not require payment of parking meter fees by a mobile device.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 858, Sec. 1. (SB 532) Effective January 1, 2025.)


text:
(a) A local authority in the City and County of San Francisco, City of Long Beach, or City of Santa Monica may require payment by a mobile device in a parking payment zone only if it meets both of the following requirements:

(1) Installs signs no more than 100 feet from any space where payment is required that clearly states that payment is required and how payments may be made.

(2) Adopts by ordinance or resolution an accessible and equitable parking cash payment plan that does not utilize parking meters or payment centers in parking payment zones. The plan shall provide reasonably accessible alternative means for payment of parking fees using cash. The plan shall assess the feasibility of potential strategies, including, but not limited to, accepting cash payment for parking from a mailed invoice requested through the mobile payment system. The local authority shall consult and work collaboratively with relevant local stakeholder organizations that may include, but are not limited to, racial equity, privacy protection, and economic justice groups, in developing the accessible and equitable parking cash payment plan. The plan shall be approved by the local authority.

(b) A local authority in the City and County of San Francisco, City of Long Beach, or City of Santa Monica that adopts an accessible and equitable parking cash payment plan and implements at least one mobile device parking payment zone pursuant to this section shall, on or before January 1 of the fourth year in which the first mobile device parking payment zone has been implemented, submit to its governing body and the transportation committees of the Legislature, consistent with Section 9795 of the Government Code, an evaluation report of the impact of all mobile device parking payment zones implemented by the local authority on equity, accessibility, and costs. The report shall evaluate the effectiveness, impact on privacy, impact on equity, impact on traffic outcomes, cost to implement, change in citations issued, and generation of revenue.

(c) A civil fine for parking in a parking payment zone that requires payment by mobile device and lacks a parking meter shall be one-half of the civil fine for failing to pay for parking in a metered zone. This subdivision shall not apply to a person who paid for parking but stayed in the spot beyond the period for which the person paid.

(d) A local authority in the City and County of San Francisco, City of Long Beach, or City of Santa Monica may operate a mobile device parking payment zone authorized by this section for five years following the date of creation for each city and county, or city, of the first mobile device parking payment zone, or until January 1, 2033, whichever is sooner.

(e) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2033, and as of that date is repealed.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 858, Sec. 2. (SB 532) Effective January 1, 2025. Repealed as of January 1, 2033, by its own provisions.)


text:
(a) A vehicle may park, for up to the posted time limit, in any parking space that is regulated by an inoperable parking meter or an inoperable parking payment center.

(b) A vehicle may park without time limit in any parking space that does not have a posted time limit and that is regulated by an inoperable parking meter or inoperable parking payment center, subject to any other applicable regulations regarding parking vehicles.

(c) A local authority may limit parking to four hours for a parking space that does not have a posted time limit and that is regulated by an inoperable parking meter or an inoperable parking payment center, if the local authority posts signs clearly providing notice of the time limitation applicable when that parking meter or parking payment center is inoperable.

(d) If a parking space is regulated by a parking meter or parking payment center that cannot physically accept payment, a local authority shall not issue a citation for nonpayment of parking fees notwithstanding the fact that the parking meter or parking payment center may accept payment by other nonphysical means.

(e) Except as provided in subdivision (c), a local authority shall not, by ordinance or resolution, prohibit or restrict the parking of vehicles in a space that is regulated by an inoperable parking meter or inoperable parking payment center.

(f) For purposes of this section:

(1) “Inoperable parking meter” means a meter located next to and designated for an individual parking space that has become inoperable and cannot accept payment in any form or cannot register that a payment in any form has been made.

(2) “Inoperable parking payment center” means an electronic parking meter or pay station serving one or more parking spaces that is closest to the space where a person has parked and that cannot accept payment in any form, cannot register that a payment in any form has been made, or cannot issue a receipt that is required to be displayed in a conspicuous location on or in the vehicle.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 92, Sec. 210. (SB 1289) Effective January 1, 2019.)


text: Local authorities within the reasonable exercise of their police powers may adopt rules and regulations by ordinance or resolution providing that no person driving, or in control of, or in charge of, a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand on any highway unattended when upon any grade exceeding 3 percent within any business or residence district without blocking the wheels of the vehicle by turning them against the curb or by other means.

history: (History: Enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3.)


text:
(a) Local authorities may, by ordinance or resolution, prohibit or restrict the parking or standing of vehicles on designated streets or highways within their jurisdiction, or portions thereof, for the purpose of snow removal. The ordinance or resolution shall not be effective until the street or highway, or portion thereof, has been sign-posted in accordance with the uniform standards and specifications of the Department of Transportation, or until the local authorities have caused to be posted in a conspicuous place at each entrance to the street or highway, a notice not less than 17 inches by 22 inches in size, with lettering not less than one inch in height, setting forth the days parking is prohibited. The signs shall, at a minimum, be placed on each affected street or highway, at the boundary of the local authority, and at the beginning and end of each highway or highway segment included in that area. No person shall stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, within the area marked by signs, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a traffic or peace officer.

(b) No ordinance or resolution authorized by subdivision (a) which affects a state highway shall be effective until it is submitted to, and approved by, the Department of Transportation.

(c) The Department of Transportation, with respect to state highways, may restrict the parking or standing of vehicles for purposes of snow removal. The restrictions shall not be effective until the highway, or portion thereof, has been posted with signs in accordance with the uniform standards and specifications of the department. No person shall stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, within the area marked by parking restriction signs, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a traffic or peace officer.

history: (History: Repealed and added by Stats. 1990, Ch. 692, Sec. 3.)


text:
(a) (1) A local authority, by ordinance or resolution, and a person in lawful possession of an offstreet parking facility may designate stalls or spaces in an offstreet parking facility owned or operated by that local authority or person for the exclusive purpose of charging and parking a vehicle that is connected for electric charging purposes.

(2) A local authority, by ordinance or resolution, may designate stalls or spaces on a public street within its jurisdiction for the exclusive purpose of charging and parking a vehicle that is connected for electric charging purposes.

(b) If posted in accordance with subdivision (d) or (e), the owner or person in lawful possession of a privately owned or operated offstreet parking facility, after notifying the police or sheriff’s department, may cause the removal of a vehicle from a stall or space designated pursuant to subdivision (a) in the facility to the nearest public garage if the vehicle is not connected for electric charging purposes.

(c) (1) If posted in accordance with paragraph (1) of subdivision (d), the local authority owning or operating an offstreet parking facility, after notifying the police or sheriff’s department, may cause the removal of a vehicle from a stall or space designated pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) in the facility to the nearest garage, as defined in Section 340, that is owned, leased, or approved for use by a public agency if the vehicle is not connected for electric charging purposes.

(2) If posted in accordance with paragraph (2) of subdivision (d), the local authority, after notifying the police or sheriff’s department, may cause the removal of a vehicle from a stall or space designated pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) to the nearest garage, as defined in Section 340, that is owned, leased, or approved for use by a public agency if the vehicle is not connected for electric charging purposes.

