Parking in Los Angeles
Can you park on this Los Angeles block — and for how long? Here's how the city's meters, street sweeping and permit zones work, plus local tips — and you can check your exact address free.
🅿️ Check any Los Angeles address →
What to know about parking in Los Angeles
Street parking in LA is notoriously stressful and enforcement-heavy — street-sweeping violations alone are about a quarter of all citations and bring in over $15 million a year. It's toughest in Downtown LA (the single most-ticketed area), Venice, Koreatown, and Boyle Heights, where dense demand and aggressive sweeping pile up. Even a smart spot turns into a ticket if you misread a posted street-sweeping window.
💡 Parking meters citywide are free all day every Sunday and on designated city holidays.
Local tips for parking in Los Angeles
- Meters are free all day on Sundays and on designated city holidays — plan errands for those days to skip meter costs.
- Register your block for LADOT's automated street-sweeping alerts, which text you 24 and 48 hours before your street is swept.
- Meters run 8am–8pm Monday through Saturday and rates swing from $1 to $6/hour by demand, so check the printed rate before you feed it.
- In permit-only residential zones (common in Silver Lake, Hollywood, and near Venice), non-residents get ticketed fast — read the preferential-parking district signs.
- When a holiday falls on a Sunday, LA observes it the following Monday, so free parking applies both days.
Common Los Angeles parking mistakes to avoid
- Street sweeping is the #1 ticket in LA — the posted 2-hour window is enforced even if the sweeper never comes.
- Rush-hour tow-away zones on major arterials (like stretches of Wilshire) will get you towed, not just ticketed, during peak hours.
- Bus lanes in Koreatown and Downtown are heavily enforced — a spot that looks legal off-peak becomes bus-only during commute times.
How to pay for parking in Los Angeles
Los Angeles's on-street meters are paid with ParkMobile — enter the zone number posted on the meter or pole, or pay at the kiosk. Open ParkMobile →
What LegitPark shows for Los Angeles
- Street sweeping comes from posted routes only; unposted blocks are absent.
- PPD permit hours aren't in the data (sign-only) — treated as always in effect.
- Loading zones, temporary no-parking, and special signs not included.
LegitPark reads all of this per block from official city data (and driver-scanned signs) so you don't have to decode the pole.
Parking rules on every Los Angeles street
Even where the posted rules vary, these state-law basics apply almost everywhere:
- 🚒
Fire hydrant
No parking within 15 ft (10 ft in some states) of a hydrant.
- 🚸
Crosswalk & corner
No parking on a crosswalk or within ~20 ft of one at an intersection.
- 🛑
Stop sign & signal
No parking within ~30 ft of a stop sign, yield, or traffic light.
- 🚗
Driveways
Never block a driveway — public or private — even partially.
- 🟥
Painted curb
Red = no stopping. Yellow = active loading only. White = quick pick-up/drop-off.
- 🚌
Bus stop & transit
No parking in a marked bus stop, transit zone, or taxi stand.
- 🚲
Bike lane
No stopping or parking in a bike lane at any time.
- ♿
Accessible spaces
Never use a disabled space or block its access aisle/ramp without a valid placard.
- ↔️
Direction & distance
Park with traffic, within ~12 in of the curb; no double-parking.
- 🚂
Blocked zones
No parking on a sidewalk, in an intersection, on a bridge, or within 50 ft of a rail crossing.
Los Angeles parking FAQ
Are parking meters free on Sundays in Los Angeles?
Yes — LA meters are generally free all day on Sundays and on designated city holidays, though individual signs can still post street sweeping or tow-away restrictions, so always check the pole.
How do you pay for parking in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles meters take ParkMobile — enter the zone number posted on the meter, or pay at the kiosk.
Does Los Angeles have street sweeping or permit parking?
Yes — LegitPark reads Los Angeles's street sweeping, meters and residential permit zones from official city data where it's published. Rules change block to block, so always check the posted sign.
How do I know if I can park on a specific Los Angeles street?
Open LegitPark, drop a pin or search the address, and it shows the meter, time limit, street sweeping and permit rules for that exact block.
Check your exact Los Angeles spot
Rules change block to block. Drop a pin or search your address and LegitPark shows the meter, time limit, street-sweeping and permit rules for that spot.
Open LegitPark →
⚠ Always check the posted sign before you park