Burbank — Parking

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes how the City of Burbank regulates parking, off‑street loading, and bicycle parking in the local zoning ordinance (Title 10 / former Title 17 numbering used in the code excerpts). It explains the design and dimensional rules, minimums and shared‑parking options, and where specific rules apply by local zone (residential and commercial building types), with the controlling code citations so you can verify specifics. For related topics see the city's Burbank Zoning page and the city's Burbank Development Standards for how parking ties into setbacks and site design.

How to read this page

• Every rule below is tied to a numbered ordinance provision (presented as § x.x.xxxx) — check that section in the municipal code for full legal text. File excerpts used for this page are cited inline.

Key Citywide Standards (plain facts you will use)

• General parking lot design, surfacing, marking, drainage, safety barriers, and maintenance requirements are in § 10-1-1417 (parking lot design standards). These include paved surfaces, drainage to Public Works standards, marked stalls and directional signs, 6‑inch curbs as wheelstops, and internal circulation that keeps turning and loading on‑site.

• Parking setbacks, screening, and required masonry walls in frontages are in § 10-1-1417.1 (setbacks and walls). Surface lots must provide minimum landscaped front/street setbacks and often a 3 ft masonry wall along the street except at drives.

• Minimum off‑street loading (size and counts) for hospitals, offices, restaurants, industrial/commercial buildings is in § 10-1-1501, with loading space dimensions and access in § 10-1-1502 and § 10-1-1503. Typical loading stalls must be ~300 sq ft with 14 ft vertical clearance and be arranged so vehicles do not need to back into a street.

• Shared parking procedures and the Administrative Use Permit pathway are in § 10-1-2715 (shared parking), which allows reductions when a shared‑parking analysis demonstrates feasibility.

• Bicycle parking minimums for many residential building types (storefront buildings, apartments, condominiums) are stated as one secure bicycle space per four dwelling units, with minimums of two spaces for small projects; bicycle parking must be secured and weather protected. See § 10-1-2706.9(D) and related project‑type sections.

• Minimum parking counts for specific uses are implemented via the ordinance tables (for example, Table 10-1-920(A) and § 10-1-1408(2) are cited as the authoritative tables for required spaces for residential and commercial uses). Applicants must consult the relevant table and the code section that applies to their building type.

• Dimensional stall sizes: for multi‑family residential, spaces must be at least 8 ft‑6 in wide by 18 ft deep; for nonresidential uses, spaces must be at least 9 ft wide by 18 ft deep. Individual garage/carport internal clearances are 9 ft‑6 in by 19 ft. These requirements appear in the development standards and parking‑areas sections.

• Tandem parking rules: allowed for certain multi‑family projects only (e.g., projects with three or fewer units, except R‑2), with tandem dimensions of 8 ft‑6 in by 36 ft; tandem spaces must be assigned to specific units and guest spaces may not be tandem.

• Unbundled parking (leasing/selling separately) rules for new residential projects are included in the ordinance; renters/buyers have first refusal rights to their unit parking.

• Electric vehicle and accessible parking requirements follow the City Building Code and state/federal law (the zoning ordinance defers to the Building Code for accessible parking and EV requirements). Verify EV count and accessible stall standards with the permitting/building department and the California Building Standards Code.

District‑by‑district breakdown (where the ordinance provides district‑specific parking rules)

Note: each subsection below names the local zone in bold and lists the parking rules that the retrieved ordinance excerpts tie specifically to that zone or building type. Verify parcel‑specific rules with the City.

R‑1 (Single Family Residential)

Purpose & typical uses: single‑family homes and accessory structures.
Key parking rules:

• General parking stall dimensions and driveway standards apply to single‑family lots (driveways: minimum 10 ft wide, maximum 18 ft where street‑facing; driveway paving and curb‑cut limits apply). See the parking areas and driveways standards in § 10-1-2714/I and related sections.
• Tandem parking rules and garage/carport sizing apply as general provisions; ADU parking limitations under state law may override some local requirements (see Information Gaps). Not found in retrieved materials specific to R‑1 ADU parking beyond citywide references. Verify with the City and consult the Burbank ADUs page for local ADU guidance.

R‑2 (Duplex / Low‑rise Multi‑family)

Purpose & typical uses: duplexes and small multi‑family.
Key parking rules:

• In the R‑2 Zone, all parking spaces must be provided in an enclosed garage or carport (no open uncovered spaces for required parking), per the multiple‑family parking provisions. § 10-1-271? / I.6 (stated in the ordinance excerpts). Verify the exact cross‑reference with the City Planner for parcel‑specific application.
• Standard parking stall dimensions and driveway requirements apply (see citywide dimensions above).

R‑3 / R‑4 (Higher‑density Multi‑family)

Purpose & typical uses: apartments, larger multi‑family complexes.
Key parking rules:

• Multi‑family projects must provide full‑size parking spaces: 8 ft‑6 in × 18 ft minimum for surface stalls; garage/carport clear space 9 ft‑6 in × 19 ft when parking is enclosed. Tandem is allowed in limited circumstances (with assignment rules). Guest parking must be unrestricted and not gated. See the parking dimensions and guest/tandem provisions in the multiple‑family sections. § 10-1-271? / I (multiple references).

