Do I need a residential parking permit to park in front of my own driveway in San Francisco?

January 23, 2012 10:28 AM

In San Francisco, will DPT ticket me if I park on the street in front of my own driveway without a residential parking permit?

I have two driveways next to each other, and my car fits on the street within their combined width. I'm wondering whether residential parking restrictions apply to this space, which is within the driveway cutouts, or whether residential parking permits are only necessary for curbed spaces.

posted by roxie110 to Travel & Transportation (12 answers total)

(PS... To head off at the pass any snarky comments about why am I not just parking in the garages: one belongs to a guy who has his car up on blocks in it and will let me park in front; my car was stolen last week and my rental car is too large to fit in my garage, so I'm checking to see whether I need to pay for a temporary parking permit for the rental car if I park it in the street in front of my building. I just paid $100 to renew my permit before it was stolen, but am not allowed to transfer that to a rental car.)
posted by roxie110 at 10:33 AM on January 23, 2012

Yes, they will ticket you, based on what I've seen on my street. The driveway space that's in the street is still part of the street, and they will ticket.
posted by rtha at 10:39 AM on January 23, 2012

I would not take my chances with this, and definitely recommend getting the temp permit.
posted by Nimmie Amee at 10:41 AM on January 23, 2012

If my experience is any guide, they won't ticket or tow you for blocking a driveway, but they will enforce all other parking laws. For example, if your neighborhood has 2 hour parking for non-residents, you need to move it every 2 hours.
posted by rkent at 10:42 AM on January 23, 2012

rkent for the win. That's exactly how it works.
posted by asavage at 10:43 AM on January 23, 2012

I have parked like this in my Inner Sunset driveway every day for a couple years, with no problems except for the usual street cleaning. It's possible, though, that my landlord obtained some kind of permit.
posted by steinsaltz at 10:51 AM on January 23, 2012

I'd check with the neighbors to see if people in your area get tickets just for blocking their own driveway separate from the permit / hours issue.
posted by oneear at 10:55 AM on January 23, 2012

It's fine to park in front of your own driveway if you have a permit... I've done it on and off for years. FYI I live near the Panhandle.
posted by roxie110 at 10:56 AM on January 23, 2012

If you're on the south side of the panhandle, there is a huge swath of non-residential non-metered street parking along Buena Vista West and Central. If it's not too far away, you might avoid the hassle of a temporary permit and just find a street spot. I live near there and have parked on the street for years without a residential permit. You just need to mind the street cleaning days!
posted by gyusan at 11:06 AM on January 23, 2012

DPT won't ticket anyone just for blocking a driveway, unless the owner/manager of the driveway calls to complain and/or request a tow.
posted by rtha at 11:08 AM on January 23, 2012

If your neighborhood has permit parking, which will be indicated by street signs, you'll need a permit to park for more than 2 hours at a time during hours of permit enforcement, whether you're parking on the street or in front of your driveway. You can get a temporary permit for your rental car from the SF DPT.

As RTHA says, DPT will only ticket for driveway parking if there's a complaint, so as long as you have permission to be in front the driveway (and aren't in a feud with anyone else in the building) you should be OK with a temporary permit. Note that the DPT will ticket if you're parked in a driveway such that you're blocking the sidewalk.
posted by zombiedance at 11:13 AM on January 23, 2012

Yes, you need a neighborhood permit (or need to move it every two hours.) Even if you're parked in front of a driveway.

You can also get ticketed for parking in front of a driveway IF the owner complains and can demonstrate that it's an active driveway.
posted by gingerbeer at 11:45 AM on January 23, 2012