How long can I park here? Does my neighbor need to move his boat? These are common questions city staff field regarding parking in residential areas. Parking can be tricky, especially in Old Town neighborhoods, where the streets weren’t designed to accommodate both the size and number of vehicles the modern person may have.
To that end, the Boulder City Police Department put together a flow chart of the parking regulations to help residents comply with local and state law. The local law, found HERE, talks about this in detail:
No person shall park a vehicle on any street for a period of time longer than twenty-four (24) hours, except in an area contiguous to his or her residence.
What does contiguous mean? It means the area in front of the residence, not side streets or adjacent streets. It also means on the same side of the street as the residence. Neighbors can give permission for cars to be parked in front of their own homes, but they are not obligated to do so.
There’s a state law in play here too, namely NRS 484B.483, found HERE:
Parking a vehicle on roads for certain purposes prohibited:
1. Displaying the vehicle for sale.
2. Washing, greasing or repairing the vehicle, except repairs necessitated by an emergency.
3. Soliciting business.
4. Selling merchandise from the vehicle except in a duly established marketplace, or one so authorized or licensed by the local authority.
5. Storage, or as junkage or dead storage, for more than 72 hours.
Many residents use the street to store vehicles like trailers, boats, recreational vehicles, etc. The city ordinance permits in certain circumstances for the vehicle to be parked more than 24 hours but only up to 72 hours. Why the 72 hour maximum? Because the state law prohibits parking a vehicle for three reasons: storage, junkage or dead storage for more than 72 hours. The city cannot pass an ordinance that is less restrictive than state law and permit a person to store a vehicle on the roadway, even in front of their residence, for more than 72 hours. That same state law prohibits parking at all for the other reasons outlined in the statute. Even if it is parked in front of the owner’s residence.
Having said all that, the code enforcement process is complaint driven, meaning residents will have to submit complaints for parking violations in their neighborhoods. You can do that using SeeClickFix or by sending an email HERE. You can find out how to download SeeClickFix HERE.
Here is the flowchart to help determine whether your vehicle is parked illegally in a residential neighborhood. Any questions about these regulations should be directed to the Code Enforcement Officer at (702) 589-9603.
