San Clemente Municipal Code Ch. 10.28 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 this City prohibiting or limiting the standing or parking of vehicles in specified places or at specified times.

(Prior code § 15-37)

No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle within any parkway.

(Prior code § 15-38)

A. .....The City Traffic Engineer is authorized to maintain, by appropriate signs or by paint upon the curb surface, all no-stopping zones, no-parking areas, and restricted parking areas, as defined and described in this chapter.

B. .....When such 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 chapter.

(Prior code § 15-39)

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:

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, when such area is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface;

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 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 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 (24) hours prior to the effective time of such no parking;

H. At any place within twenty (20) 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 (20) feet of a crosswalk at an intersection in any business district when such place is indicated by appropriate signs or by red paint upon the curb surface;

J. Within twenty (20) feet of the approach to any traffic signal, boulevard stop sign, or official electric flashing device;

K. On all unimproved public property of the City where the City Traffic Engineer has by appropriate signs so indicated the area to be a no-parking area;

L. There shall be no parking on public or private property designated and posted for a fire lane by the Director of Fire Protection, as authorized in the adopted Uniform Fire Code of the City.

(Prior code § 15-40)

A. .....The City Traffic Engineer is hereby directed to erect appropriate signage, including painting the curbs if deemed necessary in the judgment of the Traffic Engineer, to identify those areas in the City where the City Council has established restricted stopping, standing and/or parking. This authority extends to both on-street and off-street parking.

B. .....No operator of any vehicle shall stop, stand, park or leave standing any vehicle in violation of any stopping, standing and/or parking restriction as such restriction is evidenced by appropriate signage and/or curb markings, except when such stopping, standing or parking is necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the direction of a police officer or authorized officer or a traffic sign or a signal.

(Ord. 1234 § 1, 1999: Ord. 1171 § 1, 1996: prior code § 15-40.5)

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 72 hours.

For purposes of this section, a vehicle shall be considered to have remained parked unless, during any 72 hour period, the vehicle has been moved at least 100 feet from the location it previously occupied.

In addition to other remedies, any vehicle parked in violation of this section may be removed pursuant to Section 10.08.160 of this Code and California Vehicle Code Section 22651(k).

(Prior code § 15-41; Ord. No. 1811, § 3, 8-18-2026)

No operator of any vehicle shall park such vehicle upon any street in this City for the principle purpose of advertising or displaying it for sale, unless authorized by resolution of the Council.

(Prior code § 15-42)

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 this City. Temporary emergency repairs may be made upon a public street.

(Prior code § 15-43)

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 services.

(Prior code § 15-44)

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.

(Prior code § 15-45)

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 (20) feet, or upon one (1) side of a street as indicated by such signs or markings when the width of the roadway does not exceed thirty (30) feet.

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

(Prior code § 15-46)

No person shall park or leave standing any vehicle unattended on a highway when upon any grade exceeding three (3) percent within any business or residential district without blocking the wheels of such vehicle by turning them against the curb or, if the wheels of the vehicle are not physically capable of being turned against the curb, by physically blocking the wheels and taking whatever other measures may be appropriate.

(Prior code § 15-47)

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 food stuffs are sold, displayed, solicited, or offered for sale, or bartered or exchanged, or any lunch wagon or eating car or vehicle, on any portion of any street within this 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 (10) minutes at any one (1) 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 lunch wagon, eating cart or vehicle, or pushcart from which tamales, peanuts, popcorn, candy, ice cream or other 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 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 (6) months have elapsed from the date of such revocation.

(Prior code § 15-48)

A. .....Whenever the City Traffic Engineer shall determine that an emergency traffic congestion is likely to result from the holding of public or private assemblages, gatherings, or functions, or from increased seasonal traffic, 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, restricted, limited, or re-routed 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 or increased seasonal traffic, and the City Traffic Engineer shall cause such signs to be removed promptly thereafter.

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.

