Chapter 11.56 — PARKING METERS — Petaluma Municipal Code

11.56.010 Parking meter zones designated.¶

The streets, portions of streets and oU-street parking lots hereinafter described are deRned and established as

parking meter zones within which the parking of vehicles shall be controlled, regulated and inspected with the aid

of parking meters. The streets, portions of streets and oU-street parking lots are as follows:

A. The central traTc district as deRned by Section 11.04.030;

B. Both sides of Keller Street from Washington Street, northerly to a point two hundred feet north from the

north side of Washington Street and southerly from the south side of Washington Street to "A" Street;

C. Both sides of Washington Street from Keller Street to the intersection thereof with Howard Street;

D. Both sides of East Washington Street from Water Street to Copeland Street;

E. Both sides of Liberty Street from Washington Street to Western Avenue;

F. Both sides of Western Avenue from Kentucky Street to Howard Street;

G. Both sides of Fifth Street from "A" Street to west side of "B" Street;

H. Both sides of "B" Street from Fourth Street to Fifth Street;

I. Both sides of Third Street from "B" Street to "D" Street;

J. Both sides of Fourth Street from "B" Street to "E" Street;

K. Both sides of Kentucky Street from Martha Street to Mary Street;

L. Keller Street parking lot;

M. Water Street parking lot.

     The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

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(Ord. 1038 NCS §1, 1972; Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code §15.14.)

11.56.020 Installation and maintenance of meters.¶

The city traTc engineer shall cause parking meters to be installed and maintained in all parking meter zones.

Parking meters shall be installed upon the curb or sidewalk area immediately adjacent to each parking space. Each

meter shall be placed in such manner as to show or display by a sign or signal that the parking space adjacent

thereto is or is not legally in use. Each parking meter shall be set to display, after the operational procedure has

been completed, a sign or signal indicating legal parking for that period of time conforming to the limit of parking

time as indicated on the meter. Each parking meter shall indicate the limit of parking time in the parking space

adjacent to the parking meter, and shall continue to operate from the time of the completion of the operational

procedure until the expiration of the time Rxed as the parking limit or a portion thereof for the part of the street

upon which such meter is placed. Each meter shall also be so arranged that upon the expiration of such legal

parking time it will indicate by a mechanical operation and by proper signal that the lawful parking period has

expired. (Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code §15.14.1.)

11.56.030 Hours of operation.¶

The provisions of this chapter relating to the operation of parking meters shall be eUective between the hours of

eight a.m. and six p.m. on every day except Sundays and holidays. (Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code §15.14.2.)

11.56.040 Depositing coin required—Operational procedure.¶

Immediately after occupancy of a parking meter space, the operator of a vehicle shall deposit a coin of the United

States in such parking meter and if necessary turn a crank, knob or handle in accordance with the instructions

posted on the face of the parking meter. (Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code §15.14.3.)

11.56.050 Meter fees.¶

The parking meter fees for all parking meter zones established by this chapter shall be one cent for each twelve

minutes of parking time. In those areas where special permits or monthly permits have been authorized and

issued, no coin shall be required to be deposited. (Ord. 1022 NCS §1; Ord. 996 NCS; Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code

§15.14.4.)

     The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

Title 11 Vehicles and TraTc | Petaluma Municipal Code Page 44 of 77

11.56.060 Parking after meter time has expired.¶

No operator of any vehicle shall permit such vehicle to remain parked in any parking space during any time that

the meter is showing a signal indicating that such space is illegally in use other than such time immediately after

the original occupancy as is necessary to operate the meter to show legal parking. (Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code

§15.14.5.)

11.56.070 Veterans permitted to park in restricted zones.¶

Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, any veteran who is entitled to either of the exemptions provided

in Section 9105 of the Vehicle Code and Section 10783 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, shall be allowed to park

in restricted zones. This section shall not be construed, however, to allow the stopping, parking or standing of a

vehicle at the times and places that stopping, parking or standing of all vehicles is prohibited absolutely by state

law or local ordinance. (Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code § 15.14.6.)

