Last Updated on October 17, 2021 by Lawrence Berezin
5 NYC parking rules you may not know
Did you know this NYC parking rule?
1. M(1) Wrong way parking prohibited.
Except where angle parking is authorized, every vehicle stopped, standing, or parked partly upon a roadway shall be so stopped, standing, or parked parallel to the curb or edge of the roadway. On a one-way roadway, such vehicle shall be facing in the direction of authorized traffic movement; on a two-way roadway, such vehicle shall be facing in the direction of authorized traffic movement on that portion of the roadway on which the vehicle rests.
2. M(2) NYC parking rule about angle standing or parking.
Notwithstanding the above, no vehicle that is too long and/or too wide to be parked within a single designated parking space shall be parked in such a space that is designated for angle parking.
Larry’s comment:
How do you park on a:
- Cul-de-sac?
- At the end of a dead-end street?
- One-way street?
It’s tricky. If you park on an angle (“head-on”) you risk a parking ticket for a violation of M(2). If you park parallel to the curb, you risk the rancor or your neighbors. I suggest that you carefully evaluate the parking ticket for omitted, misdescribed, or illegible required elements.
And, you do your homework to ascertain whether you have a substantive defense to the alleged parking violation. For example, if you angle park on the end of a cul-de-sac, and you get a double parking ticket, you were charged with violating the wrong NYC parking rule. Double parking is stopping, standing, or parking on the roadway side of a vehicle, standing or parking next to the curb.
3. K(7) NYC parking rule about vehicles equipped with platform lifts.
4. L(2) NYC parking rule about special midtown rule: method of parking.
Except where otherwise restricted, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily, except Sundays, from 14th to 60th Streets, 1st to 8th Avenues, all-inclusive, in the Borough of Manhattan, no operator of a vehicle or combination of vehicles
used for transportation of merchandise shall stop, stand, or park in any of the streets herein designated, other than parallel and close to the curb, and occupy no more than ten feet of roadway space from the nearest curb, and in no case shall any such vehicle be backed in at an angle to the curb
5. L(3) Special midtown rule: standing time limit.
Stay out of Midtown Mondays through Saturdays unless you are operating a commercial vehicle. However if you venture into the black hole of Midtown:
- Don’t park your commercial vehicle without paying the Muni Meter.
- There is a 3-hour limit on a single block, so you can’t move your commercial chariot from one “parking space” to another “parking space” on a single block
- But, you can park on the other side of the street on a single block
- If your truck isn’t “altered” then it’s not considered a “commercial vehicle” for stopping, standing, or parking in NYC…Beware and be warned!
Commentary
“…and miles to go before we sleep.”
Here’s a helpful page on the Evil Empires website.
I am a Maryland resident who was visiting NYC for a week.
What about a ticket and towing in a case where the fire hydrant was obscured with an apartment building’s trash bags and a chest of drawers when I parked at night? The car was ticketed and towed around 9am the next morning.
I have pictures of trash piled around the same fire hydrant by the apartment management later in the same week.
Hi Charles,
I’m sorry your visit to NYC was marred by the old hidden fire hydrant trick.
Here’s a link to a blog post that will answer your question.
https://newyorkparkingticket.com/how-to-beat-a-nyc-parking-ticket-when-the-fire-hydrant-is-hidden/
Good luck.
Best,
Larry
Sept. 2016
DOT recently (some months ago) resurfaced and repainted diagonal parking space lines on 2nd St. between First Ave and Ave A in Manhattan. However, they totally screwed up and painted them at the opposite angle of what they were previously. (For 4 decades that I am aware of) One now has to drive past the space AND BACK IN with the front of the car pointing out into traffic.i
I have never seen this anywhere in NY city or the world for that matter.
It seems no one wants to admit to or correct the error.
Any suggestions?
Barry
Barry,
Good afternoon.
Great question.
I’m afraid angle parking has been around for quite some time. According to the parking mavens, reverse parking is safer. Here’s a link to an article you may find helpful.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/09/nyregion/09ink.html
Enjoy the holiday weekend.
Park safely.
Larry
No one said angled parking hasn’t been around for quite some time. In fact, I mentioned it was on said street for 4 decades that I am personally aware of.
While I appreciate hearing that this reverse angle nonsense is actually someone’s idea and not just a screw up by the paint crew, allow me to add that it is a horrible idea obviously implemented by individuals who have never operated a motor vehicle and have never had to negotiate alternate side parking ritual. During those feeding frenzys this approach is decidedly unsafe. In closing, easily 15% of cars parked rear end first don’t even begin to align with the drawn lines. They are all over the map. Terrible idea.
Thanks.
Barry
I was ticketed and towed for “angle parking” when in truth I was parallel to the curb at a T-cross section that split a one-way street into going straight or going 90 degrees to the right into another one-way street. Imagine the right hand turning curb from the through street, there’s only a cross walk parallel to the through street. I think the curved curb right before (or right after on the opposite side continuing onto the through street) that cross walk is a legal parking spot as long as the vehicle does not violate the cross walk.
Moreover, even if those 2 spots right next to the curved curb are illegal to park, I would think it’s due to a different rule than “angle parking”, 4-08(m)(2).
Can you shine any light on this matter? any argument to fight this ticket would be greatly appreciated because it would mean the towing fee will be refunded too.
Thanks, and kudos to the good work fighting the evil empire.
Hi Linh,
Wonders never cease in Parking Ticket Land.
It sounds like you’re on to something, but to give you intelligent advice, I would have to do some investigation and look at photographs of how you parked, which is beyond the scope of the blog.
Good luck.
Regards,
Larry
It looks like this: with my car at the “L” letter, the front points up and 30 degrees to the left, the rear stick out beyond the curb about 2 feet. a’s are 2 pedestrian rams to an unmarked crosswalk. There was also another car at the “T” sticking its front out about the same amount just like how the 2 letters stickout comparing to the lines. Both cars did not block the rams at all but only my car got ticketed and towed 20 min after
| ^ |
| | |
| | L – a ———–
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| ——>
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| ^ T – a ———–
| | |
| | |
Hi Linh,
If you need me to investigate and try to formulate a defense to your specific ticket, here’s a link to our services https://newyorkparkingticket.com/passenger-vehicles/
Hi Larry,
Another angle parking question for you. Parking next to my apartment building in the West Village has been angle parking since I can remember (for the last 5 years at least). There are no signs posted for angle parking, and no lines designated, but they have never written any tickets for it. Just last week, they decided to write a ticket for every car parked there for angle parking. Cars continue to park there, and I haven’t seen anyone receive a ticket since. Do I have any grounds to fight the ticket, or is it a lost cause?
Thanks,
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Good morning. Great question.
I call this behavior the sleeping crocodile trick. The Warriors don’t enforce a rule for long periods of time and one day, the sleeping croc awakes and bites you. Here’s the angle parking rule (4-08(m)(2)
(2) Angle standing or parking. No person shall place a vehicle at an angle to the curb, except when such angle placement is authorized by these rules or by signs or markings.
Notwithstanding the above, no vehicle that is too long and/or too wide to be parked within a single designated parking space shall be parked in such a space which is designated for angle parking.
According to the strict language of the rule, unless there are street markings or signs, it is illegal to angle park.
I would check for omitted, misdescribed or illegible required elements. If you find one or more, you win subject to presenting the proper proof, properly.
Good luck, Kevin.
Regards,
Larry