Chapter 10.48 — STOPPING, STANDING AND PARKING

• A. The provisions of this chapter prohibiting the stopping, standing or parking of a vehicle shall apply at all times or at those times specified in this chapter, except when it is necessary to stop a vehicle to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or official traffic-control device.

• B. The provisions of this chapter imposing a time limit on standing or parking shall not relieve any person from the duty to observe other and more restrictive provisions of the Vehicle Code or the ordinances of the city prohibiting or limiting the standing or parking of vehicles in specified places or at specified times.

• (Ord. 36 § 10, 1974)

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle within any parkway. (Ord. 36 § 10.1, 1974)

The city traffic engineer is authorized to maintain, by appropriate signs or by paint upon the curb surface, all no-stopping signs, no-parking areas, and restricted parking areas, as defined and described in this title.

When the curb markings or signs are in place no operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand or park such vehicle adjacent to any such legible curb marking or sign in violation of any of the provisions of this title.

(Ord. 36 § 10.2, 1974)

No operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand, park, or leave standing such vehicle in any of the following places, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the direction of a police officer or other authorized officer, or traffic sign or signal, as follows:

• A. Within any divisional island unless authorized and clearly indicated with appropriate signs or markings;

• B. On either side of any street between the projected property lines of any public walk, public steps, street, or thoroughfare terminating at such street;

• C. In any area where the city traffic engineer determines that the parking or stopping of a vehicle would constitute a traffic hazard or would endanger life or property, when such area is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface;

• D. In any area established by resolution of the council as a no-parking area, when such area is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface;

• E. Upon, along or across any railway track in such manner as to hinder, delay, or obstruct the

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City of Palm Desert, CA

VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC

§ 10.48.040

§ 10.48.080

movement of any car traveling upon such track;

• F. In any area where the parking or stopping of any vehicle would constitute a traffic hazard or would endanger life or property;

• G. On any street or highway where the use of such street or highway or a portion thereof is necessary for the cleaning, repair or construction of the street or highway or the installation of underground utilities or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is authorized for a purpose other than the normal flow of traffic or where the use of the street or highway or any portion thereof is necessary for the movement of equipment, articles or structures of unusual size, and the parking of such vehicle would prohibit or interfere with such use or movement; provided, that signs giving notice of such no parking are erected or placed at least twenty-four hours prior to the effective time of such no parking;

• H. At any place within twenty feet of a point on the curb immediately opposite the midblock end of a safety zone, when such place is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface;

• I. At any place within twenty feet of a crosswalk at an intersection in the general traffic district or in any business district when such place is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface except that a bus may stop at a designated bus stop;

• J. Within twenty feet of the approach to any traffic signal, boulevard stop sign, or official electric flashing device.

• (Ord. 36 § 10.3, 1974; Ord. 1326 § 1, 2017)

• A. No person who owns or has possession, custody or control of any vehicle shall park such vehicle upon any street or alley for more than a consecutive period of seventy-two hours.

• B. Businesses located within the city that repair or cause to be repaired, grease or cause to be greased, dismantle or cause to be dismantled, any vehicle or any part thereof must use only city-approved off-street parking for such repair, greasing or dismantling. Otherwise, the storing of vehicles is prohibited on public streets.

• (Ord. 36 § 10.4, 1974; Ord. 1355 § 9, 2020)

No operator of any vehicle shall park the vehicle upon any street in the city for the principle purpose of advertising or displaying it for sale, unless authorized by resolution of the council. (Ord. 36 § 10.5, 1974)

No person shall construct or cause to be constructed, repair or cause to be repaired, grease or cause to be greased, dismantle or cause to be dismantled any vehicle or any part thereof upon any public street in the city. Temporary emergency repairs may be made upon a public street. (Ord. 36 § 10.6, 1974)

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City of Palm Desert, CA § 10.48.080

PALM DESERT CODE

§ 10.48.120

No person shall wash or cause to be washed, polish or cause to be polished any vehicle or any part thereof upon any public street in this city, when a charge is made for such service. (Ord. 36 § 10.7, 1974)

• A. The city traffic engineer is authorized to erect signs indicating no parking upon that side of any street adjacent to any school property when such parking would, in his or her opinion, interfere with traffic or create a hazardous situation.

• B. When official signs are erected prohibiting parking upon that side of a street adjacent to any school property, no person shall park a vehicle in any such designated place.

• (Ord. 36 § 10.8, 1974)

• A. The city traffic engineer is authorized to place signs or markings indicating no parking upon any street when the width of the roadway does not exceed twenty feet, or upon one side of a street as indicated by such signs or markings when the width of the roadway does not exceed thirty feet.

