Photo: Quintin Gellar, Pexels
California uses five curb colors to show where you can stop, load or park, and the knowledge test regularly asks about them and about hill parking. This guide gives the meaning of each color, which way to turn your wheels on a hill, the distances to remember and how to parallel park, all from the California Driver’s Handbook (Section 6).
What do the curb colors mean in California?
| Curb color | What it means |
|---|---|
| White | Stop only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers. |
| Green | Limited-time parking. The time limit is posted on a sign or painted on the curb. |
| Yellow | Loading and unloading of passengers and freight only, for no longer than the posted time. Drivers of noncommercial vehicles usually must stay with the vehicle. |
| Red | No stopping, standing or parking. Buses may stop in red zones marked for buses. |
| Blue | Parking only for vehicles displaying a disabled person placard or special license plate. |
Memory aid: white = drop off, green = time limit, yellow = loading, red = never stop, blue = disabled placard only.
Which way do you turn your wheels when parking on a hill in California?
| Situation | Front wheels |
|---|---|
| Downhill, with a curb | Turn into the curb (toward the side of the road). |
| Uphill, with a curb | Turn away from the curb (toward the center of the road), then let the car roll back a few inches until the wheel gently touches the curb. |
| Uphill or downhill, no curb | Turn to the right, so the car rolls away from the center of the road if the brakes fail. |
| Sloping driveway | Turn so the car will not roll into the street. |
Always set the parking brake.
Quick check: only uphill with a curb turns the wheels away from the curb. Every other case turns them toward the side of the road.
Where is parking illegal in California?
Never park or leave your vehicle:
- Where a NO PARKING sign is posted.
- On a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
- On a sidewalk, partly blocking one, or in front of a driveway.
- Within 3 feet of a sidewalk ramp for disabled persons, or in front of or on a curb that gives wheelchair access to a sidewalk.
- In the crosshatched area next to a designated disabled parking space.
- In a zero-emission vehicle space, unless you are driving a zero-emission vehicle.
- In a tunnel or on a bridge, unless signs allow it.
- Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant or the driveway entrance to a fire station.
- Within 20 feet of a marked or unmarked crosswalk, or within 15 feet of a crosswalk where the curb has been extended.
- Between a safety zone and the curb.
- Double parked.
- On the wrong side of the street.
- On a freeway, except in an emergency, when an officer requires you to stop, or where stopping is specifically allowed.
Distances to memorize
| Rule | Distance |
|---|---|
| Fire hydrant or fire station driveway | 15 feet |
| Crosswalk | 20 feet (15 feet with a curb extension) |
| Disabled sidewalk ramp | 3 feet |
| Parked parallel to the curb | Within 18 inches |
| Space needed to parallel park | At least 3 feet longer than your car |
How to parallel park (California handbook method)
- Find a space at least 3 feet longer than your vehicle and signal.
- Pull alongside the car in front of the space, about 2 feet away. Stop when your rear bumper lines up with the front of the space.
- Check your blind spots, then back in at about a 45-degree angle.
- When your rear wheel is within 18 inches of the curb, start turning the wheel away from the curb.
- Finish parallel to the curb and within 18 inches of it.
- Set the parking brake, check for traffic and open your door only when it is safe.
Breaking down on a freeway
If you must stop on a freeway, park completely off the pavement and stay in your vehicle with the doors locked until help arrives. A vehicle left on a freeway for more than 4 hours may be removed.
Electric vehicle charging spaces
Local authorities can reserve public street parking for electric vehicle charging. Do not park a non-zero-emission vehicle in a zero-emission vehicle space.
Common questions
Can you stop at a white curb in California?
Only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers.
Can you park at a yellow curb in California?
Only to load or unload passengers or freight, within the posted time. Noncommercial drivers usually must stay with the vehicle.
How far from a fire hydrant must you park in California?
At least 15 feet.
How close to the curb must you park in California?
Within 18 inches when parallel parked.
Which way do you turn your wheels parking uphill with a curb?
Away from the curb, then roll back gently until the front wheel touches it.
Can you stop briefly at a red curb in California?
No. Red means no stopping, standing or parking, even for a moment. Only buses may stop in red zones marked for buses. For the drive test itself, see what the California examiner scores.
Related: California DMV knowledge test, US pavement markings, parking rules for new US drivers and the full California license guide.
Sources
- California DMV, “Section 6: Navigating the Roads (Continued)” California Driver’s Handbook (dmv.ca.gov)