It's nine o'clock on a Saturday. You've circled the block three times and are fighting the urge to say forget it, ditch your party, and head home.
That's when you spot a free and clear yellow curb beckoning to you. Only you wonder: "Can I park here without getting towed or ticketed?"
L.A. TACO is here to help. Here's a quick guide to colored curbs in The City of Los Angeles, what they mean, and when you're legally allowed to park in them, according to The L.A. Department of Transportation. Rules and regulations may be enforced differently depending on what city within Los Angeles County you may be in.
KEEPING HOPE ALIVE
Yellow Curb: Anybody can park a vehicle here anytime on Sundays, as well as between the hours of 6PM-7AM any other day, even overnight, unless posted parking regulations say otherwise.
You may also occupy a yellow zone for a maximum of five minutes at any time as long as you're unloading baggage or people.
Otherwise, yellow zones are for commercial loading only, meaning your vehicle must have a commercial license plate and you must be loading or unloading freight, for a maximum of 30 minutes.
Green Curb: Green is your friend, easy on the eyes and easy, free and open to all on Sundays, and otherwise open to all vehicles from 6PM to 8AM Monday through Saturday, including overnight, depending on posted regulations.
The rest of the time, you can still park in these spots, which are designated for short-term parking, for usually 15 minutes or 30 minutes max, depending on the posted signage.
CONSIDER CAREFULLY
White Curb: White curbs are NOT for any type of sustained parking. You may park at a white curb ONLY if you're loading or unloading passengers and only for up to five minutes. These rules are in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If it's located in front of a postal box or hotel, that white curb is not for you but for a mail carrier or hotel staff, so don't do it. Exceptions are found in several South Bay cities, Burbank, and Pasadena, when white curbs are enforced only during set daytime hours.
DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT
Blue Curb: Look, you monsters, unless you have a blue tag officially designating you as "Disabled Person," just drive along and save that spot for someone who may need it. Otherwise, you'll be fined, maybe even towed, publicly ostracized, and go to sleep with significant difficulty, feeling bad about that bad, bad thing you tried.
Red Curb: Red curbs are easy to interpret, red being traffic-ese for "NOOOOOOOOO! Stop! Don't park here!" Don't even idle while sitting in your car here, which is also illegal. Just to be safe, don't even look at it.
