Alabama parking laws: understanding the basics
Having a license to drive in Alabama is a privilege and a responsibility. While safety behind the wheel while driving is certainly important, drivers also need to remember that they are responsible for proper and legal parking. The state has a number of regulations by which you must abide, or else you will receive fines.
Where is parking not allowed by law?
In Alabama, the parking regulations and laws are mainly common sense, but failure to follow them will lead to penalties. For example, you are not allowed to park in an intersection. In addition, you are not allowed to park on a sidewalk or on a crosswalk.
If you are at an uncontrolled intersection, you are not allowed to park within 20 feet of the crosswalk. You are not allowed to park within 30 feet of stop signs, flashing beacons, or traffic signals, and you must park at least 15 feet away from a fire hydrant. Never park your vehicle within 50 feet of the nearest rail at a railroad crossing either, or you will be in violation of the law.
Parking in front of a driveway and blocking it is also against the law. Some of the other locations where you are not allowed to park any time include on a bridge and in a tunnel. If there are already cars parks alongside the curb or at the edge of a highway, you are not allowed to park on the roadway side of those vehicles. Naturally, this would block traffic, and it would become a hazard.
You never want to park your vehicle beside a curb that is painted yellow or red. You must also obey all of the official signs regarding where and when you can and cannot park. These signs may come in a variety of different styles. One of the standards for No Parking is a large black letter P on a white background with a red circle and red diagonal slash through it.
Alternatively, the sign may simply say No Parking Any Time, or it may have hours or days where parking is not legal.
Be aware of reserved spaces, such as handicapped spaces as well. Unless you are in a vehicle that has a handicapped plate or placard, never park in those spaces.
Stranded vehicles
Sometimes, something goes wrong with your vehicle and you are stranded on the side of the road. Since you aren’t allowed to park in the roadway, you need to try to move the vehicle off the main travel area of the road. If it is not possible to move the vehicle, you will then need to utilize lighting, cones, or other precautions so you can warn other drivers. You do not want to be a danger to other motorists, and you do not want your vehicle to become damaged in a crash.
If you do not follow the laws and regulations in Alabama for parking, you can be sure tickets and fines are in your future. The amount of the fine can vary based on the town or city where you received it. To avoid getting these tickets, be sure to park only in those areas allowed by law.