(Prior code § 15-49)

Every motor truck having an unladen weight of four thousand (4,000) pounds or more, and every truck tractor irrespective of weight when operated upon any street or highway during darkness, shall be equipped with and carry at least two (2) flares or two (2) red lanterns or two (2) warning lights or reflectors, which reflectors shall be of a type approved by the Department of California Highway Patrol. When any such vehicle or any trailer or semitrailer is disabled upon streets or highways outside of any business or residence district within this City and upon which street or highway there is insufficient street lighting to reveal a vehicle at a distance of two hundred (200) feet during darkness, a warning signal of the character indicated above shall be immediately placed at a distance of approximately one hundred (100) feet in advance of, and one hundred (100) feet to the rear of, such disabled vehicle by the driver thereof. The continuous flashing of at least four (4) approved Class A Type 1 turn signal lamps, at least two (2) toward the front and at least two (2) 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.

(Prior code § 15-50)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 1763, § 5, adopted Feb. 26, 2024, repealed § 10.28.150, which pertained to parking trailers, etc., on streets and derived from Prior code § 15-51.

A. .....Subject to other and more restrictive limitations, a vehicle may be stopped or parked within eighteen (18) inches of the left-hand curb facing in the direction of traffic movement upon any one-way street unless signs are in place prohibiting such stopping or standing.

B. .....In the event a highway includes two (2) or more separate roadways and traffic is restricted to one (1) direction upon any such roadway, no person shall stand or park a vehicle upon the left-hand 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 left-hand 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 (2) 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 center line of the street and does not block traffic thereby.

(Prior code § 15-55)

A. .....On any of the streets or portions of streets established by resolution of the council as 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 such vehicle except at the angle to the curb indicated by signs or pavement markings allotting space to parked vehicles, and in such a manner as to not interfere with motorists attempting to park in any adjacent space.

B. .....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 Chapter 10.32 of this code shall be complied with.

(Prior code § 15-56)

(Ord. No. 1520, § 1, 9-7-2010)

A. .....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.

B. .....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.

(Prior code § 15-57)

A. .....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 day when stopping is prohibited.

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

(Prior code § 15-58)

A. Wide Vehicles. .....The following regulations shall apply to all wide vehicles:

1. Between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., no person shall park any wide vehicle, other than to make deliveries or repairs of an emergency nature on either the wide vehicle itself or to the adjacent properties, on any of the following described street locations:

a. Any public street or cul-de-sac, which has a curb width of 44 feet or less.

b. Any street on which a traffic lane line has been painted where the distance between the painted lane line or centerline and the nearest part of the wide vehicle is 11 feet or less.

B. Commercial Vehicles. .....The following regulations shall apply to all commercial vehicles:

1. No person shall park or leave stopped or standing any commercial vehicle between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on any City street, designated publicly used parking lots or alley except for the purpose of actively loading, unloading, or servicing the property immediately adjacent to the commercial vehicle.

2. No person shall park a commercial vehicle on a City street, designated publicly used parking lot or alley for over two hours between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. This Subsection shall not preclude the parking of one commercial vehicle used for business and parked immediately adjacent to the property to which the commercial vehicle is registered, provided the size of the commercial vehicle does not violate any other regulations contained within this code, or the California Vehicle Code, regulating the size of vehicles or the locations or times where commercial vehicles are prohibited from parking.

3. Subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall not apply to any of the following:

a. Any commercial vehicle then currently involved in the construction, reconstruction, maintenance, or repair of any street, designated publicly used parking lot or alley upon which the commercial vehicle is parked or any development occurring directly in front of that property; or

b. Any commercial vehicle employed by any governmental entity or public utility which is used for urgent response purposes including, but not limited to, ambulances and utility repair vehicles.

C. Recreational Vehicles (RV), Buses, Camp Trailers, Trailers, Campers, House Cars, Trailer Buses, and Trailer Coaches. .....The following regulations shall apply to RVs, Buses, Camp Trailers, Trailers, Campers, House Cars, Trailer Buses, and Trailer Coaches. It is the intent of this Subsection that these vehicles shall not be parked on City streets, or designated publicly used parking lots except as provided herein.

1. No trailer shall be left unattached to any vehicle on any City street, designated publicly used parking lot or alley for any period of time.

2. No person shall park, stop, or leave standing any of these vehicles, regardless of width, on any City street, designated publicly used parking lot, or alley, in the City for more than four hours, and may only so park provided the size of the vehicle does not violate any other regulations contained within this code, or the California Vehicle Code, regulating the size of vehicles or the locations and times where vehicles are prohibited from parking, such as, but not limited to, overnight parking prohibitions for parking areas in the public right-of-way dedicated by resolution of the City Council to Max Berg Plaza Park. Parking regulations for these types of vehicles at the parking lot located adjacent to the alley on the City's Municipal Golf Course property (Assessor's Parcel Number 060-010-08) are contained in Section 10.28.230.C.3.

