The Director is hereby authorized, on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation, to prohibit, regulate, or limit stopping, standing, or parking of vehicles at all times or during specified hours.
No prohibition, regulation, or limitation relating to stopping, standing, or parking imposed under this or any other ordinance of the County which requires an official traffic control device shall be effective unless official traffic control devices are erected and in place at the time of any alleged offense and it shall be the duty of the Director to erect and maintain such devices.
No person shall park or allow to stand any vehicle on any of the public streets or roadways in the County for a period in excess of seventy-two (72) hours.
Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) for each violation.
Pursuant to State law, Transportation Article, Section 15-101 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, a person who offers to sell three or more vehicles during any 12-month period is presumed to have acquired the vehicles for resale purposes. A person who sells the referenced amount of cars during the stated time period is deemed to be a dealer and is subject to obtaining a dealer license pursuant to State law. Persons committing curbstoning are deemed to be selling vehicles as an unlicensed vehicle dealer, subject to State regulation.
Curbstoning may also consist of one or more of the following criteria:
The license plates are out of State, issued temporarily, are dealer tags and/or are missing altogether;
The seller admits that he/she is a dealer but says that it is a personal vehicle;
The seller insists on a cash payment;
The vehicle's title is not in the seller's name;
The seller offers to do the tag and title paperwork;
The title is recently issued or the seller refuses to show you the title;
The seller gives only a pager or cell phone number;
The same number is listed for multiple vehicles in the newspaper or outdoor location;
The vehicles are for sale by the roadside;
The seller wants to meet at a different location other than his or her residence; and
Any one of these criteria may be indicative, but not conclusive, of curbstoning.
Unless otherwise permitted by law, a person shall not sell or offer to sell a vehicle or vehicles on any County roads, County property or in a County right-of-way.
After receiving a warning from an enforcement agency, which may include the Prince George's County Police Department, a person that continues to sell or offers to sell a vehicle or vehicles in violation of this Act, shall be subject to the enforcing agency, which may include the Department of the Environment, seizing the vehicle or vehicles and taking them to a County storage facility.
A vehicle may be deemed to be "for sale", based on regulations promulgated by the enforcement agencies, regardless of whether or not it has a For Sale sign.
No person shall park any commercial bus, commercial trailer, trailer, or heavy commercial truck on any street or highway in the County between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., outside the corporate limits of any municipality.
This Section shall not apply to vehicles which are in the course of a commercial purpose and do not park for more than a two (2) hour period.
Any vehicle which is parked in violation of this Section shall be subject to being towed or immobilized by the Police Department or the Revenue Authority from such highway or street and impounded. The impoundment of the vehicle shall be done pursuant to Division 18 of this Subtitle.
Any owner issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for the first violation, Seven Hundred Fifty ($750) for the second violation and One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) for the third and for any subsequent violations; except that those trailers that are not Commercial Trailers shall be subject to a fine of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for each violation and eligible for a separate citation for each twenty-four (24) hour period such trailer is in violation of this Section.
If any municipality in Prince George's County shall adopt this Section as it may be amended from time to time and without modification, and request that the County enforce the provisions hereof within the corporate limits of such municipality, the County shall hereafter administer and enforce the provisions of this Section within such incorporated municipality.
For the purpose of determining the penalty under this Section, each day a vehicle remains in violation shall be considered a separate offense and eligible for a separate citation per day.
The Director is hereby authorized to determine the location of loading zones and passenger loading zones and shall place and maintain appropriate signs indicating the same and stating the hours during which the provisions of this Section are applicable.
No person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle for any purpose or period of time other than for the expeditious loading or unloading of passengers in any place marked as a passenger loading zone during hours when the regulations applicable to such loading zone are effective, and then only for a period not to exceed three (3) minutes.
Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of Ten Dollars ($10.00) for each violation.
No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle for any purpose or length of time other than for the expeditious unloading and delivery or pickup and loading of materials in any place marked as a loading zone during hours when the provisions applicable to such zones are in effect. In no case shall the stop for loading and unloading of property exceed thirty (30) minutes.
The driver of a passenger vehicle may stop temporarily at a loading zone for the purpose of, and while actually engaged in, loading or unloading passengers when such stopping does not interfere with any vehicle which is waiting to enter or about to enter such zone to load or unload property.
Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of Twenty Dollars ($20.00) for each violation.
The Director is hereby authorized to approve or disapprove the location of bus stops or rescind or modify any prior approval heretofore given.
No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle other than a bus within thirty (30) feet of a bus stop, except that a 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 waiting to enter or about to enter such zone. Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Subsection shall be subject to a fine of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) for each violation.
A vehicle for which two registration plates are required, one plate shall be attached on the front and the other on the rear of the vehicle.
No person shall park any unregistered motor vehicle or unregistered trailer upon the highways, roads, streets, or other public property in the County at any time.
No person shall park any motor vehicle or trailer displaying expired registration stickers upon the highways, roads, streets, or other public property in the County at any time.
Any person issued a citation for violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for each violation.
No person shall park, stop, or stand a vehicle on any private property not owned by the owner or driver of the vehicle unless the person has express or implied permission from the property owner, his tenant, or his agent to park, stop, or stand the vehicle, as the case may be.
Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) for each violation.
The Revenue Authority of Prince George's County shall be authorized to enforce this Code provision.
