(A) When parking in locations other than marked parking space, no person shall park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer:
(1) On or blocking a sidewalk;
(2) In front of a public or private driveway;
(3) On a pedestrian crosswalk;
(4) Alongside or opposite any street excavation or obstruction when such parking would obstruct traffic;
(5) On the roadway side of any vehicle parked at the edge or curb of a street (double parking);
(6) In a restricted zone where such zone is marked by official signs or markings unless the vehicle properly falls within the permitted class for the restricted zone;
(7) In a marked fire lane;
(8) Upon any bridge;
(9) At any place where signs prohibit parking;
(10) In any location or manner which operates to obstruct traffic;
(11) On the wrong side of the street (left wheel to curb);
(12) Across marked lines of a parking space unless the parking space is too small to avoid such manner of parking;
(13) Over the top of the curb;
(14) In a restricted zone in excess of the permitted time limit, where such zone is marked by official signs or markings, unless the vehicle properly falls within the permitted class for the restricted zone;
(15) Alongside a yellow curb; and/or
(16) At or in the vicinity of a fire, vehicle accident, or other area of emergency, in such a manner as to create a traffic hazard or interfere with law-enforcement officers, fire fighters, rescue workers, or others whose duty it is to deal with such emergencies. Any vehicle found unlawfully parked in the vicinity of a fire, accident, or area of emergency may be removed by order of a law-enforcement officer or, in the absence of a law-enforcement officer, by order of the uniformed fire or rescue officer in charge, at the risk and expense of the owner if such vehicle creates a traffic hazard or interferes with the necessary procedures of law-enforcement officers, fire fighters, rescue workers, or others whose assigned duty is to deal with such emergencies. The charge for such removal shall not exceed the actual and necessary cost. Vehicles being used by accredited information services, such as press, radio, and television, when being used for the gathering of news, shall be exempt from the provisions of this section, except when actually obstructing the law-enforcement officers, fire fighters, and rescue workers dealing with such emergencies.
(B) No person other than a police officer or a person acting at the direction of the Police Department shall move a vehicle onto any such prohibited area or away from a curb such distance as is unlawful, or start or cause to be started the motor of any motor vehicle, or shift, change, or move the levers, brake, starting device, gears, or other mechanism of a parked motor vehicle to a position other than that in which it was left by its owner or driver, or attempt to do so.
(1998 Code, § 62-112) (Ord. O-2023-16, passed 12-5-2023) Penalty, see § 73.99
Statutory reference:
Parking in certain locations, see VA Code § 46.2-1239