• Parking Meters/Pay Stations
• Parking Zones
• Rules and Regulations
• Impounds and Towing
• Abandoned Vehicles

Parking Meters/Pay Stations

• Pre-Paid Parking Cards
• Multi-Space (MS) Pay Station Pilot Project
• Varied Rates and Time Restrictions Pilot
• High-Tech Single-space Parking Meter Pilot Project

Parking Zones

• General Rules
• Enforcement Holidays
• FAQs

Rules and Regulations

• City of San Diego
  • Municipal Code 86.01-86.30 - General Parking Regulations (PDF)
  • Municipal Code 86.2001-2016 - Residential Parking Permits (PDF)
  • Municipal Code 63.0101-63.0130 - Use of Park Areas (PDF)
  • Municipal Code 84.01-84.16 - Special Driving Rules (PDF)
  • Municipal Code 85.01-85.28 - Special Regulations (PDF)
• California
  • Vehicle Code 5200-5206 - Plates, Tab and Stickers
  • Vehicle Code 21110-21117 - Local Regulation
  • Vehicle Code 22500-22526 - Stopping, Standing and Parking
• Other Local
  • San Diego County Regional Airport Authority - Airport Parking Information
  • Unified Port Code - All Sections (PDF: 8.9Mb)

Impounds and Towing

Vehicles may be impounded or stored for several reasons listed below. If you believe your vehicle may have been impounded, call (619) 531-2000, 24 hours a day, for confirmation and to determine the location where the vehicle is stored.

The impound process may take a minimum of 3 hours. When calling for information, be prepared to provide your name as well as the license number, make and model of the vehicle. You will be given the name of the towing company, the vehicle location, amount of fees due, and payment method. Registered owner identification and drivers license is required to recover the vehicle.

Reasons for impounding a vehicle

• Vehicles found having five (5) or more unpaid parking citations.
  
  
• Vehicles found with registration expired over six (6) months.
  
  
• Vehicles parked on any street, highway, or in any City owned, leased, or operated parking facility in excess of seventy-two (72) hours without moving 1/10th of a mile.
  
  
• Vehicles found parked in violation of posted temporary or permanent signs.
  
  
• Vehicles found illegally parked not displaying any form of valid registration.
  
  
• Vehicles found parked in a hazardous manner, impeding the regular flow of traffic.
  
  
• Vehicles found parked blocking a driveway and a complaint is registered.
  
  
• Vehicle parked in a carpool lane.
  
  
• Parking Enforcement Officers also recover stolen vehicles. If found, the Parking Enforcement Officer will attempt to call the registered owner for the recovery. If unable to contact the registered owner or if the owner will take over 20 minutes to get to the vehicle, the vehicle will be stored at a City of San Diego contracted towing company until the registered owner can recover the vehicle.

Abandoned Vehicles

The San Diego Police Department's Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Unit is responsible for the removal of wrecked, dismantled and inoperative vehicles on both public and private property. To report an abandoned vehicle, contact them at (858) 495-7856 or report the violation on-line.