(d) (1) The posting required for an offstreet parking facility owned or operated either privately or by a local authority shall consist of a sign not less than 17 by 22 inches in size with lettering not less than one inch in height that clearly and conspicuously states the following: “Unauthorized vehicles not connected for electric charging purposes will be towed away at owner’s expense. Towed vehicles may be reclaimed at or by telephoning(Address).”(Telephone number of local law enforcement agency)The sign shall be posted in either of the following locations:

(A) Immediately adjacent to, and visible from, the stall or space.

(B) In a conspicuous place at each entrance to the offstreet parking facility.

(2) The posting required for stalls or spaces on a public street designated pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) shall follow the California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

(e) If the parking facility is privately owned and public parking is prohibited by the posting of a sign meeting the requirements of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 22658, the requirements of subdivision (b) may be met by the posting of a sign immediately adjacent to, and visible from, each stall or space indicating that a vehicle not meeting the requirements of subdivision (a) will be removed at the owner’s expense and containing the telephone number of the local traffic law enforcement agency.

(f) This section does not interfere with existing law governing the ability of local authorities to adopt ordinances related to parking programs within their jurisdiction, such as programs that provide free parking in metered areas or municipal garages for electric vehicles.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 635, Sec. 1. (AB 1452) Effective January 1, 2018.)


text:
(a) A person shall not park or leave standing a vehicle in a stall or space designated pursuant to Section 22511 unless the vehicle is connected for electric charging purposes.

(b) A person shall not obstruct, block, or otherwise bar access to parking stalls or spaces described in subdivision (a) except as provided in subdivision (a).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 274, Sec. 2. (AB 475) Effective January 1, 2012.)


text:
(a) A parking space served by electric vehicle supply equipment or a parking space designated as a future electric vehicle charging space shall count as at least one standard automobile parking space for the purpose of complying with any applicable minimum parking space requirements established by a local jurisdiction.

(b) An accessible parking space with an access aisle served by electric vehicle supply equipment or an accessible parking space with an aisle designated as a future electric vehicle charging space shall count as at least two standard automobile parking spaces for the purpose of complying with any applicable minimum parking space requirements established by a local jurisdiction.

(c) This section does not modify the approval requirements for an electric vehicle charging station pursuant to Section 65850.7 of the Government Code.

(d) The following definitions apply for purposes of this section:

(1) “Electric vehicle supply equipment” has the same definition as that term is used in the latest published version of the California Electrical Code, that is in effect, and applies to any level or capacity of supply equipment installed specifically for the purpose of transferring energy between the premises wiring and the electric vehicle.

(2) “Electric vehicle charging space” means a space designated by a local jurisdiction for charging electric vehicles.

(3) “Local jurisdiction” means a city, including a charter city, county, or city and county.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 819, Sec. 2. (AB 1100) Effective January 1, 2020.)


text:
(a) A veteran displaying special license plates issued under Section 5101.3, 5101.4, 5101.5, 5101.6, or 5101.8 may park his or her motor vehicle, weighing not more than 6,000 pounds gross weight, without charge, in a metered parking space.

(b) Nothing in this section restricts the rights of a person displaying either a special identification license plate issued pursuant to Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 or 22511.59.

(c) (1) This section does not exempt a vehicle displaying special license plates issued under Section 5101.3, 5101.4, 5101.5, 5101.6, or 5101.8 from compliance with any other state law or ordinance, including, but not limited to, vehicle height restrictions, zones that prohibit stopping, parking, or standing of all vehicles, parking time limitations, street sweeping, restrictions of the parking space to a particular type of vehicle, or the parking of a vehicle that is involved in the operation of a street vending business.

(2) This section does not authorize a vehicle displaying special license plates issued under Section 5101.3, 5101.4, 5101.5, 5101.6, or 5101.8 to park in a state parking facility that is designated only for state employees.

(3) This section does not authorize a vehicle displaying special license plates issued under Section 5101.3, 5101.4, 5101.5, 5101.6, or 5101.8 to park during time periods other than the normal business hours of, or the maximum time allotted by, a state or local authority parking facility.

(4) This section does not require the state or a local authority to designate specific parking spaces for vehicles displaying special license plates issued under Section 5101.3, 5101.4, 5101.5, 5101.6, or 5101.8.

(d) A local authority’s compliance with subdivision (a) is solely contingent upon the approval of its governing body.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2008, Ch. 588, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2009.)


text:
(a) (1) A disabled person or disabled veteran displaying special license plates issued under Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued under Section 22511.55 or 22511.59 is allowed to park for unlimited periods in any of the following zones:

(A) In any restricted zone described in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 21458 or on streets upon which preferential parking privileges and height limits have been given pursuant to Section 22507.

(B) In any parking zone that is restricted as to the length of time parking is permitted as indicated by a sign erected pursuant to a local ordinance.

(2) A disabled person or disabled veteran is allowed to park in any metered parking space without being required to pay parking meter fees.

(3) This subdivision does not apply to a zone for which state law or ordinance absolutely prohibits stopping, parking, or standing of all vehicles, or which the law or ordinance reserves for special types of vehicles, or to the parking of a vehicle that is involved in the operation of a street vending business.

(b) A disabled person or disabled veteran is allowed to park a motor vehicle displaying a special disabled person license plate or placard issued by a foreign jurisdiction with the same parking privileges authorized in this code for any motor vehicle displaying a special license plate or a distinguishing placard issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 478, Sec. 11. (AB 2777) Effective January 1, 2011.)


text:
(a) The Department of Motor Vehicles may cancel or revoke a distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 or 22511.59 in any of the following events:

(1) When the department is satisfied that the placard was fraudulently obtained or erroneously issued.

(2) When the department determines that the required fee has not been paid and the fee is not paid upon reasonable notice and demand.

(3) When the placard could have been refused when last issued or renewed.

(4) When the department determines that the owner of the placard has committed any offense described in Section 4461 or 4463, involving the placard to be canceled or revoked.

(5) When the department determines that the owner of the placard is deceased.

(b) Whenever the Department of Motor Vehicles cancels or revokes a distinguishing placard, the owner or person in possession of the placard shall immediately return the placard to the department.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1149, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 1995.)


text:
(a) In addition to Section 22511.8 for offstreet parking, a local authority may, by ordinance or resolution, designate onstreet parking spaces for the exclusive use of a vehicle that displays either a special identification license plate issued pursuant to Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 or 22511.59.

(b) (1) Whenever a local authority so designates a parking space, it shall be indicated by blue paint on the curb or edge of the paved portion of the street adjacent to the space. In addition, the local authority shall post immediately adjacent to and visible from the space a sign consisting of a profile view of a wheelchair with occupant in white on a blue background.

(2) The sign required pursuant to paragraph (1) shall clearly and conspicuously state the following: “Minimum Fine $250.” This paragraph applies only to signs for parking spaces constructed on or after July 1, 2008, and signs that are replaced on or after July 1, 2008.

(3) If the loading and unloading area of the pavement adjacent to a parking stall or space designated for disabled persons or disabled veterans is to be marked by a border and hatched lines, the border shall be painted blue and the hatched lines shall be painted a suitable contrasting color to the parking space. Blue or white paint is preferred. In addition, within the border the words “No Parking” shall be painted in white letters no less than 12 inches high. This paragraph applies only to parking spaces constructed on or after July 1, 2008, and painting that is done on or after July 1, 2008.