For purposes of this section, a vehicle shall be considered to have remained parked unless, during any four-hour period, said vehicle has been moved at least one-half (1/2) mile from the position it previously occupied. The following are exempt from this section:

a. For the purpose of loading or unloading immediately adjacent to the residential (non-commercial) property for which the vehicle, as defined in this Title, is registered, for a period not to exceed 24 hours, or for a period not to exceed 72 hours if a City-issued parking permit is obtained pursuant to Subsection D of this Section; or

b. If a vehicle, as defined in this Title, is parked immediately adjacent to the property to which it is registered and is used for daily business activities, as such activities are permitted and licensed in compliance with Title 5 - Business Licenses And Regulations, of this code, for a period not to exceed 72 hours, if a City-issued parking permit is obtained, pursuant to Subsection D of this Section.

c. If the RV, bus, or trailer is parked immediately adjacent to the residential property which its occupants are visiting, for a period not to exceed 72 hours, if a City-issued parking permit is obtained by the owner of the immediately adjacent residential property, pursuant to Subsection D of this Section.

3. No person shall park, stop, or leave standing any of these vehicles, regardless of width, on the parking lot located on the western portion of the City's Municipal Golf Course property (Assessor's Parcel Number 060-010-08) adjacent to the alley between East Avenida San Gabriel and East Avenida Magdalena between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., unless a City-issued parking permit is obtained by the owner of an adjacent residential property. Between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., no person shall park, stop, or leave standing any of these vehicles, regardless of width, for more than four hours, provided the size of the vehicle does not violate any other regulations contained within this code, or the California Vehicle Code, regulating the size of vehicles or the locations and times where vehicles are prohibited from parking.

D. Parking Permits. .....The following regulations shall apply to all City-issued parking permits required by this Section:

1. Where a City-issued parking permit is required above, a maximum of four, 72 hour parking permit extensions may be issued per residential address per calendar year. For the purposes of this subsection, a "72 hour parking permit extension" shall mean one 36 hour parking extension for the loading of the RV and one 36 hour parking extension for the unloading of the RV. Only round-trip extensions may be issued, and the commencement of the unloading period must occur no sooner than 48 hours after termination of the loading period. Longer running permits may be issued for designated publicly used parking lots at the request of the parking lot owner or manager, and at the discretion of the City's Chief of Police Services.

2. A parking permit/extension will be issued free of charge and may be obtained from the City of San Clemente Police Services.

3. The following information must be provided by the property owner: the date and time the on-street parking permit is needed; the name and address of the user and property owner requesting the parking extension; the make, model and license plate number; and the location where the vehicle will be parked.

4. If the parking extension has been obtained, the vehicle may be parked on a City street at the location, and during the period of time, authorized by the parking extension.

5. At the expiration of the initial 24 hour or any 36 hour period provided by a City-issued parking permit, or at the end of any authorized parking permit extension, the vehicle shall be moved from any and all City streets and designated publicly used parking lots for the ensuing 72 hour period.

6. No two consecutive parking permits/extensions shall be granted within a six day period.

7. City parking permits shall not be issued for unattached boat or supply trailers.

(Ord. No. 1763, § 4, 2-6-2024)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 1763, § 4, adopted Feb. 26, 2024, repealed the former § 10.28.230, and enacted a new § 10.28.230 as set out herein. The former § 10.28.230 pertained to parking time for commercial vehicles, recreational vehicles, trailers, and trailer-mounted boats on City streets and alleys and derived from prior code § 15-59; Ord. 1175 § 1, adopted 1996; Ord. 1202 § 1, adopted 1998; Ord. No. 1483, § 2, adopted April 21, 2009; and Ord. No. 1739, § 2, adopted Dec. 6, 2022.

A. .....There is established an off-street parking facility in all of Block 4, and Lots 42, 43, 44 and 45 in Block 3 of Tract No. 784, commonly called the "pier parking lot."

B. .....There is established an off-street parking facility at Lots 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62 and 63 in Block 1 of Tract No. 784; also Lot 47 of Block 13 of Tract No. 784; also Lot 18 and a portion of Lot 19 of Block 17, Tract No. 793, as acquired by slope and drainage easements, more commonly called the "Linda Lane Parking Lot."

