Can you block people from parking in front of your house in Modesto? Here are the rules
Homes in school zones, near parks or event venues, close to downtown areas and by churches all have something in common: When something’s going on, people park in front of them.
When there’s a street fair being held nearby, can you set out cones or other barricades to block people from parking in front of your home? What about when school is about to begin or end?
Here’s what the Modesto Police Department says the law is about blocking parking, and how officers enforce it:
Can you block parking in front of your Modesto home?
If you live next to a park that hosts events on weekends, you may walk out of your front door to see your street lined with cars.
But what if you have, say, a birthday party planned the same weekend as a park event? Can you put cones or barricades in places you want to save spots for your guests to park?
No, said Sharon Bear, a spokeswoman with the Modesto Police Department.
“The streets in front of your home are public, so people can park there,” she said. “However, they still must park legally.”
This means motorists cannot block driveways or fire hydrants.
How Modesto Police Department enforces the law
People can call the Modesto police non-emergency line at 209-552-2470 to report residents illegally blocking parking spaces.
If officers are called out for the issue, Bear said, they will warn the residents and advise them to remove the cones or barriers.
“Citing would be a last resort,” she said.
Some neighborhoods in Modesto, including some in school zones, have posted “no parking” signs during certain hours, Bear said. If a resident or neighborhood is interested in having one of these signs posted, they can contact the city’s traffic engineering department for more information or what the requirements may be.
If you think you’ve found a loophole by putting sawhorse-style “kids at play” signs in the street in front of your home, think again. Those are equally illegal, according to California Vehicle Code 21465.
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