Revised Code of Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 46.61.570 (2026)

✓ current as of May 2026

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(1) 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, no person shall:

(a) Stop, stand, or park a vehicle:

(i) On the roadway side of any vehicle stopped or parked at the edge or curb of a street;

(ii) On a sidewalk or street planting strip;

(iii) Within an intersection;

(iv) On a crosswalk;

(v) Between a safety zone and the adjacent curb or within 30 feet of points on the curb immediately opposite the ends of a safety zone, unless official signs or markings indicate a different no-parking area opposite the ends of a safety zone;

(vi) Alongside or opposite any street excavation or obstruction when stopping, standing, or parking would obstruct traffic;

(vii) Upon any bridge or other elevated structure upon a highway or within a highway tunnel;

(viii) On any railroad tracks;

(ix) In the area between roadways of a divided highway including crossovers; or

(x) At any place where official signs prohibit stopping.

(b) Stand or park a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except momentarily to pick up or discharge a passenger or passengers:

(i) In front of a public or private driveway or within five feet of the end of the curb radius leading thereto, except that a city or county may, by ordinance or resolution, allow residential property owners within their jurisdiction to park, or allow another to park, across the point of ingress or egress of the driveway entering on to the residential property, provided that the driveway is no longer than 50 feet and that such parking does not obstruct a sidewalk, another driveway, or the roadway;

(ii) Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant;

(iii) Within 20 feet of a crosswalk;

(iv) Within 30 feet upon the approach to any flashing signal, stop sign, yield sign, or traffic control signal located at the side of a roadway;

(v) Within 20 feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station and on the side of a street opposite the entrance to any fire station within 75 feet of said entrance when properly signposted; or

(vi) At any place where official signs prohibit standing.

(c) Park a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading property or passengers:

(i) Within 50 feet of the nearest rail of a railroad crossing; or

(ii) At any place where official signs prohibit parking.

(2) Parking or standing shall be permitted in the manner provided by law at all other places except a time limit may be imposed or parking restricted at other places but such limitation and restriction shall be by city ordinance or county resolution or order of the secretary of transportation upon highways under their respective jurisdictions.

(3) No person shall move a vehicle not lawfully under his or her control into any such prohibited area or away from a curb such a distance as is unlawful.

(4) It shall be unlawful for any person to reserve or attempt to reserve any portion of a highway for the purpose of stopping, standing, or parking to the exclusion of any other like person, nor shall any person be granted such right.

[ 2025 c 137 s 1; 1977 ex.s. c 151 s 40; 1975 c 62 s 35; 1965 ex.s. c 155 s 66.]

Notes:

Rules of court: Monetary penalty schedule—IRLJ 6.2.

Federal requirements—1977 ex.s. c 151: See RCW 47.98.070.

Severability—1975 c 62: See note following RCW 36.75.010.

Limited access highways: RCW 47.52.120.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 5 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1970–2023 · leading case: Mina v. Boise Cascade Corp., 710 P.2d 184 (Wash. 1985).

Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment

Mina v. Boise Cascade Corp., 710 P.2d 184 (Wash. 1985). · cites it 2× “"(2) Subsection (1) of this section, RCW 46.61.570, and 46.61.575 shall not apply to the driver of any vehicle which is disabled in such manner and to such extent that it is impossible to avoid stopping and temporarily leaving the vehicle in such position.”

Leach v. Weiss, 467 P.2d 894 (Wash. Ct. App. 1970). · cites it 2× “This is specifically forbidden in RCW 46.61.570. While there is a statutory excuse provided for a violation of RCW 46.”

Bowen v. Baumgardner, 491 P.2d 1301 (Wash. Ct. App. 1971). · cites it 5× “The guardian ad litem argues that if the sign constitutes an “official traffic-control device” within the meaning of RCW 46.61.570 so as to permit an exception to the statutory prohibition of parking, it is unauthorized because it is one “inconsistent with Title 46 RCW placed or…”

Kyle J. Branchick, V Melrose Station Homeowners Assoc. (Wash. Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 6× “010, with RCW 46.61.570. Here, neither PCC 10.24.010, nor RCW 46.”

Ruffino v. City of Puyallup, 377 F. Supp. 3d 1205 (W.D. Wash. 2019). “64-3 at 24-24, who stated he did not see lines of more than 30 people at ticket windows. Dkt. 63 at 4. Ruffino also argues that issues stemming from ride-share traffic could be addressed by placing official signs along Meridian prohibiting stopping or loading pursuant to RCW 46.”

— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.61.570(1) — 1 case

Bowen v. Baumgardner, 491 P.2d 1301 (Wash. Ct. App. 1971). “The guardian ad litem argues that if the sign constitutes an “official traffic-control device” within the meaning of RCW 46.61.570 so as to permit an exception to the statutory prohibition of parking, it is unauthorized because it is one “inconsistent with Title 46 RCW placed or…”

— Wash. Rev. Code § 46.61.570(1)(b)(iii) — 1 case

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