(c) This section does not restrict the privilege granted to disabled persons and disabled veterans by Section 22511.5.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 200, Sec. 13. (SB 734) Effective January 1, 2010.)


text:
(a) A local authority, by ordinance or resolution, and a person in lawful possession of an offstreet parking facility may designate stalls or spaces in an offstreet parking facility owned or operated by the local authority or person for the exclusive use of a vehicle that displays either a special license plate issued pursuant to Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 or 22511.59. The designation shall be made by posting a sign as described in paragraph (1), and by either of the markings described in paragraph (2) or (3):

(1) (A) By posting immediately adjacent to, and visible from, each stall or space, a sign consisting of a profile view of a wheelchair with occupant in white on a blue background.

(B) The sign shall also clearly and conspicuously state the following: “Minimum Fine $250.” This subparagraph applies only to signs for parking spaces constructed on or after July 1, 2008, and signs that are replaced on or after July 1, 2008, or as the State Architect deems necessary when renovations, structural repair, alterations, and additions occur to existing buildings and facilities on or after July 1, 2008.

(2) (A) By outlining or painting the stall or space in blue and outlining on the ground in the stall or space in white or suitable contrasting color a profile view depicting a wheelchair with occupant.

(B) The loading and unloading area of the pavement adjacent to a parking stall or space designated for disabled persons or disabled veterans shall be marked by a border and hatched lines. The border shall be painted blue and the hatched lines shall be painted a suitable contrasting color to the parking space. Blue or white paint is preferred. In addition, within the border the words “No Parking” shall be painted in white letters no less than 12 inches high. This subparagraph applies only to parking spaces constructed on or after July 1, 2008, and painting that is done on or after July 1, 2008, or as the State Architect deems necessary when renovations, structural repair, alterations, and additions occur to existing buildings and facilities on or after July 1, 2008.

(3) By outlining a profile view of a wheelchair with occupant in white on a blue background, of the same dimensions as in paragraph (2). The profile view shall be located so that it is visible to a traffic enforcement officer when a vehicle is properly parked in the space.

(b) The Department of General Services under the Division of the State Architect shall develop pursuant to Section 4450 of the Government Code, as appropriate, conforming regulations to ensure compliance with subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) and subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a). Initial regulations to implement these provisions shall be adopted as emergency regulations. The adoption of these regulations shall be considered by the Department of General Services to be an emergency necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare.

(c) If posted in accordance with subdivision (e) or (f), the owner or person in lawful possession of a privately owned or operated offstreet parking facility, after notifying the police or sheriff’s department, may cause the removal of a vehicle from a stall or space designated pursuant to subdivision (a) in the facility to the nearest public garage unless a special license plate issued pursuant to Section 5007 or distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 or 22511.59 is displayed on the vehicle.

(d) If posted in accordance with subdivision (e), the local authority owning or operating an offstreet parking facility, after notifying the police or sheriff’s department, may cause the removal of a vehicle from a stall or space designated pursuant to subdivision (a) in the facility to the nearest public garage unless a special license plate issued pursuant to Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 or 22511.59 is displayed on the vehicle.

(e) Except as provided in Section 22511.9, the posting required for an offstreet parking facility owned or operated either privately or by a local authority shall consist of a sign not less than 17 by 22 inches in size with lettering not less than one inch in height which clearly and conspicuously states the following: “Unauthorized vehicles parked in designated accessible spaces not displaying distinguishing placards or special license plates issued for persons with disabilities will be towed away at the owner’s expense. Towed vehicles may be reclaimed at: or by telephoning(Address).”(Telephone number of local law enforcement agency)The sign shall be posted in either of the following locations:

(1) Immediately adjacent to, and visible from, the stall or space.

(2) In a conspicuous place at each entrance to the offstreet parking facility.

(f) If the parking facility is privately owned and public parking is prohibited by the posting of a sign meeting the requirements of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 22658, the requirements of subdivision (c) may be met by the posting of a sign immediately adjacent to, and visible from, each stall or space indicating that a vehicle not meeting the requirements of subdivision (a) will be removed at the owner’s expense and containing the telephone number of the local traffic law enforcement agency.

(g) This section does not restrict the privilege granted to disabled persons and disabled veterans by Section 22511.5.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 200, Sec. 14. (SB 734) Effective January 1, 2010.)


text: Every new or replacement sign installed on or after January 1, 1992, relating to parking privileges for disabled persons shall refer to “disabled persons” rather than “physically handicapped persons” or any other similar term, whenever such a reference is required on a sign.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1991, Ch. 928, Sec. 28. Effective October 14, 1991.)


text:
The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Two and one-half million Californians suffer from some form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Those persons who are not in wheelchairs have difficulty walking long distances.

(b) Encouraging those with physical disabilities to engage in activities outside of the home promotes better health and self-esteem, thereby lowering health costs.

(c) Placing disabled person parking spaces closest to the main entrances of buildings does not cost taxpayers, but provides accessibility to the physically disabled.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting Section 22511.11, to direct the Office of the State Architect to propose regulations that require disabled person parking spaces to be located on the shortest accessible route of travel to an accessible entrance or exit of a building or parking facility.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1992, Ch. 1187, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1993.)


text:
(a) The Office of the State Architect shall propose regulations specifying the location of disabled person parking stalls or spaces designated pursuant to Section 22511.8, for parking facilities constructed or reconstructed pursuant to a building permit issued on or after October 1, 1993. In specifying the placement of those stalls or spaces near buildings or facilities and within parking structures, consideration shall be given to the special access needs of disabled persons.

(b) The Office of the State Architect shall submit the regulations proposed pursuant to subdivision (a) to the State Building Standards Commission on or before July 1, 1993, for approval, adoption, and publication in Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1992, Ch. 1187, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1993.)


text:
(a) (1) A disabled person or disabled veteran may apply to the department for the issuance of a distinguishing placard. The placard may be used in lieu of the special license plate or plates issued under Section 5007 for parking purposes described in Section 22511.5 when (A) suspended from the rearview mirror, (B) if there is no rearview mirror, when displayed on the dashboard of a vehicle, or (C) inserted in a clip designated for a distinguishing placard and installed by the manufacturer on the driver’s side of the front window. It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the use of distinguishing placards because they provide law enforcement officers with a more readily recognizable symbol for distinguishing vehicles qualified for the parking privilege. The placard shall be the size, shape, and color determined by the department and shall bear the International Symbol of Access adopted pursuant to Section 3 of Public Law 100-641, commonly known as the “wheelchair symbol.” The department shall incorporate instructions for the lawful use of a placard, and a summary of the penalties for the unlawful use of a placard, into the identification card issued to the placard owner.

(2) (A) The department may establish procedures for the issuance and renewal of the placards. The procedures shall include, but are not limited to, advising an applicant for a placard of the procedure to apply for a special license plate or plates, as described in Section 5007, and the fee exemptions established pursuant to Section 9105 and in subdivision (a) of Section 10783 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. The placards shall have a fixed expiration date of June 30 every two years.

(B) As used in this section, “year” means the period between the inclusive dates of July 1 through June 30.