• B. When official signs or markings prohibiting parking are erected upon narrow streets as authorized in this section, no person shall park a vehicle upon any such street in violation of any such sign or marking.

• (Ord. 36 § 10.9, 1974)

No person shall park or leave standing any vehicle unattended on a highway when upon any grade exceeding three percent within any business or residence district, without blocking the wheels of the vehicle by turning them against the curb or by other means. (Ord. 36 § 10.10, 1974)

• A. Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person shall stand or park any vehicle, wagon or pushcart from which goods, wares, merchandise, fruits, vegetables or foodstuffs are sold, displayed, solicited or offered for sale or bartered or exchanged, or any lunchwagon or eating car or vehicle, on any portion of any street within the city except that such vehicles, wagons or pushcarts may stand or park only at the request of a bona fide purchaser for a period of time not to exceed ten minutes at any one place. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to persons delivering such articles upon order of, or by agreement with, a customer from a store or other fixed place of business or distribution.

• B. No person shall park or stand on any street any lunchwagon, eating cart or vehicles, or pushcart from which articles of food are sold or offered for sale without first obtaining a written permit to do so from the city traffic engineer which shall designate the specific location in which such cart shall stand.

• C. No person shall park or stand any vehicle or wagon used or intended to be used in the

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City of Palm Desert, CA

VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC

§ 10.48.120

§ 10.48.150

transportation of property for hire on any street while awaiting patronage for such vehicle or wagon without first obtaining a written permit to do so from the city traffic engineer which shall designate the specific location where such vehicle may stand.

• D. Whenever any permit is granted under the provisions of this section and a particular location to park or stand is specified therein, no person shall park or stand any vehicle, wagon, or pushcart on any location other than as designated in such permit. In the event that the holder of any such permit is convicted in any court of competent jurisdiction for violating any of the provisions of this section, such permit shall be forthwith revoked by the city traffic engineer upon the filing of the record of such conviction with such officer and no permit shall thereafter be issued to such person until six months have elapsed from the date of such revocation.

• (Ord. 36 § 10.11, 1974; Ord. 1296 § 8, 2015)

• A. Whenever the city traffic engineer determines that an emergency traffic congestion is likely to result from the holding of public or private assemblages, gatherings, or functions, or for other reasons, the city traffic engineer shall have power and authority to order temporary signs to be erected or posted indicating that the operation, parking or standing of vehicles is prohibited on such streets and alleys as the city traffic engineer shall direct during the time such temporary signs are in place. Such signs shall remain in place only during the existence of such emergency and the city traffic engineer shall cause such signs to be removed promptly there-after.

• B. When signs authorized by the provisions of this section are in place giving notice thereof, no person shall operate, park or stand any vehicle contrary to the directions and provisions of such signs.

• (Ord. 36 § 10.12, 1974)

Every motor truck having an unladen weight of four thousand pounds or more, and every truck tractor, irrespective of weight, operated upon any street or highway during darkness shall be equipped with and carry at least two flares or two red lanterns or two warning lights or reflectors, which reflectors shall be of a type approved by the Department of the California Highway Patrol. When any vehicle mentioned in this section or any trailer or semitrailer is disabled upon streets or highways outside of any business or residence district within the city, and upon which street or highway there is insufficient street lighting to reveal a vehicle at a distance of two hundred feet, warning lights shall be immediately placed at a distance of approximately one hundred feet in advance of, and one hundred feet to the rear of, such disabled vehicle by the driver thereof. The continuous flashing of at least four approved class A-type turn signal lamps, at least two toward the front and at least two toward the rear of the vehicle, shall be considered to meet the requirements of this section until the devices mentioned in this section can be placed in the required locations. The warning signals mentioned in this section shall be displayed continuously during darkness while such vehicle remains disabled upon such street or highway. (Ord. 36 § 10.13, 1974)

Green curb marking means no standing or parking for a period of time longer than twenty

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City of Palm Desert, CA § 10.48.150

PALM DESERT CODE

§ 10.48.200

minutes at any time between nine a.m. and six p.m. on any day except Sundays and holidays. (Ord. 36 § 11, 1974; Ord. 1296 § 9, 2015)

When authorized signs, parking meters or curb markings have been determined by the city traffic engineer to be necessary and are in place giving notice thereof, no operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand or park the vehicle between the hours of nine a.m. and six p.m. of any day except Sundays and holidays for a period of time longer than forty minutes. (Ord. 36 § 11.1, 1974)

When authorized signs, parking meters or curb markings have been determined by the city traffic engineer to be necessary and are in place giving notice thereof, no operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand or park the vehicle between the hours of nine a.m. and six p.m. of any day except Sundays and holidays for a period of time longer than one hour. (Ord. 36 § 11.2, 974)

When authorized signs, parking meters or curb markings have been determined by the city traffic engineer to be necessary and are in place giving notice thereof, no operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand or park the vehicle between the hours of nine a.m. and six p.m. of any day except Sundays and holidays for a period of time longer than two hours. (Ord. 36 § 11.3, 1974)

• A. Subject to other and more restrictive limitations, a vehicle may be stopped or parked within eighteen 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.

