Understanding What’s Legal: Tips to Park in Your Driveway and in Front of it

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Image shows a vehicle parked legally in a driveway, with a yellow arrow illustrating that the car does not block the sidewalk.

This vehicle is parked legally in a driveway. That’s because no part of the car extends onto the sidewalk.

We want to help you understand your options to park legally in front of your home.

This way, you can avoid tickets and help us keep sidewalks clear for everyone who uses them.

Blocking the sidewalk even a little bit poses a safety hazard. It obstructs the path where people can walk, use a wheelchair or push a stroller or cart. This can make it difficult for seniors and people with disabilities to pass by safely.

We’ll share how to park legally in your driveway. We’ll also cover an option you may not know about – parking in front of your driveway.

How to park in your driveway

The law

State law says that you can park your vehicle in your driveway if no part of the vehicle extends onto the sidewalk. That’s according to California Vehicle Code Section 22500(f).

This includes motorcycles. They should be parked on the street or in your driveway.

Citations

You could receive a citation if your vehicle extends onto even part of the sidewalk. That applies even if it looks like people could still pass by.

Usually, the dividing line between the driveway and the sidewalk is clear. If it’s not easy to tell, you can look down your block to determine the property line.

Examples: legal parking in a driveway

Here are some images that show how to park legally in a driveway.

Image shows a blue car parked correctly in a driveway because it does not block any part of the sidewalk. A yellow arrow behind the car illustrates this.

This vehicle is parked correctly. The yellow arrow shows how the sidewalk where people could walk or pass with a wheelchair or scooter is clear.

Examples: illegal parking in a driveway

The photo below shows an example of illegal parking. The car is blocking the sidewalk even though you might think people can still get by.

Image shows a gray car parked illegally in a driveway because the car goes over part of the sidewalk, illustrated by a yellow arrow beside the car.

This vehicle extends over the sidewalk (shown by the yellow arrow).

Here are some examples of illegal parking where the violation is more obvious. These cases clearly make it unsafe or even impossible for people to get by.

Image shows a vehicle completely blocking the sidewalk, which is made clear by a yellow arrow near the car.

This vehicle is completely blocking the sidewalk (shown by the yellow arrow). People walking or rolling would have to go into the street to pass.

Image shows a vehicle parked entirely on a sidewalk, demonstrated by a yellow arrow drawn behind the car.

This image shows another flagrant violation of the law. The vehicle blocks the sidewalk (defined by yellow arrow).

Do some of these images make you realize your vehicle has been blocking the sidewalk?

You might want to try parking in front of your driveway instead. We'll share how to do this legally.

How to park in front of your driveway

Understanding the “curb cut”

To park legally across your driveway, it’s important to know where it begins.

That space is called a “curb cut.” It’s where the curb lowers from sidewalk level down to street level.

The image below provides an example.

Image shows a vehicle parked legally alongside a "curb cut" because it does not block the sidewalk, shown by a yellow arrow along the curb cut.

The ”curb cut,” defined by the yellow arrow, shows where this driveway begins. This vehicle is parked correctly because it does not extend over the sidewalk.

"Curb cut” parking requirements

In San Francisco, you can park next to (parallel to) the “curb cut” of your driveway if:

Your building has only one or two units

Your vehicle’s license plate is registered to the address

Your vehicle does not block pedestrian walkways

You follow other local parking regulations (for example, street cleaning)

Your driveway is not within the “daylighting zone.”
- The daylighting zone is within 20 feet of any crosswalk in the direction of approaching traffic.

The "daylighting" exception is important to remember if your home is near a corner or mid-block crosswalk. You'll need to be parked more than 20 feet away from the crosswalk. For more information on daylighting and the new California Daylighting Law, visit our daylighting page and our recent blog about the daylighting law.