STOPPING, STANDING, PARKING AND OPERATION OF VEHICLES

Houston Code of Ordinances ch. 26, art. II

in effect

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-81 Owner and operator responsible for illegal parking.

Sec. 26-81. - Owner and operator responsible for illegal parking. It shall be unlawful for any person, having registered in his name or owning or operating or having in charge any vehicle, knowingly to allow or suffer or permit the same to stop, stand or be parked in any street in the city in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter or other ordinances of the city regulating the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-82 Parking citations issued for rental vehicles.

Sec. 26-82. - Parking citations issued for rental vehicles. (a) The parking official shall cause notice to be provided by mail or electronic transmission to the registered owner of a rental vehicle that is the subject of a parking citation, provided that the registered owner has supplied information required by procedures adopted by the director in connection with this subsection. The notice shall be provided within 20 days after the issuance of the parking citation. (b) If a parking citation is issued for a violation committed by the operator of a rental vehicle and the lessee or other person parking the vehicle fails to make an appearance on the parking citation within 30 days following the date of its issuance, then the lessor shall, within 30 days following the date of mailing of a written default notice from the parking official, pay the applicable fine for the citation including all applicable fees and costs on behalf of the lessee. Any default notice authorized to be mailed under this section may be deposited in the United States mail addressed as shown on the state vehicle registration records for the rental vehicle lessor or addressed to any other address used by the lessor for its rental vehicle business operations within the city. (c) Nothing herein shall be construed to preclude rental vehicle lessors from obtaining a pledge of financial security from lessees or otherwise securing payment for or recovering the cost from the lessees on any parking citations that are paid on behalf of lessees hereunder. (d) The parking official shall, from time to time, provide reports regarding collection activities under this section to the mayor and city council. Upon report that any lessor has failed to timely comply with any obligation under this section, the mayor may cause a hearing regarding the matter to be scheduled before the city council at one of its regular meetings or at a special meeting called for that purpose. The lessor shall be entitled to at least 20 days' prior written notice of the hearing and shall be provided a list of the parking citations for which the lessor is alleged to have failed to timely comply with any provision of this section. The hearing shall be conducted in accordance with procedural rules developed and promulgated by the mayor, which shall be consistent with principles of due process. If, following the hearing, the city council finds the lessor to have violated this section, then the city council may, unless otherwise prohibited by law, terminate any city license, permit, franchise, lease, concession, occupancy agreement, or other regulatory or contractual authorization or agreement by or through which the lessor or any other entity affiliated with the lessor conducts any business activities upon any premises owned or controlled by the city or upon the streets of the city. If the city council finds that the violation was not intentional and that the lessor has taken effective measures to prevent a recurrence, then it may issue a warning or suspension in lieu of a termination. The remedies provided in this section are in addition to any other action that is authorized in this Code or otherwise by law and shall not be deemed to preclude the taking of any other remedial action by the city. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 2011-1175, § 4, 12-14-2011)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-83 Veterans' parking privileges.

Sec. 26-83. - Veterans' parking privileges. (a) Pursuant to the provisions of section 681.008 of the Texas Transportation Code, as amended, the exemption from the payment of a parking meter fee for certain veterans and military award recipients shall also apply to payment of a parking fee or penalty imposed by the city for parking in a public parking garage or public parking lot. Any exemption shall not extend past the time limit applicable to the parking meter or parking garage or lot. This exemption from paying a parking fee or penalty shall not, however, extend to parking reservations and designated valet and short-term hourly parking in Houston Airport System parking lots and parking garages. At Houston Airport System parking lots and parking garages, the time limit is set at five consecutive 24-hour periods (days) in the parking garages, and 60 days in the ecopark lots. Parking past the time limit requires payment at the posted daily parking rates for each 24-hour period (day). At parking garages managed by the Houston First Corporation, the exemption does not extend to overnight parking, and parking overnight requires payment at the posted daily parking rate. (b) The exemption extended herein shall apply when the vehicle is being operated by or for the transportation of the registrant of the vehicle under the applicable provisions of the Texas Transportation Code. The directors who have jurisdiction over the various city-operated parking garages and lots to which this privilege applies may promulgate rules for the operation of this exemption. The rules shall be consistent with applicable state law and may include, but not be limited to, a requirement that persons requesting free parking provide a registration receipt and driver's license or other evidence that the vehicle is in fact being operated by or for the transportation of the vehicle registrant. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 2016-369, § 2, 5-11-2016; Ord. No. 2023-548, § 4, 7-12-2023)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-84 Blocking roadways.

