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Earlier editions: 2026-09

Title 11 — VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC›Chapter 11.44 — OFF-STREET PARKING

San Jose Municipal Code Part 2 Off-Street Parking Meter Zones

San Jose Municipal Code · 2026-10 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · San Jose

Cite as: San Jose Municipal Code Part 2 · Text as of 2026-10-04

Footnotes:

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State Law reference— For statutory provisions authorizing local authorities to establish parking meter zones, see Vehicle Code § 22508.

11.44.050 - Established - Map adopted by reference - Contents - Meter installation.

The off-street parking lots in this city, as are hereinafter designated in this Part 2, are defined and established as off-street parking meter zones within which the parking of vehicles shall be controlled, regulated and inspected with the aid of parking meters, and shall be governed by the provisions of this Code. Parking meters shall be located as shown upon a map or maps of the city designated as the "Off-Street Parking Meter Zone Map, City of San José," and any amendments thereto, which map is on file in the office of the city clerk. The map, or maps, and all amendments thereto, and markings thereon, are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof, as though fully set forth herein. The director of streets and traffic shall cause parking meters to be installed and maintained in all off-street parking meter zones. The rate of fees for each parking meter zone shall be as hereinafter set forth for each zone.

(Prior code § 3319.1; Ords. 21657, 23734.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.060 - Off-street parking meter zone 1.

A. Map reference: Off-Street Parking Map No. 1 - Blue color.

B. Rate of fees: One cent for each three minutes.

C. Off-street parking lots included: Main Library Parking Lot.

D. All that certain real property situated in the City of San José, county of Santa Clara, state of California, described as follows: Beginning at a point on the southerly line of San Carlos Street, distant thereon N 59° 21' E, 305.58 feet from the point of intersection of said line of San Carlos Street with the easterly line of Almaden Avenue, formerly Orchard Street, said point of beginning also being the northeasterly corner of that certain parcel of land described as Parcel 1 in the deed from Arthur F. Castle to Clare E. Castle, dated June 9, 1944, and recorded September 25, 1947, in Book 1453 of the Official Records, page 22, said point also being the northeasterly corner of that parcel of land described in Parcel No. 3 in the deed from Edward A. Uhl, a widower, to City of San José, dated September 16, 1963, and recorded October 11, 1963, in Book 6227 of Official Records, page 651; thence along said southerly line of San Carlos Street N 59° 21' E, 31.80 feet to a point; thence leaving said southerly line of San Carlos Street and proceeding S 30° 39' E, 104.89 feet to a point; thence S 42° 39' E, 197.15 feet to a point on the northerly line of Auzerais Avenue; thence along said northerly line of Auzerais Avenue, S 47° 21' W, 113.46 feet to a point; thence leaving northerly line of Auzerais Avenue and proceeding N 30° 39' W, 321.32 feet to a point on said southerly line of San Carlos Street; thence along said southerly line of San Carlos Street, N 59° 21' E, 38.20 feet to the point of beginning.

(Prior code § 3319.2.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.070 - Meters - Manner of installation and operation.

The director of streets and traffic shall have parking meters installed immediately adjacent to each parking space. Each meter shall be placed in such a 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 or parking time for the zone in which the parking meter is installed, and shall continue to operate from the time of the completion of the operational procedure until the expiration of the time fixed as the parking limit or a portion thereof for the part of off-street parking lot upon which said meter is placed. Each said meter shall also be so arranged that upon the expiration of said legal parking time it will indicate by a mechanical operation and by the proper signal that the lawful parking period has expired.

(Prior code § 3319.4; Ords. 21657, 23734.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.080 - Parking time limit establishment - Signs required.

The director of streets and traffic is authorized to determine the maximum parking time to be allowed in said off-street parking meter zones, and to cause signs which fulfill the requirements of the ordinances and resolutions of the city pertaining thereto to be placed at various parts of such zones so designated.

(Prior code § 3319.3; Ords. 21657, 23734.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.090 - Meters - Time adjustment for money paid.

Parking meters, when installed, shall be adjusted so that legal parking time is registered and accumulated upon such meter in units of three minutes upon and after the deposit of each United States one-cent coin, or in units of thirty minutes upon and after the deposit of each United States ten-cent coin, or in units of sixty minutes upon and after the deposit of twenty cents in United States coin; provided, however, that no parking meter shall be adjusted to show or register any period of parking time in excess of the maximum legal parking time limit designated by appropriate sign in the area or zone wherein any such parking meter is installed.

(Prior code § 3319.5.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.100 - Parking space marking - Procedure for parking.

The director of streets and traffic shall have lines or markings painted or placed upon the area adjacent to each parking meter, designating the parking space for which said meter is to be used, and each vehicle parked adjacent to or next to any parking meter shall park within the lines or markings so established. No person shall park any vehicle across any such line or markings or park a vehicle in such a position that the same shall not be entirely within the space designated by such lines or markings.

(Prior code § 3319.7; Ords. 21657, 23734.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.110 - Meters - Hours and days of operation.

The provisions of this Code relating to the operation of off-street parking meters shall be effective between the hours of nine a.m. and nine p.m. on Monday through Friday, and between the hours of nine a.m. and six p.m. on Saturday, excepting Sundays and holidays.

(Prior code § 3319.6.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.120 - Meters - Method of operation.

Immediately after occupancy of a parking meter space, the operator of a vehicle shall deposit a coin of the United States in said parking meter and if necessary turn a crank, knob or handle in accordance with the instruction posted on the face of the parking meter to activate the parking meter and indicate the parking time limit achieved by the coin deposited therein.

(Prior code § 3319.8.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.130 - Unlawful to park after meter time has expired.

No operator or any vehicle shall permit said 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. Violation of this section shall be a misdemeanor.

(Prior code § 3319.9.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.140 - Unlawful to extend time beyond limit.

No person shall follow the operational procedure established by this chapter for the purpose of increasing or extending the parking time of any vehicle beyond the maximum legal parking time established for the particular parking meter. Each successive maximum period of time, or portion thereof, during which the maximum legal parking time has been extended in excess of the initial period, shall constitute a separate offense.

(Prior code § 3319.11; Ord. 21735.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.150 - 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 said owner or operator of the vehicle using the parking space immediately adjacent to said meter.

(Prior code § 3319.12.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.160 - Acts constituting 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.

(Prior code § 3319.14.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.170 - Attaching articles to meters prohibited.

No person shall attach anything to or allow a bicycle, newsrack of any other article or thing to lean against a parking meter or a parking meter standard.

(Prior code § 3319.13.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.180 - Unlawful to leave vehicle parked after receipt of parking meter violation citation.

No operator of any vehicle shall permit said vehicle to remain parked in a metered parking space after receipt of a violation citation for exceeding the parking time limit. Violation of this section will occur only after the passage of the succeeding time limit of the metered parking space as recorded by the preceding violation citation.

(Prior code 3319.10; Ord. 21735.)

Exceptions & meaning →

11.44.190 - Overparked vehicle - Citation required - Contents.

Each police officer shall take the number of any meter at which any vehicle is overparked as provided in this part; the state vehicle license of such vehicle; the time and date of such overparking; and the make of such vehicle; and issue, in writing, a citation for illegal parking.

(Prior code § 3319.15.)

Exceptions & meaning →

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