KENNEWICK — Have you ever been driving in a local neighborhood and noticed how many cars are parked on the street? Have you ever had trouble fitting two cars in opposite directions on a residential road because there are so many cars parked along the street?
It’s not an uncommon occurrence. Plus, if someone throws a large gathering, you might see cars parked up and down the street. So can someone legally park in front of your house? And how long are they allowed to stay there?
Here’s what we know on the law in Washington state about parking in front of someone else’s house.
Parking in front of WA property
In most cases, it is legal to park along the street in front of someone else’s property. You can’t park on their property without permission, but the street in front of their property is fair game.
Parking on the sidewalk cannot obstruct pedestrian traffic. If you have to park partially on the sidewalk, make sure there is enough space for someone to still comfortably walk past. It’s important to consider any disabled passerby who may need additional room for walkers or motorized scooters.
In Washington state, you are prohibited from parking:
- Next to a car stopped/parked on the side of the street
- On a sidewalk or street planting strip
- In an intersection
- On a crosswalk
- Between a safety zone and adjacent curb
- Along any street excavation or obstruction, if it would impact traffic
- On any highway bridge or elevated structure
- In a highway tunnel
- On railroad tracks
- Between roadways of a divided highway
- Anywhere with signs posted prohibiting parking
In addition, the Revised Code of Washington specifies areas in which you can only park or stand still in your vehicle if you are picking up or dropping off a passenger. These are:
- In front of or within five feet of a driveway
- Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant
- Within 20 feet of a crosswalk
- Within 30 feet of traffic control signs and signals
- Within 20 feet of a fire station driveway or 75 feet on the opposite street
- Anywhere with signs prohibiting standing vehicles
- Within 50 feet of a railroad crossing