Sec. 26-84. - Blocking roadways. No person shall park any vehicle upon a street or alley in such a manner or under such conditions as to leave available less than ten feet of the width of the roadway for free movement of vehicular traffic. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-85 Parking or standing on two-way roadway.

Sec. 26-85. - Parking or standing on two-way roadway. A driver who stops or parks on a two-way roadway shall do so in the direction of authorized traffic movement with the right-hand wheels of the vehicle parallel to and not more than 18 inches from the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, unless otherwise indicated by one or more signs, curb markings, or other traffic-control devices applicable to the roadway. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 09-2, § 7, 1-7-09)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-86 Parking or standing on one-way roadway.

Sec. 26-86. - Parking or standing on one-way roadway. In the event traffic is restricted to one direction upon a roadway, a driver who stops or parks on the roadway shall park the vehicle in the direction of authorized traffic movement with the right-hand wheels parallel to and not more than 18 inches from the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway. Where authorized by one or more signs, curb markings, or other traffic-control devices applicable to the roadway, a vehicle may be parked on the left-hand side of the roadway, but only with the left-hand wheels parallel to and not more than 18 inches from the left-hand curb or edge of the roadway. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 09-2, § 7, 1-7-09)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-87 Parking prohibitions and restrictions on specific streets generally.

Sec. 26-87. - Parking prohibitions and restrictions on specific streets generally. (a) When one or more signs are erected giving notice the prohibition of parking a vehicle, no person shall park a vehicle at any time upon any of the streets so signed. (b) When one or more signs are erected in each block giving notice restrictions on the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles, no person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle in violation of the restrictions specified on such signs on any day, unless otherwise designated. (c) The provisions of this section prohibiting the standing or parking of a vehicle shall apply at all times or at those times herein specified or as indicated on an official sign, except when it is necessary to stop a vehicle to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device. (d) The provisions of this section imposing a time limit on parking shall not relieve any person from the duty to observe other and more restrictive provisions prohibiting or limiting the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles in specified places or at specified times. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 09-2, § 7, 1-7-09; Ord. No. 2011-1175, § 5, 12-14-2011)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-88 Parking areas for persons with disabilities.

Sec. 26-88. - Parking areas for persons with disabilities. (a) Unauthorized use of parking spaces designated pursuant to section 45-128 of this Code for the exclusive use of vehicles transporting persons with disabilities shall be unlawful and shall be punished as provided by chapter 681 of the Texas Transportation Code. (b) Pursuant to the provisions of subsection (b) of section 681.006 of the Texas Transportation Code, as amended, the owner of a vehicle transporting persons with disabilities is exempt from payment of parking meter fees required in section 26-157 of this Code, provided, the vehicle may not remain in the metered zone beyond the maximum legal parking limit applicable to the parking meter zone. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 09-2, § 7, 1-7-09; Ord. No. 2023-548, § 5, 7-12-2023)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-89 Restricted use of bus zones and taxi zones.

Sec. 26-89. - Restricted use of bus zones and taxi zones. No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle other than a bus in a bus zone, or other than a taxicab in a taxi zone, when any such zone has been officially designated and appropriately signed, except that the driver of a passenger vehicle may temporarily stop therein for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading passengers when such stopping does not interfere with any bus or taxicab waiting to enter or about to enter such zone. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-90 Use of esplanade, median strip or traffic island.

Sec. 26-90. - Use of esplanade, median strip or traffic island. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to ride, operate, leave unattended any animal and/or livestock or park any vehicle on, over or across any esplanade, median strip or traffic island. (b) In addition to any applicable fine or penalty, any animal and/or livestock left unattended or vehicle parked upon an esplanade, median strip or traffic island in violation of this section shall be subject to being removed or towed at the direction of any law enforcement officer or person designated by the parking official. (c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any city employee, city contractor or employee thereof, or any person whose duty it is to maintain the esplanade, median strip or traffic island or any equipment thereon. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 2023-548, § 6, 7-12-2023)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-91 Parking on restricted city property.