(C) Prior to the end of each year, the department shall, for the most current three years available, compare its record of disability placards issued against the records of the Office of Vital Records of the State Department of Public Health, or its successor, and a nationwide vital statistics clearinghouse, and withhold any renewal notices or placards that otherwise would have been issued for a placardholder identified as deceased.

(D) The department shall, six years after the first issuance of a placard and every six years thereafter, send the placardholder a renewal form at least 90 days prior to the June 30 expiration date of the current placard. Certification of medical disability and proof of true full name is not required for the renewal. A placardholder who wishes to renew a placard shall fill out the form and submit it to the department prior to expiration of the current placard.

(3) Except as provided in paragraph (4), a person shall not be eligible for more than one placard at a time.

(4) Organizations and agencies involved in the transportation of disabled persons or disabled veterans may apply for a placard for each vehicle used for the purpose of transporting disabled persons or disabled veterans.

(5) The department shall require a person who applies for a placard pursuant to this section to provide proof of the person’s true full name and date of birth that shall be established by submitting one of the following to the department:

(A) A copy or facsimile of the applicant’s state issued driver’s license or identification card.

(B) A copy or facsimile of the document required for an applicant for a driver’s license or identification card to establish the applicant’s true full name.

(C) An applicant unable to establish legal presence in the United States may fulfill the true full name and date of birth requirement by providing the department a copy or facsimile of the documents used to establish identity pursuant to Section 12801.9.

(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (4), prior to issuing an original distinguishing placard to a disabled person or disabled veteran, the department shall require the submission of a certificate, in accordance with paragraph (2), signed by the physician and surgeon, or to the extent that it does not cause a reduction in the receipt of federal aid highway funds, by a nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant, substantiating the disability, unless the applicant’s disability is readily observable and uncontested. The disability of a person who has lost, or has lost use of, one or more lower extremities or one hand, for a disabled veteran, or both hands, for a disabled person, or who has significant limitation in the use of lower extremities, may also be certified by a licensed chiropractor. The disability of a person related to the foot or ankle may be certified by a licensed podiatrist. The blindness of an applicant shall be certified by a licensed physician and surgeon who specializes in diseases of the eye or a licensed optometrist. The physician and surgeon, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, physician assistant, chiropractor, or optometrist certifying the qualifying disability shall provide a full description of the illness or disability on the form submitted to the department.

(2) The physician and surgeon, nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, physician assistant, chiropractor, podiatrist, or optometrist who signs a certificate submitted under this subdivision shall retain information sufficient to substantiate that certificate and, upon request of the department, shall make that information available for inspection by the Medical Board of California or the appropriate regulatory board.

(3) The department shall maintain in its records all information on an applicant’s certification of permanent disability and shall make that information available to eligible law enforcement or parking control agencies upon a request pursuant to Section 22511.58.

(4) For a disabled veteran, the department shall accept, in lieu of the certificate described in paragraph (1), a certificate from a county veterans service officer, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or the United States Department of Veterans Affairs that certifies that the applicant is a disabled veteran as described in Section 295.7.

(c) A person who is issued a distinguishing placard pursuant to subdivision (a) may apply to the department for a substitute placard without recertification of eligibility, if that placard is lost or stolen. The department shall not issue a substitute placard to a person more than four times in a two-year renewal period. A person who requires a substitute placard in excess of the four replacements authorized pursuant to this subdivision shall reapply to the department for a new placard and submit a new certificate of disability as described in subdivision (b).

(d) The distinguishing placard shall be returned to the department not later than 60 days after the death of the disabled person or disabled veteran to whom the placard was issued.

(e) The department shall print on any distinguishing placard issued on or after January 1, 2005, the maximum penalty that may be imposed for a violation of Section 4461. For purposes of this subdivision, the “maximum penalty” is the amount derived from adding all of the following:

(1) The maximum fine that may be imposed under Section 4461.

(2) The penalty required to be imposed under Section 70372 of the Government Code.

(3) The penalty required to be levied under Section 76000 of the Government Code.

(4) The penalty required to be levied under Section 1464 of the Penal Code.

(5) The surcharge required to be levied under Section 1465.7 of the Penal Code.

(6) The penalty authorized to be imposed under Section 4461.3.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2026, Ch. 82, Sec. 20. (SB 169) Effective July 13, 2026.)


text:
(a) A person using a distinguishing placard issued under Section 22511.55 or 22511.59, or a special license plate issued under Section 5007, for parking as permitted by Section 22511.5 shall, upon request of a peace officer or person authorized to enforce parking laws, ordinances, or regulations, present identification and evidence of the issuance of that placard or plate to that person, or that vehicle if the plate was issued pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 5007.

(b) Failure to present the requested identification and evidence of the issuance of that placard or plate shall be a rebuttable presumption that the placard or plate is being misused and that the associated vehicle has been parked in violation of Section 22507.8, or has exercised a disabled person’s parking privilege pursuant to Section 22511.5.

(c) In addition to any other applicable penalty for the misuse of a placard, the officer or parking enforcement person may confiscate a placard being used for parking purposes that benefit a person other than the person to whom the placard was issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. A placard lawfully used by a person transporting a disabled person pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 4461 may not be confiscated.

(d) In addition to any other applicable penalty for the misuse of a special license plate issued under Section 5007, a peace officer may confiscate the plate being used for parking purposes that benefit a person other than the person to whom the plate was issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

(e) After verification with the Department of Motor Vehicles that the user of the placard or plate is not the registered owner of the placard or plate, the appropriate agency that confiscated the placard or plate shall notify the department of the placard or plate number and the department shall cancel the placard or plate. A placard or plate canceled by the department pursuant to this subdivision may be destroyed by the agency that confiscated the placard or plate.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 203, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2007.)


text:
A local authority may, by ordinance or resolution, prohibit or restrict the parking or standing of a vehicle on streets or highways or in a parking stall or space in a privately or publicly owned or operated offstreet parking facility within its jurisdiction when the vehicle displays, in order to obtain special parking privileges, a distinguishing placard or special license plate, issued pursuant to Section 5007, 22511.55, or 22511.59, and any of the following conditions are met:

(a) The records of the Department of Motor Vehicles for the identification number assigned to the placard or license plate indicate that the placard or license plate has been reported as lost, stolen, surrendered, canceled, revoked, or expired, or was issued to a person who has been reported as deceased for a period exceeding 60 days.

(b) The placard or license plate is displayed on a vehicle that is not being used to transport, and is not in the reasonable proximity of, the person to whom the license plate or placard was issued or a person who is authorized to be transported in the vehicle displaying that placard or license plate.

(c) The placard or license plate is counterfeit, forged, altered, or mutilated.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 341, Sec. 3. (SB 565) Effective January 1, 2012.)


text:
(a) Upon a request to the department by a local public law enforcement agency or local agency responsible for the administration or enforcement of parking regulations, the department shall make available to the requesting agency any information contained in a physician’s certificate submitted to the department as part of the application for a disabled person’s parking privileges, substantiating the disability of a person applying for or who has been issued a parking placard pursuant to Section 22511.55. The department shall not provide the information specified in this subdivision to any private or other third-party parking citation processing agency.

