As football fans park in crowded driveways and residential streets this fall to attend gameday parties, the presence of unfamiliar cars out front could trigger frustration or anger.
While some see it as un-neighborly behavior, others might wonder if parking in front of someone else’s house is against the law.
Don’t call the police yet, though. Here’s what the law has to say about neighborhood parking.
Is it illegal to park in front of someone else’s house?
According to Nolo, a publishing company for the legal industry, it’s not illegal for someone to park in front of a stranger’s house on a public street.
Generally speaking, you can park along any neighborhood street.
“An individual citizen does not ‘own’ or have any ongoing exclusive right to use a parking space on a public street,” attorney Brian Farkas wrote in a 2023 Nolo article. “These spaces are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.”
There are some big caveats, though. Various laws include restrictions to keep intersections clear and preserve access to fire hydrants.
You can’t park there!
According to Oklahoma law, there are many places where you can get a ticket or be towed for leaving your vehicle.
On a sidewalk or crosswalk
Within fifteen 15 feet of a fire hydrant, or 20 feet of an intersection crosswalk
Within 30 feet of a stoplight or sign on the side of a roadway
Within 50 feet of a rail crossing
On a bridge, or under a highway overpass
Near safety zones, fire station entrances or street excavation
Drivers must also leave their wheels no more than 18 inches from the curb.
Oklahoma City has adopted its own parking ordinances, which get even more specific about how vehicles should be parked along public streets.
In residential districts, OKC restricts larger vehicles from street parking during some parts of the day. Specifically, vehicles more than seven feet wide or 24 feet long can’t be parked there between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., unless they’re loading, unloading or if there’s an emergency.
And if you’re parking in a neighborhood governed by a homeowner association, watch out. HOAs that own private streets can set their own parking rules, and violators could find their vehicle towed.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Is it illegal to park in front of my neighbor’s house? See Oklahoma law