With more registered vehicles in California than licensed drivers as of 2025, residents might have trouble finding parking. Californians may try to get creative, but is it legal to block your own driveway, or even your neighbors’?
As of June 1, 2025, the California Department of Motor Vehicles had 35,983,261 registered vehicles, while there were only 34,777,752 people with driver’s licenses or identification cards, according to department statistics.
Garages, driveways and street parking have limited space, meaning households with more than one vehicle will take up more street parking and spill into spaces their neighbors might use. So, should you or your neighbor be allowed to park in front of your own driveway?
Is it legal to park in front of a driveway?
California Vehicle Code 22500 says that a person “shall not stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle whether attended or unattended, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a peace officer or official traffic control device.”
The vehicle code does not allow motorists to park in an intersection, crosswalk, along a red-painted curb or in front of a private or public driveway.
Some cities might have local ordinances that allow people to park in front of their own driveways with a permit.
Homeowners should be careful when parking in their own driveway as well, as vehicles are not allowed to block pedestrian walkways even when it’s in front of their own house.
Some exceptions to the rule are emergency service vehicles, school buses and taxis unloading passengers.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Is it legal to block a driveway in California?
Reporting by Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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