(b) Local authorities may establish a review board or panel, which shall include a qualified physician or medical authority, for purposes of reviewing information contained in the applications for special parking privileges and the certification of qualifying disabilities for persons residing within the jurisdiction of the local authority. Any findings or determinations by a review board or panel under this section indicating that an application or certification is fraudulent or lacks proper certification may be transmitted to the department or other appropriate authorities for further review and investigation.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 1033, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1997.)


text:
(a) Upon the receipt of the applications and documents required by subdivision (b), (c), or (d), the department shall issue a temporary distinguishing placard bearing the International Symbol of Access adopted pursuant to Section 3 of Public Law 100-641, commonly known as the “wheelchair symbol.” During the period for which it is valid, the temporary distinguishing placard may be used for the parking purposes described in Section 22511.5 in the same manner as a distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.55.

(b) (1) A person who is temporarily disabled for a period of not more than six months may apply to the department for the issuance of the temporary distinguishing placard described in subdivision (a).

(2) Prior to issuing a placard pursuant to this subdivision, the department shall require the submission of a certificate signed by a physician and surgeon, or to the extent that it does not cause a reduction in the receipt of federal aid highway funds, by a nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, physician assistant, chiropractor, podiatrist, or optometrist, as described in subdivision (b) of Section 22511.55, substantiating the temporary disability and stating the date upon which the disability is expected to terminate.

(3) The physician and surgeon, nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, physician assistant, chiropractor, podiatrist, or optometrist who signs a certificate submitted under this subdivision shall maintain information sufficient to substantiate that certificate and, upon request of the department, shall make that information available for inspection by the Medical Board of California or the appropriate regulatory board.

(4) A placard issued pursuant to this subdivision shall expire not later than 180 days from the date of issuance or upon the expected termination date of the disability, as stated on the certificate required by paragraph (2), whichever is less.

(5) The fee for a temporary placard issued pursuant to this subdivision shall be six dollars ($6).

(6) A placard issued pursuant to this subdivision shall be renewed a maximum of six times consecutively.

(c) (1) A permanently disabled person or disabled veteran who is not a resident of this state and plans to travel within the state may apply to the department for the issuance of the temporary distinguishing placard described in subdivision (a).

(2) Prior to issuing a placard pursuant to this subdivision, the department shall require certification of the disability, as described in subdivision (b) of Section 22511.55.

(3) The physician and surgeon, nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, physician assistant, chiropractor, podiatrist, or optometrist who signs a certificate submitted under this subdivision shall maintain information sufficient to substantiate that certificate and, upon request of the department, shall make that information available for inspection by the Medical Board of California or the appropriate regulatory board.

(4) A placard issued pursuant to this subdivision shall expire not later than 90 days from the date of issuance.

(5) The department shall not charge a fee for issuance of a placard under this subdivision.

(6) A placard issued pursuant to this subdivision shall be renewed a maximum of six times consecutively.

(d) (1) A permanently disabled person or disabled veteran who has been issued either a distinguishing placard pursuant to Section 22511.55 or special license plates pursuant to Section 5007, but not both, may apply to the department for the issuance of the temporary distinguishing placard described in subdivision (a) for the purpose of travel.

(2) Prior to issuing a placard pursuant to this subdivision, the department shall require the applicant to submit either the number identifying the distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 or the number on the special license plates.

(3) A placard issued pursuant to this subdivision shall expire not later than 30 days from the date of issuance.

(4) The department shall not charge a fee for issuance of a placard under this subdivision.

(5) A placard issued pursuant to this subdivision shall be renewed a maximum of six times consecutively.

(e) The department shall print on a temporary distinguishing placard, the maximum penalty that may be imposed for a violation of Section 4461. For the purposes of this subdivision, the “maximum penalty” is the amount derived from adding all of the following:

(1) The maximum fine that may be imposed under Section 4461.

(2) The penalty required to be imposed under Section 70372 of the Government Code.

(3) The penalty required to be levied under Section 76000 of the Government Code.

(4) The penalty required to be levied under Section 1464 of the Penal Code.

(5) The surcharge required to be levied under Section 1465.7 of the Penal Code.

(6) The penalty authorized to be imposed under Section 4461.3.

(f) The department shall require a person who applies for a temporary placard pursuant to this section to provide proof of his or her true full name and date of birth that shall be established by submitting one of the following to the department:

(1) A copy or facsimile of the applicant’s state issued driver’s license or identification card.

(2) A copy or facsimile of the document required for an applicant for a driver’s license or identification card to establish the applicant’s true full name.

(3) An applicant unable to establish legal presence in the United States may fulfill the true full name and date of birth requirement by providing the department a copy or facsimile of the documents used to establish identity pursuant to Section 12801.9.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 485, Sec. 20. (SB 611) Effective January 1, 2018.)


text: A vehicle, identified with a special license plate issued pursuant to Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Section 22511.55 or 22511.59, which is equipped with a lift, ramp, or assistive equipment that is used for the loading and unloading of a person with a disability may park in not more than two adjacent stalls or spaces on a street or highway or in a public or private off-street parking facility if the equipment has been or will be used for loading or unloading a person with a disability, and if there is no single parking space immediately available on the street or highway or within the facility that is suitable for that purpose, including, but not limited to, when there is not sufficient space to operate a vehicle lift, ramp, or assistive equipment, or there is not sufficient room for a person with a disability to exit the vehicle or maneuver once outside the vehicle.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 179, Sec. 221. Effective January 1, 2009.)


text: All new or replacement signs installed on or after July 1, 2008, relating to parking privileges for disabled persons shall refer to “persons with disabilities” rather than “disabled persons” or any other similar term, whenever the reference is required on the sign.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 413, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2008.)


text:
Except as otherwise indicated in subdivision (b), none of the following provisions shall apply to the driver or owner of any service vehicle owned or operated by or for or operated under contract with a utility or public utility, whether privately, municipally, or publicly owned, used in the construction, operation, removal, or repair of utility or public utility property or facilities, if warning devices are displayed and when the vehicle is stopped, standing, or parked at the site of work involving the construction, operation, removal, or repair of the utility or public utility property or facilities upon, in, over, under, or adjacent to a highway, bicycle lane, bikeway, or bicycle path or trail, or of a vehicle, whether privately, municipally, or publicly owned, if warning devices are displayed and when the vehicle is engaged in authorized work on the highway, bicycle lane, bikeway, or bicycle path or trail:

(a) Sections 21112, 21211, 21707, 21708, 22507.6, 24605, 25253, 25300, 27700, and 27907.

(b) This chapter, except Sections 22507, 22509, 22515, and 22517.

(c) Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 22650).

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 124, Sec. 128. Effective January 1, 1997.)


text:
(a) (1) It is a misdemeanor for a towing company or the owner or operator of a tow truck to stop or cause a person to stop at the scene of an accident or near a disabled vehicle for the purpose of soliciting an engagement for towing services, either directly or indirectly, to furnish towing services, to move a vehicle from a highway, street, or public property when the vehicle has been left unattended or when there is an injury as the result of an accident, or to accrue charges for services furnished under those circumstances, unless requested to perform that service by a law enforcement officer or public agency pursuant to that agency’s procedures, or unless summoned to the scene or requested to stop by the owner or operator of a disabled vehicle.