C. .....There is established an off-street parking facility at Lots 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 of Tract No. 972, more commonly called the "North Beach Parking Lot."

D. .....There is established an off-street parking facility at Lots 13, 14, 15 and 16, Block 5, Tract No. 779, more commonly called the "Cabrillo Parking Lot." A two (2) hour parking time limit between the hours of nine (9:00) a.m. and seven (7:00) p.m. on any one (1) day is established on such facility.

(Prior code § 15-60)

Any parking lot owned or controlled by the City, as established in Section 10.28.240, shall be used only for purposes of parking vehicles in a manner consistent with this title. Any other use is prohibited, unless otherwise provided by this code or by resolution of the City Council.

(Ord. No. 1662, § 3, 9-4-2018)

The City Council may authorize curbside stopping or parking of a vehicle within an intersection, or intersection and crosswalk, by adoption of a resolution so designating the intersection and directing removal of any crosswalk pedestrian markings, and further directing the placing of signs indicating no crossing.

(Prior code § 15-61)

A. Generally. .....There is established the San Clemente preferential parking permit program. The City Council may, from time to time, adopt resolutions establishing preferential parking permit zones within the City. The City Council shall establish the cost of preferential parking permits by resolution.

B. Types of Preferential Parking Permits.

1. Residential Parking Permits. Any resident of an area of the City included within a preferential parking zone may obtain a residential parking permit for that zone by submitting to the City Finance Department the prescribed fee and a completed preferential parking permit application form. Upon verifying the information on the application and receiving the prescribed fee, the City shall issue the applicable residential parking permit to the applicant. The applicant shall affix the permit to the lower left-hand side of the vehicle's rear bumper. Any person holding a valid residential parking permit shall be entitled to park on any street within the applicable preferential parking zone regardless of posted time restrictions. No residential parking permit may be granted for any vehicle which may not legally be parked on City streets or any vehicle which is not registered to an address located within the applicable preferential parking permit zone. Residential parking permits shall be limited to one (1) permit per vehicle registered to a person living within the applicable preferential parking zone. Residents living within a preferential parking zone shall be entitled to obtain one guest parking permit unless otherwise increased by a City Council resolution. Guest parking permits shall be valid for the balance of the calendar year issued and must be renewed annually thereafter.

2. Metered Parking Permit. Any person holding a valid California driver's license may apply to the city for a metered parking permit by submitting to the City Finance Department the prescribed fee and a completed metered parking permit application form. Upon verifying the information contained within the application and receiving the prescribed fee, the City shall issue a metered parking permit to the applicant. The applicant shall affix the permit to the lower right-hand side of the vehicle's front windshield. Except as provided below, any person holding a metered parking permit shall be entitled to park, free of charge, in any City-owned parking facility or in any on-street parking space regulated by a parking meter. Metered parking permits, however, shall not be valid in short-term parking stalls or spaces. For the purpose of this section, a "short-term parking stall or space" is a parking stall or space which is regulated by a parking meter which does not allow more than one (1) hour of parking at any given time.

C. Duration of Permits. .....Preferential parking permits shall be valid from January 1st through December 31st of the year noted on the face of the permit. The permit fee shall not be prorated. Metered parking permits shall be valid for twelve consecutive months from the month of purchase.

D. Renewal. .....Any person holding a valid preferential parking permit may renew such permit, if the permittee meets the qualifications for the particular permit which he or she is requesting and pays the prescribed renewal fee. Applications for renewal shall be submitted with the prescribed fee to the City Accounting Division. Metered parking permits shall be renewed on or before the twelve-month anniversary of original purchase.

E. Issuance of Permit Upon Transfer of Vehicle. .....Upon the transfer of any vehicle owned by a permittee, the permittee shall remove the permit from the transferred vehicle and present the same to the City and the City shall reissue a preferential parking permit to the permittee.

F. Revocation. .....The City may revoke any preferential parking permit held by a person who violates any of the terms or provisions of that parking permit. Such revocation shall be in addition to any other penalties provided for by law.

(Ord. 1468 § 1, 2008; Ord. 1457 § 1, 2008; Ord. 1236 §§ 1 and 2, 1999; Ord. 1130 § 1, 1994; prior code § 15-85)