Sec. 26-91. - Parking on restricted city property. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to park, or leave unattended, or drive a vehicle into or upon any property owned and controlled by the city and restricted to use by authorized persons and vehicles only, without first obtaining permission in writing to do so from the proper city officer, agent or employee, authorized by the city council to give such permission. The director of the department to which such property is inventoried is hereby authorized to restrict the use of such property only to persons and vehicles authorized in writing by such director to use such property. (b) All property of the city that has been restricted, either by the city council or by its duly authorized agent, to use by authorized persons and vehicles only, shall be designated by one or more appropriate and conspicuous signs posted at all vehicular entrances thereto, and such signs shall advise that the property is restricted to authorized persons and vehicles only, that all other vehicles will be towed or driven away, and that the driver of any illegally parked vehicle shall be subject to a civil fine. The department to which such property is inventoried shall cause such signs to be prepared and posted. The city shall incur no liability for damage caused to any such vehicle by such removal and the owner, by permitting his vehicle to be placed on such property, thereby impliedly waives claim for any damages thereto that may be caused by such towing and storage. (c) In addition to any other penalty provided for such violation, any vehicle parked, left unattended or driven upon any such restricted property of the city without permission from the proper authority having been first obtained in the manner above provided, is hereby declared to be an obstruction, and shall be subject to being towed or driven away by, or at the direction of any person designated by the head of the department to which such property is inventoried, or any city police officer, to a place of impoundment in the manner provided by law. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 09-2, § 8, 1-7-09)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-92 Vehicles on parking lots not to protrude over property line.

Sec. 26-92. - Vehicles on parking lots not to protrude over property line. It shall be unlawful for any person who operates, keeps or maintains, or causes to be operated, kept or maintained, a parking lot where automobiles or other vehicles are parked on private property adjacent to public streets or sidewalks to permit any automobile or vehicle parked thereon to be parked in such a manner so as to protrude over the property line of such parking lot or to obstruct in any manner any public street or sidewalk adjacent to such private property. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-93 Parking in excess of 24 hours.

Sec. 26-93. - Parking in excess of 24 hours. It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly leave parked or standing in any public street, alley or other public right-of-way, or other public place, any vehicle for a longer continuous period of time than 24 hours. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 2023-548, § 7, 7-12-2023)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-94 Time limit for trailer and large vehicle parking.

Sec. 26-94. - Time limit for trailer and large vehicle parking. It shall be unlawful for any person to leave, stand or park a trailer, semi-trailer, large vehicle, pole trailer or house trailer, either attached or unattached to a motor vehicle, on the public streets of the city for a period of time in excess of two hours. It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the large vehicle is: (1) Actually in the process of being loaded or unloaded; (2) Parked while the driver or operator is performing a service visit; (3) Temporarily leased or borrowed for purposes of short-term moving and parked for a period of not more than 72 hours; or (4) Parked in area where the city has expressly authorized on-street parking for trailers or large vehicles. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 2023-548, § 7, 7-12-2023)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-95 Parking of commercial and large vehicles prohibited between certain hours.

Sec. 26-95. - Parking of commercial and large vehicles prohibited between certain hours. It shall be unlawful for any person to park or stand any commercial or large vehicle on or upon the streets between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. except during the act of loading or unloading. It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the commercial or large vehicle is actually in the process of being loaded or unloaded. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 2023-548, § 7, 7-12-2023)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-96 Large vehicle restrictions.

Sec. 26-96. - Large vehicle restrictions. No person shall park or cause to be parked or permit to remain parked any large vehicle upon any street or highway in any residential district. It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the large vehicle is: (1) Actually in the process of being loaded or unloaded; (2) Parked while the driver or operator is performing a service visit; or (3) Temporarily leased or borrowed for purposes of short-term moving and parked for a period of not more than 72 hours. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 08-442, § 3, 5-14-08; Ord. No. 2023-548, § 7, 7-12-2023)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-97 Using vehicle for primary purpose of advertising.

Sec. 26-97. - Using vehicle for primary purpose of advertising. No person shall operate or park on any street any vehicle for the primary purpose of advertising, except where such operation or parking is specifically permitted by the terms of some provisions of this Code or other ordinance of the city. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-98 Parking for certain purposes prohibited.

Sec. 26-98. - Parking for certain purposes prohibited. No person shall park a vehicle upon any roadway for the principal purpose of: (1) Displaying such vehicle for sale or rental. (2) Washing, greasing, or repairing such vehicle, except repairs necessitated by an emergency. (Ord. No. 07-464, § 7(Exh. B), 4-11-07; Ord. No. 2023-548, § 8, 7-12-2023)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-99 Reserved.

