Can I legally park in front of someone’s IL home? What the law, Belleville code allows
If you’ve got more visitors than you can fit in your Illinois driveway, or you’re attending a party in another neighborhood, is it permissible to park in front of someone else’s home?
The Illinois Vehicle Code prohibits parking on a crosswalk or sidewalk, along with several other restrictions. While there are some statewide parking regulations, state law does not specifically prohibit parking in front of someone else’s home, assuming you are on public property and don’t violate any other restrictions.
“If a road is private, then there can be any number of restrictions placed on it,” Teri Ross, executive director of Illinois Legal Aid Online, said in a Sept. 24 interview with the News-Democrat.
Local ordinances and homeowner’s association rules may also apply to street parking in residential areas.
The Illinois Vehicle Code prohibits, “except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic, or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or official traffic-control device,” parking in these situations, among others:
- On a sidewalk
- Within an intersection
- On a crosswalk
- On railroad tracks
- On any bridge or other elevated structure upon a highway or within a highway tunnel
The full text of the Illinois Vehicle Code’s parking restrictions is available online.
Is street parking legal in Belleville neighborhoods?
Similar to state law, Belleville’s municipal code does not specifically prohibit parking in front of someone else’s home on a public roadway, provided other rules are followed. Again, homeowners associations may have additional restrictions.
One notable restriction in Belleville’s city code is you can’t park within 6 feet of a driveway.
“It shall be unlawful to park any motor vehicle on any private property without the consent of the owner of the property,” part of Belleville’s city code additionally reads.
Belleville’s city ordinances also prohibit parking in the following situations:
- In or within 20 feet of an intersection
- In or within 20 feet of a crosswalk
- On a sidewalk or parkway
- Upon or approaching a bridge, viaduct, subway or tunnel
- Within 30 feet of a traffic signal, beacon or sign on the approach side
- Any place reducing roadway to usable width of less than 18 feet
- Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant
- Within 6 feet of a driveway
- Within 50 feet of nearest rail or railroad crossing grade
- “Within 20 feet of the driveway entrance to any Fire Department station and on the side of the street opposite the entrance to any such station within 75 feet of such entrance, when properly signposted or where curb is painted yellow; except that, parking shall be permitted within 25 feet of fire house on the east side of 12th Street”
- At any place where official signs prohibit parking or where the curb is painted yellow
- In a fire lane
- At any city-owned premises, in residential districts, including multi-family districts, unless permitted by ordinance
- Within 25 feet in either direction of the police department’s speed monitor trailer
- On any roadway prohibited by order of the police chief
Belleville’s city code provides an exception for these restrictions “when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic control device.”
Another Belleville city ordinance says parking spaces for homes in residential zoning districts cannot be located in the front yard, except for on the driveway, but can be in side yards or backyards.
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