(2) (A) A towing company or the owner or operator of a tow truck summoned, or alleging it was summoned, to the scene by the owner or operator of a disabled vehicle shall possess all of the following information in writing prior to arriving at the scene:

(i) The first and last name and working telephone number of the person who summoned it to the scene.

(ii) The make, model, year, and license plate number of the disabled vehicle.

(iii) The date and time it was summoned to the scene.

(iv) The name of the person who obtained the information in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii).

(B) A towing company or the owner or operator of a tow truck summoned, or alleging it was summoned, to the scene by a motor club, as defined by Section 12142 of the Insurance Code, pursuant to the request of the owner or operator of a disabled vehicle is exempt from the requirements of subparagraph (A), provided it possesses all of the following information in writing prior to arriving at the scene:

(i) The business name of the motor club.

(ii) The identification number the motor club assigns to the referral.

(iii) The date and time it was summoned to the scene by the motor club.

(3) A towing company or the owner or operator of a tow truck requested, or alleging it was requested, to stop at the scene by the owner or operator of a disabled vehicle shall possess all of the following information in writing upon arriving at the scene:

(A) The first and last name and working telephone number of the person who requested the stop.

(B) The make, model, and license plate number, if one is displayed, of the disabled vehicle.

(C) The date and time it was requested to stop.

(D) The name of the person who obtained the information in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C).

(4) A towing company or the owner or operator of a tow truck summoned or requested, or alleging it was summoned or requested, by a law enforcement officer or public agency pursuant to that agency’s procedures to stop at the scene of an accident or near a disabled vehicle for the purpose of soliciting an engagement for towing services, either directly or indirectly, to furnish towing services, or that is expressly authorized to move a vehicle from a highway, street, or public property when the vehicle has been left unattended or when there is an injury as the result of an accident, shall possess all of the following in writing before leaving the scene:

(A) The identity of the law enforcement agency or public agency.

(B) The log number, call number, incident number, or dispatch number assigned to the incident by law enforcement or the public agency, or the surname and badge number of the law enforcement officer, or the surname and employee identification number of the public agency employee.

(C) The date and time of the summons, request, or express authorization.

(5) For purposes of this section, “writing” includes electronic records.

(b) The towing company or the owner or operator of a tow truck shall make the written information described in subdivision (a) available to law enforcement, upon request, from the time it appears at the scene until the time the vehicle is towed and released to a third party, and shall maintain that information for three years. The towing company or owner or operator of a tow truck shall make that information available for inspection and copying within 48 hours of a written request from any officer or agent of a police department, sheriff’s department, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the Attorney General’s office, a district attorney’s office, or a city attorney’s office.

(c) (1) Prior to attaching a vehicle to the tow truck, if the vehicle owner or operator is present at the time and location of the anticipated tow, the towing company or the owner or operator of the tow truck shall furnish the vehicle’s owner or operator with a written itemized estimate of all charges and services to be performed. The estimate shall include all of the following:

(A) The name, address, telephone number, and motor carrier permit number of the towing company.

(B) The license plate number of the tow truck performing the tow.

(C) The first and last name of the towing operator, and if different than the towing operator, the first and last name of the person from the towing company furnishing the estimate.

(D) A description and cost for all services, including, but not limited to, charges for labor, special equipment, mileage from dispatch to return, and storage fees, expressed as a 24-hour rate.

(2) The tow truck operator shall obtain the vehicle owner or operator’s signature on the itemized estimate and shall furnish a copy to the person who signed the estimate.

(3) The requirements in paragraph (1) may be completed after the vehicle is attached and removed to the nearest safe shoulder or street if done at the request of law enforcement or a public agency, provided the estimate is furnished prior to the removal of the vehicle from the nearest safe shoulder or street.

(4) The towing company or the owner or operator of a tow truck shall maintain the written documents described in this subdivision for three years, and shall make them available for inspection and copying within 48 hours of a written request from any officer or agent of a police department, sheriff’s department, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the Attorney General’s office, a district attorney’s office, or a city attorney’s office.

(5) This subdivision does not apply to a towing company or the owner or operator of a tow truck summoned to the scene by a motor club, as defined by Section 12142 of the Insurance Code, pursuant to the request of the owner or operator of a disabled vehicle.

(6) This subdivision does not apply to a towing company or the owner or operator of a tow truck summoned to the scene by law enforcement or a public agency pursuant to that agency’s procedures, and operating at the scene pursuant to a contract with that law enforcement agency or public agency.

(d) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a towing company or the owner or operator of a tow truck shall not charge a fee for towing or storage, or both, of a vehicle in excess of the greater of the following:

(A) The fee that would have been charged for that towing or storage, or both, made at the request of a law enforcement agency under an agreement between a towing company and the law enforcement agency that exercises primary jurisdiction in the city in which the vehicle was, or was attempted to be, removed, or if not located within a city, the law enforcement agency that exercises primary jurisdiction in the county in which the vehicle was, or was attempted to be, removed.

(B) The fee that would have been charged for that towing or storage, or both, under the rate approved for that towing operator by the Department of the California Highway Patrol for the jurisdiction from which the vehicle was, or was attempted to be, removed.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to the towing or transportation of a vehicle or temporary storage of a vehicle in transit, if the towing or transportation is performed with the prior consent of the owner or operator of the vehicle.

(3) No charge shall be made in excess of the estimated price without the prior consent of the vehicle owner or operator.

(4) All services rendered by a tow company or tow truck operator, including any warranty or zero cost services, shall be recorded on an invoice, as described in subdivision (e) of Section 22651.07. The towing company or the owner or operator of a tow truck shall maintain the written documents described in this subdivision for three years, and shall make the documents available for inspection and copying within 48 hours of a written request from any officer or agent of a police department, sheriff’s department, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the Attorney General’s office, a district attorney’s office, or a city attorney’s office.

(e) A person who willfully violates subdivision (b), (c), or (d) is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than three months, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(f) This section shall not apply to the following:

(1) A vehicle owned or operated by, or under contract to, a motor club, as defined by Section 12142 of the Insurance Code, which stops to provide services for which compensation is neither requested nor received, provided that those services may not include towing other than that which may be necessary to remove the vehicle to the nearest safe shoulder. The owner or operator of that vehicle may contact a law enforcement agency or other public agency on behalf of a motorist, but may not refer a motorist to a tow truck owner or operator, unless the motorist is a member of the motor club, the motorist is referred to a tow truck owner or operator under contract to the motor club, and, if there is a dispatch facility that services the area and is owned or operated by the motor club, the referral is made through that dispatch facility.

(2) A tow truck operator employed by a law enforcement agency or other public agency.

(3) A tow truck owner or operator acting under contract with a law enforcement or other public agency to abate abandoned vehicles, or to provide towing service or emergency road service to motorists while involved in freeway service patrol operations, to the extent authorized by law.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 518, Sec. 1. (AB 2167) Effective January 1, 2017.)


text:
(a) (1) A business taking possession of a vehicle from a tow truck during hours the business is open to the public shall document all of the following:

(A) The name, address, and telephone number of the towing company.

