What are the rules for parking in Albuquerque neighborhoods?
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – You probably know the basics: Don’t park in front of a fire hydrant, don’t block someone’s driveway, and don’t block an alleyway. But what exactly are the rules for parking in a neighborhood? Is there anything you can do if your neighbor is constantly parking in front of your house?
To check the rules, KRQE sat down with the city’s Parking Division. They say the main focus is ensuring safety for residents.
“Our first thing is trying to protect pedestrians,” says Maria Griego, the city’s Parking Division manager. “That could be someone with a disability . . . or small children, making sure they’re visible to vehicles that are passing.”
Parking on public streets
Many of the rules for parking are laid out in the city’s Code of Ordinances. Those are generally enforceable by Albuquerque Police officers, and violating the ordinances can result in a fine.
“We honestly had very few requests for enforcement in neighborhoods until COVID hit. And then we had a large uptick,” says Maria Griego, the city’s Parking Division manager. “That’s when we noticed there were neighbors watching neighbors more.”
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Griego says the common issues are parking too close to a driveway, parking within a driveway but sticking out onto the sidewalk, and parking too close to stop signs and the like. You can’t park within 10 feet of a crosswalk or within 30 feet of a stop sign, the Parking Division tells KRQE.
The ordinances also say that you cannot park a vehicle within three feet of a driveway. The exceptions are if parking is necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or if a police officer pulls you over near the driveway. Parking in a bike lane is also a big no-no.
The ordinances also say that you can’t park a vehicle without a proper license plate on any street. So, even if parked on the street outside your home, a vehicle needs a proper license plate and registration tag.
Public streets, shared spaces
Even though you might own your house, you don’t own the curb parking space in front of your house. And you are not allowed to paint the curb or put up cones or try to reserve that space.
“Anyone can park in front of anyone’s house because it is a public roadway,” Griego says. But there are limits when it comes to how long a vehicle can stay parked in one spot. There are also restrictions on unhitched trailers and large vehicles.
“RVs or semis that are 90 inches or more [in width] are not permitted on the streetway because they are too wide,” explains Allena Rodriguez, a parking enforcement officer. And if a car sits on the street for 36 hours, it can cited by parking enforcement.
“Usually I give them leeway to move their vehicles if they are movable. But it is deemed ‘inoperable’ so technically it could be cited,” Rodriguez says.
The enforcement process generally begins with a warning, then a citation, and then a red-tag. If it reaches that level, then the Albuquerque Police Department takes over, and they can tow the vehicle.
So, what can you do if someone is causing an issue with parking on your street?
“Communication between neighbors is key,” Griego says. “If you feel safe to communicate with your neighbor, I think that’s the neighborly thing to do.”
So, if neighbors can work out parking disputes on their own, that’s ideal. But the city does take anonymous tips if there are unresolved issues. You can call 311 or report online at this link.
If someone parks, or even abandons, a car on the street in front of your house, it’s against city ordinances to move that car if you aren’t the owner of the car (if you have permission from the owner). So, if someone abandons a vehicle outside your home, you can call 311.
Generally, abandoned or inoperable vehicles are removed to address a potential safety hazard. But city ordinances also note that the rules “also intended to protect the integrity and aesthetic importance of neighborhoods in the city by preventing the use of private and public property as a disposal area for inoperable and abandoned vehicles.”
If a vehicle is parked on the street without a current license plate or left unattended for 36 hours (without valid police permission), the vehicle is considered “abandoned,” according to the city’s ordinance. Police generally can’t have these towed immediately, but they can cite the vehicle with a tag on the window.
Police can order an immediate impound of a vehicle illegally parked in a way that obstructs the entrance of a private driveway, the city’s ordinance says.
What about parking in gated communities or private property?
“Gated communities are the only ones that are outliers,” Griego says. “We don’t go in to enforce gated communities.”
Homeowners associations generally regulate parking rules within gated communities. However, the city can enforce parking issues relating to fire lanes in gated communities. They can also enforce handicap and disability accessibility-related parking issues within gated communities, Griego adds.
As for private property, the city’s Parking Division generally doesn’t have jurisdiction over private property. But if a vehicle is parked on private property and some of the bumper or part of the vehicle sticks out onto the sidewalk, the city can enforce parking rules.
The city’s ordinance says that “inoperable vehicles” left on private property for more than three consecutive days is a “public nuisance.” There’s a key exception, however. Historical vehicles bring preserved, restored, or collected are not a “nuisance” under the city’s code.
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