• B. In the event a highway includes two or more separate roadways and traffic is restricted to one direction upon any such roadway, no person shall stand or park a vehicle upon the lefthand side of such one-way roadway unless signs are in place permitting such standing or parking.

• C. The city traffic engineer is authorized to determine when standing or parking shall be prohibited upon the lefthand side of any one-way street or when standing or parking may be permitted upon the left-hand side of any one-way roadway of a highway having two or more separate roadways and shall erect signs giving notice thereof.

• D. 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.

• (Ord. 36 § 11.4, 1974)

• A. On any of the streets or portions of streets established by resolution of the council as

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City of Palm Desert, CA

VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC

§ 10.48.200

§ 10.48.240

diagonal parking zones, when signs or pavement markings are in place indicating such diagonal parking, it is unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to park the vehicle except:

1. At the angle to the curb indicated by signs or pavement markings allotting space to parked vehicles and entirely within the limits of the allotted space;

2. With the front wheel nearest the curb within six inches of the curb.

• B. It is unlawful to park any oversize vehicle within diagonally marked spaces at any time when the length of the vehicle creates an obstruction to the normal flow of traffic, or which causes a reduction in the width of the normally traveled portion of the roadway. For the purposes of this section only, an oversize vehicle shall be defined as any vehicle that exceeds the dimensions of a marked parking space due to its length and/or width.

• C. The provisions of this section shall not apply when such vehicle is actually engaged in the process of loading or unloading passengers, freight or goods, in which event the provisions applicable in Section 10.48.190 shall be complied with.

• (Ord. 36 § 11.5, 1974; Ord. 1393 § 3, 2023)

The city traffic engineer is authorized to install and maintain parking space markings to indicate parking spaces adjacent to curbings where authorized parking is permitted.

When such parking space markings are placed on the highway, subject to other and more restrictive limitations, no vehicle shall be stopped, left standing or parked other than within a single space unless the size or shape of such vehicle makes compliance impossible. (Ord. 36 § 11.6, 1974)

The city traffic engineer shall designate established no-stopping zones by placing and maintaining appropriate signs indicating that stopping of vehicles is prohibited and indicating the hours and days when stopping is prohibited.

During the hours and on the days designated on the signs, it is unlawful for the operator of any vehicle to stop the vehicle on any of the streets or parts of streets established by resolution of the council as no-stopping zones.

(Ord. 36 § 11.7, 1974)

• A. No person shall have possession, custody or control of any vehicle, either motored or towed, upon any street in the commercial district between the hours of two a.m. and six am. of any day.

• B. The commercial district shall consist of the streets of El Paseo, Palm Desert Drive North and Palm Desert Drive South in their entire length from curb to curb.

• (Ord. 36 § 11.8, 1974; Ord. 458 §§ 1, 2, 1986)

Each parking lot or parking structure where parking is provided for the public as clients, guests

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City of Palm Desert, CA

PALM DESERT CODE

§ 10.48.240

§ 10.48.260

and employees shall contain handicapped accessible parking and which is to be clearly marked at all times as described and mandated by State Chapter 71 of the Uniform Building Code. (Ord. 733 § 1, 1993)

• 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 Vehicle Code Section 22511.7 or 22511.8, unless the vehicle displays either a special identification license plate issued pursuant to Vehicle Code Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Vehicle Code 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 subsection A of this section.

• C. Subsections A and B apply to all off-street parking facilities owned or operated by the city, and to any privately owned and maintained off-street parking facilities.

• D. Any person who violates any provision of this section is deemed guilty of an infraction in accordance with Chapter 1.12 of this code.

• (Ord. 1090 § 1, 2005)

• A. 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 Vehicle Code Section 5007 or a distinguishing placard issued pursuant to Vehicle Code 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 designated, pursuant to any local ordinance, for the loading and unloading of vehicles parked in the stall or space.

• B. Subsection A of this section applies to all off-street parking facilities owned or operated by the city and to any privately owned and maintained off-street parking facilities.

• C. Any person who violates any provision of this section is deemed guilty of an infraction in accordance with Chapter 1.12 of this code.

• (Ord. 1090 § 1, 2005)

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City of Palm Desert, CA

VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC

§ 10.50.005

§ 10.50.015