(B) The name and driver’s license number, driver’s identification number issued by a motor club, as defined in Section 12142 of the Insurance Code, or other government authorized unique identifier of the tow truck operator.

(C) The make, model, and license plate or vehicle identification number.

(D) The date and time that possession was taken of the vehicle.

(2) For purposes of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1), if a tow truck operator refuses to provide information described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) to a new motor vehicle dealer, as defined in Section 426, a new motor vehicle dealer is in compliance with this section if the new motor vehicle dealer documents the reasonable efforts made to obtain this information from the tow truck operator.

(b) A business taking possession of a vehicle from a tow truck when the business is closed to the public shall document all of the following:

(1) The make, model, and license plate or vehicle identification number.

(2) The date and time that the business first observed the vehicle on its property.

(3) The reasonable effort made by the business to contact the towing company, if identifying information was left with the vehicle, and the vehicle’s owner or operator to obtain and document both of the following:

(A) The name, address, and telephone number of the towing company.

(B) The name and driver’s license number, driver’s identification number issued by a motor club, as defined in Section 12142 of the Insurance Code, or other government authorized unique identifier of the tow truck operator.

(c) The information required in this section shall be maintained for three years and shall be available for inspection and copying within 48 hours of a written request by any officer or agent of a police department, a sheriff’s department, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the Attorney General’s office, the Bureau of Automotive Repair, a district attorney’s office, or a city attorney’s office.

(d) For purposes of this section, a new motor vehicle dealer, as defined in Section 426, is not open to the public during hours its repair shop is closed to the public.

(e) A person who willfully violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor, and that violation is punishable by a fine of not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than three months, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 561, Sec. 254. (AB 1516) Effective January 1, 2018.)


text:
No person shall stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle within 15 feet of a fire hydrant except as follows:

(a) If the vehicle is attended by a licensed driver who is seated in the front seat and who can immediately move such vehicle in case of necessity.

(b) If the local authority adopts an ordinance or resolution reducing that distance. If the distance is less than 10 feet total length when measured along the curb or edge of the street, the distance shall be indicated by signs or markings.

(c) If the vehicle is owned or operated by a fire department and is clearly marked as a fire department vehicle.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1987, Ch. 488, Sec. 1.)


text:
(a) No person driving, or in control of, or in charge of, a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand on any highway unattended without first effectively setting the brakes thereon and stopping the motor thereof.

(b) No person in control of, or in charge of, any vehicle, other than a motor vehicle, shall permit it to stand on any highway without first effectively setting the brakes thereon, or blocking the wheels thereof, to effectively prevent the movement of the vehicle.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 362, Sec. 3.)


text: No person shall leave standing a locked vehicle in which there is any person who cannot readily escape therefrom.

history: (History: Enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3.)


text: No person shall open the door of a vehicle on the side available to moving traffic unless it is reasonably safe to do so and can be done without interfering with the movement of such traffic, nor shall any person leave a door open on the side of a vehicle available to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1963, Ch. 162.)


text:
(a) Fringe and transportation corridor parking facilities constructed, maintained, or operated by the Department of Transportation pursuant to Section 146.5 of the Streets and Highways Code shall be used only by persons using a bicycle or public transit, or engaged in ridesharing, including, but not limited to, carpools or vanpools. A person shall not park a vehicle 30 feet or more in length, engage in loitering or camping, or engage in vending or any other commercial activity on any fringe or transportation corridor parking facility.

(b) This section does not apply to alternatively fueled infrastructure programs in park-and-ride lots owned and operated by the Department of Transportation.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 676, Sec. 3. (AB 2583) Effective January 1, 2013.)


text: Local authorities may by ordinance or resolution prohibit, restrict or regulate the parking, stopping or standing of vehicles on any offstreet parking facility which it owns or operates. No such ordinance or resolution shall apply until signs giving notice thereof have been erected.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1959, Ch. 1486.)


text:
(a) No person shall solicit, display, sell, offer for sale, or otherwise vend or attempt to vend any merchandise or service while being wholly or partly within any of the following:

(1) The right-of-way of any freeway, including any on ramp, off ramp, or roadway shoulder which lies within the right-of-way of the freeway.

(2) Any roadway or adjacent shoulder within 500 feet of a freeway off ramp or on ramp.

(3) Any sidewalk within 500 feet of a freeway off ramp or on ramp, when vending or attempting to vend to vehicular traffic.

(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to a roadside rest area or vista point located within a freeway right-of-way which is subject to Section 22520.6, to a tow truck or service vehicle rendering assistance to a disabled vehicle, or to a person issued a permit to vend upon the freeway pursuant to Section 670 of the Streets and Highways Code.

(c) A violation of this section is an infraction. A second or subsequent conviction of a violation of this section is a misdemeanor.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1988, Ch. 924, Sec. 10.)


text:
(a) No person shall engage in any activity within a highway roadside rest area or vista point prohibited by rules and regulations adopted pursuant to Section 225 of the Streets and Highways Code.

(b) A violation of this section is an infraction. A second or subsequent conviction of a violation of this section is a misdemeanor.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1983, Ch. 275, Sec. 3. Effective July 15, 1983.)


text: No person shall park a vehicle upon any railroad track or within 712 feet of the nearest rail.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1968, Ch. 625.)


text: No person shall park a vehicle within three feet of any sidewalk access ramp constructed at, or adjacent to, a crosswalk or at any other location on a sidewalk so as to be accessible to and usable by the physically disabled, if the area adjoining the ramp is designated by either a sign or red paint.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 1007, Sec. 22. Effective January 1, 2000.)


text:
(a) No person shall abandon a vehicle upon any highway.

(b) No person shall abandon a vehicle upon public or private property without the express or implied consent of the owner or person in lawful possession or control of the property.

(c) Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) and shall provide proof that the costs of removal and disposition of the vehicle have been paid. No part of any fine imposed shall be suspended. The fine may be paid in installments if the court determines that the defendant is unable to pay the entire amount in one payment.

(d) Proof that the costs of removal and disposition of the vehicle have been paid shall not be required if proof is provided to the court that the vehicle was stolen prior to abandonment. That proof may consist of a police report or other evidence acceptable to the court.

(e) The costs required to be paid for the removal and disposition of any vehicle determined to be abandoned pursuant to Section 22669 shall not exceed those for towing and seven days of storage. This subdivision does not apply if the registered owner or legal owner has completed and returned to the lienholder a “Declaration of Opposition” form within the time specified in Section 22851.8.

(f) (1) If a vehicle is abandoned in violation of subdivision (b) and is not redeemed after impound, the last registered owner is guilty of an infraction. In addition to any other penalty, the registered owner shall be liable for any deficiency remaining after disposal of the vehicle under Section 3071 or 3072 of the Civil Code or Section 22851.10 of this code.

(2) The filing of a report of sale or transfer of the vehicle pursuant to Section 5602, the filing of a vehicle theft report with a law enforcement agency, or the filing of a form or notice with the department pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 4456 or Section 5900 or 5901 relieves the registered owner of liability under this subdivision.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 1996, Ch. 676, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1997.)


text:
(a) The abandonment of any vehicle in a manner as provided in Section 22523 shall constitute a prima facie presumption that the last registered owner of record is responsible for the abandonment and is thereby liable for the cost of removal and disposition of the vehicle.

