New York Parking Ticket: The No Parking Rule

Last Updated on November 5, 2016 by Lawrence Berezin

I stop, I stand, I park

Stopping, standing, and parking mean the same thing in the wacky world of NYC parking tickets; halting your vehicle. I can’t tell you how many telephone calls, emails, and blog comments I receive attempting to differentiate standing and parking.

For example, ” I wasn’t parking, I was only standing because I was sitting behind the wheel of my car.” Ca-ching. “I wasn’t even in the car when I received a parking ticket, so how can I be standing?” Ca-ching, Ca-ching.

Passengers and Property

You can stop temporarily to drop-off or pick-up a passenger AND personal property in a no parking zone according to the NO PARKING rule. But, your passenger must be waiting by the curb (not in his apartment). You can’t run the groceries into the house, even for two minutes. Nor can you run into Hyler’s Bakery!

You can stop, drop and go in an NO PARKING ZONE. You can never stop, drop and wait for your 103-year-old Aunt Tillie to cross the street.

What’s missing from this no parking sign?

[Answer: The name of the agency that authorized the sign. For example, NYC DOT (Department of Transportation). If  the parking sign omits the authorizing agency’s name, the sign is not a legal parking sign].