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-100 Blocking bicycle lanes.

Sec. 26-100. - Blocking bicycle lanes. (a) Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms and phrases shall have the following meanings: Approved Bicycle Friendly Driver Training Class means a class, approved by the parking official, designed to teach violators best practices in considering the road safety of bicyclists and other non-motorists on shared rights-of-way. Bicycle means a vehicle with two wheels in tandem, usually propelled by pedals connected to the rear wheel by a chain or an integrated motor, and having handlebars for steering and a saddle-like seat. Bicycle includes an 'electric bicycle' as defined by Texas Transportation Code section 664.001, as amended, and tricycles. Bicycle lane means a dedicated portion of the roadway separated from motor vehicle traffic with striping and/or physical delineation intended for the exclusive use of bicyclists. Bicyclist means a person riding a bicycle. (b) No person shall stop, stand, or park any vehicle upon a bicycle lane. The provision of this subsection shall not apply to on-street bikeways where travel lanes are shared by vehicles and bicyclists and where the city permits on-street parking. (c) In lieu of paying a fine pursuant to section 26-10 of this Code, a person who has not previously received a citation for violation of this section may appear for an instanter hearing before an adjudication hearing officer within 30 days of the date of the offense and make a request to take an Approved Bicycle Friendly Driver Training Class. A person who requests to take an Approved Bicycle Friendly Driver Training Class must do so within 90 days of the request being granted and shall return proof of completion within that time period. Upon receiving acceptable proof of completion, an adjudication hearing officer shall enter a finding of not liable in the case. The presiding judge of the municipal courts department and the parking official are authorized to prescribe rules and regulations for the administration of this section. (d) In addition to any applicable fine, any vehicle parked or left in violation of this section shall be subject to being towed to a place of impoundment in the manner provided by law. (Ord. No. 2020-893, § 2, 10-14-2020; Ord. No. 2023-548, § 9, 7-12-2023)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-101 Parking for rental of goods or services prohibited.

Sec. 26-101. - Parking for rental of goods or services prohibited. (a) Notwithstanding section 26-155 of this Code, no person shall park a vehicle or motor assisted scooter upon any public property in the city, including any public roadway, sidewalk, park, street, parking space, right-of-way or other public property, for the purpose of exhibiting, placing, displaying or offering to rent any goods or services. This section does not apply if: (1) The person is a permittee under division 2 of article III of this chapter, and displays his permit or a true copy on the dashboard of the parked vehicle, and is renting goods or services as part of a special event pursuant to chapter 25 of this Code; or (2) The city and the person have entered into an agreement by which the director has authorized the person to park a vehicle on a roadway and rent goods or services. (b) This section does not apply to a commercial vehicle loading zone under article IV of this chapter. (Ord. No. 2021-205, § 4, 3-24-2021)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 26-102 Standing and parking of motor assisted scooters.

Sec. 26-102. - Standing and parking of motor assisted scooters. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person, for the purpose of renting a motor assisted scooter, to stand, park, place, offer to rent, exhibit, or display a motor assisted scooter on any public roadway, street, alley, parking space, sidewalk, park, right-of-way, or any other public property within the city limits. (b) The director may authorize the removal of any item unlawfully left on city property in violation of this section. The city may remove or authorize a contractor to remove any item unlawfully left on city property and charge a fee in the amount stated for this provision in the city fee schedule for the city's cost of removing the item to the person who owns or is responsible for placing the item on city property, if such person is known. To the extent an item unlawfully left on city property has an identifiable owner, then the city will place the item in storage for up to 30 calendar days and notify the owner of the owner's opportunity to retrieve the item upon payment to the city of the removal and storage fee in the amount stated for this provision in the city fee schedule. After 30 days from the date the city notified the owner or following a reasonable, but unsuccessful attempt to locate the owner of such item, the city may dispose of such item. The city is entitled to retain any proceeds of a sale disposing of an item in order to cover the costs incurred by the city for removal and storage of such item. The director may establish additional notification procedures, including but not limited to notification procedures where an item unlawfully left on city property has no identifiable owner. (Ord. No. 2021-205, § 4, 3-24-2021; Ord. No. 2025-971, § 2, 11-19-2025)

Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH26PA_ARTIISTSTPAOPVEFetched: 10/26/2026