(b) An owner who has made a bona fide sale or transfer of a vehicle and has delivered possession of the vehicle to a purchaser may overcome the presumption prescribed in subdivision (a) by demonstrating that he or she has complied with Section 5900 or providing other proof satisfactory to the court.

(c) This section shall become operative on July 1, 1989.

history: (History: Repealed (in Sec. 6) and added by Stats. 1988, Ch. 1267, Sec. 7. Effective September 26, 1988. Section operative July 1, 1989, by its own provisions.)


text:
(a) Any insurer that is responsible for coverage for ordinary and reasonable towing and storage charges under an automobile insurance policy to an insured or on behalf of an insured to a valid claimant, is liable for those charges to the person performing those services when a vehicle is towed and stored as a result of an accident or stolen recovery. The insurer may discharge the obligation by making payment to the person performing the towing and storage services or to the insured or on behalf of the insured to the claimant.

(b) Any insured or claimant who has received payment, which includes towing and storage charges, from an insurer for a loss relating to a vehicle is liable for those charges to the person performing those services.

(c) (1) All towing and storage fees charged when those services are performed as a result of an accident or recovery of a stolen vehicle shall be reasonable.

(2) (A) For purposes of this section, a towing and storage charge shall be deemed reasonable if it does not exceed those fees and rates charged for similar services provided in response to requests initiated by a public agency, including, but not limited to, the Department of the California Highway Patrol or local police department.

(B) A storage rate and fee shall also be deemed reasonable if it is comparable to storage-related rates and fees charged by other facilities in the same locale. This does not preclude a rate or fee that is higher or lower if it is otherwise reasonable.

(3) The following rates and fees are presumptively unreasonable:

(A) Administrative or filing fees, except those incurred related to documentation from the Department of Motor Vehicles and those related to the lien sale of a vehicle.

(B) Security fees.

(C) Dolly fees.

(D) Load and unload fees.

(E) Pull-out fees.

(F) Gate fees, except when the owner or insurer of the vehicle requests that the vehicle be released outside of normal business hours.

(G) When gate fees are reasonably assessed, any additional towing fees that exceed 10 percent of the normal towing rate due to the call originating after normal business hours.

(H) Any storage fees charged for state holidays that exceed the posted standard daily storage rate.

(I) (i) Towing fees when the owner or the operator of a tow truck is directed by a law enforcement officer to remove a vehicle to the nearest shoulder or to level ground adjacent to the roadway for the sole purpose of clearing a roadway to facilitate access by an emergency vehicle at the scene of a state emergency, as defined in Section 8625 of the Government Code, or a local emergency, as defined in Section 8630 of the Government Code.

(ii) An owner or operator of a tow truck that removes a vehicle under the circumstances described in clause (i) and acts in good faith shall not be subject to civil liability for any damage to personal property that results from the removal of the vehicle.

(iii) The limitation of liability described in clause (ii) shall not apply to an act or omission by an owner or operator of a tow truck that constitutes gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct.

(J) Following a request from the vehicle owner to release their vehicle, and upon payment of all fees then due, storage fees for any day that a storage facility fails to release the vehicle.

(K) Storage fees in excess of 50 percent of the daily storage rate when a vehicle is recovered within the first four hours of storage.

(d) Notwithstanding this section, an insurer shall comply with all of its obligations under Section 2695.8 of Chapter 5 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations.

(e) Nothing in paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) prohibits any fees authorized in a written agreement between a law enforcement agency and a towing or storage company, including, but not limited to, official police garages operating under the jurisdiction of a municipal police commission, if the tow was initiated by the law enforcement agency.

(f) For purposes of this section, “normal business hours” means Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., inclusive, except for state holidays.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 345, Sec. 2. (AB 987) Effective January 1, 2026.)


text:
Local authorities may by ordinance or resolution authorize vanpool vehicles to utilize designated state highway bus stops.

The ordinance or resolution shall be submitted to the Department of Transportation for approval. No ordinance or resolution shall become effective until approved by the department. The department shall review the ordinance or resolution within 45 days after receipt.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 1987, Ch. 262, Sec. 1.)


text:
(a) Notwithstanding any official traffic control signal indication to proceed, a driver of a vehicle shall not enter an intersection or marked crosswalk unless there is sufficient space on the other side of the intersection or marked crosswalk to accommodate the vehicle driven without obstructing the through passage of vehicles from either side.

(b) A driver of a vehicle which is making a turn at an intersection who is facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow signal shall not enter the intersection or marked crosswalk unless there is sufficient space on the other side of the intersection or marked crosswalk to accommodate the vehicle driven without obstructing the through passage of vehicles from either side.

(c) A driver of a vehicle shall not enter a railroad or rail transit crossing, notwithstanding any official traffic control device or signal indication to proceed, unless there is sufficient undercarriage clearance to cross the intersection without obstructing the through passage of a railway vehicle, including, but not limited to, a train, trolley, or city transit vehicle.

(d) A driver of a vehicle shall not enter a railroad or rail transit crossing, notwithstanding any official traffic control device or signal indication to proceed, unless there is sufficient space on the other side of the railroad or rail transit crossing to accommodate the vehicle driven and any railway vehicle, including, but not limited to, a train, trolley, or city transit vehicle.

(e) A local authority may post appropriate signs at the entrance to intersections indicating the prohibition in subdivisions (a), (b), and (c).

(f) A violation of this section is not a violation of a law relating to the safe operation of vehicles and is the following:

(1) A stopping violation when a notice to appear has been issued by a peace officer described in Section 830.1, 830.2, or 830.33 of the Penal Code.

(2) A parking violation when a notice of parking violation is issued by a person, other than a peace officer described in paragraph (1), who is authorized to enforce parking statutes and regulations.

(g) This section shall be known and may be cited as the Anti-Gridlock Act of 1987.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 216, Sec. 11. (AB 2144) Effective January 1, 2011.)


text:
(a) It is unlawful for a peace officer or an unauthorized person to remove an unattended vehicle from a highway to a garage or to any other place, except as provided in this code.

(b) Any removal of a vehicle is a seizure under the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States and Section 13 of Article I of the California Constitution, and shall be reasonable and subject to the limits set forth in Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. A removal pursuant to an authority, including, but not limited to, as provided in Section 22651, that is based on community caretaking, is only reasonable if the removal is necessary to achieve the community caretaking need, such as ensuring the safe flow of traffic or protecting property from theft or vandalism.

(c) Those law enforcement and other agencies identified in this chapter as having the authority to remove vehicles shall also have the authority to provide hearings in compliance with the provisions of Section 22852. During these hearings the storing agency shall have the burden of establishing the authority for, and the validity of, the removal.

(d) This section does not prevent a review or other action as may be permitted by the laws of this state by a court of competent jurisdiction.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 592, Sec. 1. (AB 2876) Effective January 1, 2019.)

article: 1. Authority to Remove Vehicles

path: 11. RULES OF THE ROAD > 10. Removal of Parked and Abandoned Vehicles > 1. Authority to Remove Vehicles