C‑3 (General Commercial) and Commercial Building Types

Purpose & typical uses: general commercial and retail; specific building types such as Commercial Building, Storefront Building, and Townhomes/Live‑Work have tailored parking rules.
Key rules:

• Commercial uses must follow the spaces required table referenced in § 10-1-1408(2) and project‑type subsections (e.g., § 10-1-2706.9, § 10-1-2707.9 for specific building types) which point applicants to the commercial parking tables; parking reductions are possible via shared parking per § 10-1-2715.
• Example: Storefront Building apartment parking ratios (applies to apartments inside a Storefront Building) are specified as 1.25 spaces per small studio; 1.75 per 1‑BR/large studio; 2.0 per 2+ BR; 1 guest per 4 units; condominium/live‑work rules may require 2 spaces per unit plus guest. Bicycle parking for these building types is 1 bike space per 4 units, minimums of two spaces for small projects. See § 10-1-2706.9 and associated tables for exact application.

Central Business District / Downtown Parking Area

Purpose & typical uses: dense downtown commercial and mixed‑use.
Key rules:

• The ordinance calls out special tables and exceptions for the Central Business District Downtown Parking Area, and refers to modified commercial parking requirements in § 10-1-2706.9(A) which cross‑references § 10-1-1408(2) (commercial spaces) and allows shared parking. Verify downtown table entries referenced by Table 10-1-920(A) for exact ratios.

North San Fernando Boulevard Zone / Overlay Areas

Purpose & typical uses: corridor/overlay where building placement and parking adjacency rules differ.
Key rules:

• Certain building types in overlay zones may have different setback and parking adjacency rules (for example, not requiring setbacks from lots within the North San Fernando Boulevard Zone in some building types). These adjustments affect where parking can be placed relative to building footprints and lot lines — see the building type sections and the overlay district rules in the ordinance. For overlay‑specific application, consult the Burbank Overlay Districts page and verify with the Community Development Director. Not all overlay parking adjustments are explicit in the retrieved excerpts.

Most decision‑relevant standards (quick reference table)

(Where an item references a table (Table 10-1-920(A) or 10-1-1408(2)) the ordinance text points you to those tables for use‑specific ratios; consult those tables in the code for the exact per‑use parking counts.)

Checklist (what an applicant must satisfy for a typical project)

• Provide off‑street parking counts per the applicable table or building‑type section (Table 10-1-920(A) or § 10-1-1408(2)) and show calculations.
• Dimension all stalls/garages on plans to meet minimums (multi‑family 8'‑6"×18', nonresidential 9'×18', garage clear 9'‑6"×19').
• Show driveway widths, curb cut width and locations (no more than one curb cut per 100 ft of frontage; max 18 ft curb cut where applicable).
• Show paved surfacing, drainage to Public Works standards, markings, and wheelstops per § 10-1-1417.
• If providing surface parking, show front/street landscaping setbacks and screening/wall details per § 10-1-1417.1.
• Provide bicycle parking (secure, weather protected) at the required rate for the use.
• If requesting shared parking reductions, submit a city‑format shared parking analysis and obtain an Administrative Use Permit per § 10-1-2715.
• Note special loading requirements (sizes and location) and show loading aisles that avoid backing into the public street.
• Check for overlay or Downtown/CBD exceptions that may change parking requirements and coordinate with the City Planner or Public Works. Not all overlay specifics are in the excerpts—verify.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English Summary

Burbank’s zoning rules require paved, drained, and clearly marked off‑street parking that meets minimum stall sizes, driveway and curb‑cut limits, screening and landscaping for surface lots, bicycle parking ratios for residential building types, and loading spaces sized/located so trucks don’t have to back into the street; shared parking is allowed with an analysis and a permit. Key rules live in § 10-1-1417, § 10-1-1417.1, § 10-1-1501–1503, and the building‑type sections such as § 10-1-2706.9; verify parcel‑specific counts against the cited tables and the Planning Department.

Source References

• Burbank parking lot design & applicability: § 10-1-1416 and § 10-1-1417.
• Parking setbacks & screening: § 10-1-1417.1.
• Minimum parking and building‑type references (Storefront/Townhome): § 10-1-2706.9, § 10-1-2707.9, § 10-1-2708.
• Shared parking rules: § 10-1-2715.
• Loading space counts/dimensions and location: § 10-1-1501, § 10-1-1502, § 10-1-1503.
• General parking and driveway dimensions (multi‑family & nonresidential) and unbundled parking: development standards and parking areas sections in the code excerpts.
• City building code / Title 24 reference for accessible and EV parking: California Building Standards Code (see Title 24 references in the uploaded CA Building Code excerpts).

Retrieved passages

• Burbank Zoning Code (Section 31-171.5) High relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Article 14) High relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Section 10-1-2704) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 200 (Article 14) High relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Article 14) High relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Section 10-1-1418) Medium relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Title 10-1-19119) Medium relevance show source text
• Burbank Zoning Code (Article 14) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Burbank parking lot design & applicability: **§ 10-1-1416** and **§ 10-1-1417**. (§ 10-1-1416)
• Parking setbacks & screening: **§ 10-1-1417.1**. (§ 10-1-1417.1)
• Minimum parking and building‑type references (Storefront/Townhome): **§ 10-1-2706.9**, **§ 10-1-2707.9**, **§ 10-1-2708**. (§ 10-1-2706.9)
• Shared parking rules: **§ 10-1-2715**. (§ 10-1-2715)
• Loading space counts/dimensions and location: **§ 10-1-1501**, **§ 10-1-1502**, **§ 10-1-1503**. (§ 10-1-1501)
• General parking and driveway dimensions (multi‑family & nonresidential) and unbundled parking: development standards and parking areas sections in the code excerpts.
• City building code / Title 24 reference for accessible and EV parking: California Building Standards Code (see Title 24 references in the uploaded CA Building Code excerpts). (Title 24)
• Burbank_ZoningCode.md
• 2025 California Building Code.md
• 2025 California ADU handbook.md