11.56.080 Parking permit for handicapped persons.¶

In cases of hardship, handicapped persons may obtain a permit for parking, issued by the chief of police and valid

only in oU-street parking lots, to permit parking for periods longer than the parking meter zones permit. The

application or the permit shall be signed by the applicant, shall state the name, motor and license numbers of the

vehicle and shall contain a statement of the necessity and reasons for the permit. If, upon investigation, it is found

that the granting of such permission is reasonable and necessary, the chief of police shall issue the permit for a

period not to exceed six months. The permit shall be renewable for additional periods of six months at the

discretion of the chief of police. The permittee shall pay the city clerk or Rnance oTcer a fee of Rve dollars a

month, payable on the Rrst day of each month the permit is in force. The permittee need not deposit any coins in

any parking meter adjacent to the permittee’s vehicle during the period the permit is valid. The permit shall not be

transferable and shall be displayed at all times during which the vehicle is parked on oU-street parking lots on the

left side window to the rear of the driver of the vehicle for which it is issued. The chief of police shall revoke the

permit when the necessity under which the oTce issued it and the reason therefor, cease to exist, or may renew

such permit if the hardship still exists. No permit shall be granted for commercial vehicles. (Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior

code § 15.14.7.)

     The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

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11.56.090 Reserved.¶

1 Editor’s Note: Former subsection 11.56.090, Special permits for use of meter space, previously codiRed herein

and containing portions of Ordinance Nos. 858, 996, 1022, 1038, 1513 and prior code Section 15.14.8, was

repealed by Ordinance No. 2036.

11.56.100 Unlawful to extend time beyond limit.¶

No person shall follow the operational procedure or any part of the operational procedure for the purpose of

increasing or extending the parking time of any vehicle beyond the legal parking time which has been established

for the parking space adjacent to which such parking meter is placed. (Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code §15.14.9.)

11.56.110 Improper use of meter.¶

No person shall deposit or cause to be deposited in any parking meter any defaced or bent coin or any slug,

device or metallic substitute for a coin of the United States, or deface, injure, tamper with, open or wilfully break,

destroy or impair the usefulness of any parking meter. (Ord. 858 NCS § 1; prior code §15.14.10.)

11.56.120 Deposit of coins in meter by unauthorized person.¶

No person, other than the owner or operator of a vehicle, shall deposit any coin in any parking meter without the

knowledge or consent of such owner or operator of the vehicle using the parking space immediately adjacent to

such meter. (Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code § 15.14.11.)

11.56.130 Attaching or leaning bicycle, newsrack or other article against¶

meter.

No person shall attach anything to or allow a bicycle, newsrack or any other article or thing to lean against a

parking meter or a parking meter standard. (Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code § 15.14.12.)

11.56.140 Prima facie evidence of violation of chapter.¶

The parking or standing of any motor vehicle in a parking space, at which space the parking meter displays the

sign or signal indicating illegal parking, shall constitute a prima facie presumption that the vehicle has been parked

or allowed to stand in such space for a period longer than permitted by this chapter. (Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code

§15.14.13.)

     The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

Title 11 Vehicles and TraTc | Petaluma Municipal Code Page 46 of 77

11.56.150 Disposition of funds from meters.¶

All moneys collected from parking meters in this city shall be placed in a special fund, which fund shall be devoted

exclusively to the following purposes:

A. For the purchasing, leasing, installing, repairing, maintaining, operating, removing, regulating and policing of

parking meters in this city and for the payment of any and all expenses relating or incidental thereto;

B. For the purchasing, leasing, acquiring, improving, operating and maintaining of oU-street parking facilities in

this city;

C. For the installation and maintenance of traTc-control devices and signals;

D. For the painting and marking of streets and curbs required for the direction of traTc and parking of motor

vehicles;

E. For the proper regulation, control and inspection of parking and traTc upon the public streets;

F. To be pledged as security for the payment of principal of and interest on oU-street parking revenue bonds

issued by this city or any parking district organized within this city.

(Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code §15.14.14.)

11.56.160 Applicability of chapter.¶

No section of this chapter shall be construed as permitting any parking in violation of any other provision of this

title. (Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code §15.14.15.)

11.56.170 Penalty for violation.¶

Every person who violates the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of an infraction and shall be penalized by a

Rne of three dollars, provided that payment thereof or posting of bail therefor is made within Rve days of such

violation. In the event payment is not made as provided above, such person shall be punished upon a Rrst

conviction by a Rne not exceeding ten dollars, and for a second conviction within a period of one year by a Rne not

exceeding twenty-dollars, and for a third or any subsequent oUense within a period of one year, by a Rne not

exceeding Rfty dollars. (Ord. 1317 NCS §1, 1978; Ord. 1205 NCS §1, 1976; Ord. 858 NCS §1; prior code §15.14.16.)

     The Petaluma Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.

Title 11 Vehicles and TraTc | Petaluma Municipal Code Page 47 of 77