No person shall stand or park a vehicle in any parking space on public or private property which is designated as parking reserved for the physically handicapped with the proper signs posted in conformance with the most recent edition of the State of Maryland Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, unless said vehicle displays a special handicapped registration plate or permit issued by the State.
No person shall duplicate or falsify a special handicapped registration plate or permit issued by the State.
Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250.00) for each violation.
The provisions of Section 26-163.01 shall not be subject to the penalty imposed under this Section.
General rule. The provisions of this Section apply except as necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or traffic control device.
Stopping, standing, or parking. No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle:
In front of a public driveway;
On a sidewalk;
In an intersection;
On a crosswalk;
Between a safety zone and the adjacent curb or within thirty (30) feet of points on the curb immediately opposite the ends of a safety zone, unless the Director indicates a different length by signs or markings;
Alongside or opposite any highway excavation or obstruction if to do so would obstruct traffic;
On any bridge or other elevated structure on a highway;
In a highway tunnel;
At any place where stopping is prohibited by an official sign;
On any entrance or exit ramp of any highway with two or more lanes for traffic moving in the same direction; or
In a bike lane or bikeway.
An authorized emergency vehicle responding to an emergency, a transit vehicle, a vehicle stopping momentarily to pick up or discharge disabled individuals, or a vehicle that has become unintentionally disabled are exempt from the provisions of this Section. Bikeable shoulders shall be exempted unless they are striped as bike lanes.
Standing or parking. No person shall stand or park a vehicle:
Within three (3) feet of a private driveway without the consent of the owner or occupant of the premises;
Within fifteen (15) feet of a fire hydrant;
Within twenty (20) feet of a crosswalk at an intersection;
Within thirty (30) feet on the approach to any flashing signal, stop sign, yield sign, or traffic control signal located at the side of a roadway;
Within twenty (20) feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station or on the side of a highway opposite the entrance to any fire station within seventy-five (75) feet of the entrance, if properly sign posted;
At any place where standing is prohibited by an official sign;
On the roadway side of any other vehicle that is stopped or parked at the edge or curb of a highway; or
On a curve or hill where solid lines on the surface of the roadway indicate a zone in which passing is prohibited;
With both of the side wheels more than twelve (12) inches from the curb;
In a direction other than the flow of traffic;
So as to prevent another vehicle already stopped near the curb or otherwise legally parked, from moving away;
Not wholly within a designated parking space, or within two (2) feet of the front or rear bumper of another vehicle parked at or parallel to the curb;
In a taxi stand when properly posted by official signs;
Upon any street or alley in such a manner or under such conditions as to leave available less than nine (9) feet of the width of a roadway for free movement of vehicular traffic;
Upon any street where no-passing lines have been marked in such a manner or under such conditions as to leave available less than nine (9) feet of width of the roadway between said vehicle and the no-passing line;
Upon the left-hand side of a highway which includes two or more separate roadways with traffic restricted to one direction upon any such roadway unless signs are erected to permit such standing or parking on any such one-way roadway;
Between the curb lines and the adjacent property lines except where signs are installed designating this as a permissible parking area.
On an unpaved area of a residential lot.
Within ten feet of a curb-side residential mailbox, except Sundays and Federal holidays, subject to a complaint by the property owner.
On any County roads, County property or in a County right-of-way for the sale or attempted sale of a vehicle or vehicles.
Parking. No person shall park a vehicle:
Within fifty (50) feet of the nearest rail in a railroad grade crossing;
Unless for the use of handicapped individual, in a space or zone marked as restricted for the use of handicapped individuals;
At any other place where parking is prohibited by an official sign.
Parking Commercial Vehicles Near Commercial or Industrial Businesses. Where a commercial or an industrial business exists on any street or highway in the County that is across the street or highway from or adjacent to a residential home or development, no person shall park any Heavy Commercial Truck, as defined in Section 26.101, less than 75 feet or 25 yards from the closest residential property line.
Penalty. Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of Fifty Dollars ($50.00) and for curbstoning, a fine of up to One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) for each offense.
Penalty. Notwithstanding Section 26-127.04(f), any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section pertaining to residential parking shall be subject to a fine of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00).
No person shall stand or park a vehicle in any stall or parking space on public or private property which is designated for charging an electric vehicle with the proper signs posted in conformance with the most recent edition of the State of Maryland Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, unless said vehicle is connected for electric charging purposes.
Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for each violation.
The provisions of Section 26-163.01 shall not be subject to the penalty imposed under this Section.
Definitions. The following definitions are applicable in this Section of the County Code:
Camper means a structure designed to be mounted to a motor vehicle and to provide facilities for human habitation or camping purposes.
House car means a motor vehicle originally designed or permanently or temporarily altered and equipped for human habitation, or to which a camper has been permanently or temporarily attached.
Human habitation shall mean the use of a vehicle for dwelling.
Evidence of human habitation shall include activities such as sleeping, food preparation, and/or any other activity where it reasonably appears, in light of all the circumstances, that a person or persons is using the vehicle as a living accommodation. The use of a vehicle for six or more consecutive hours for eating, resting, recreating and/or sleeping shall per se constitute "human habitation" for purposes of this Section.
Recreational vehicle shall mean a motor home, travel trailer, trailer coach, truck camper, camping trailer or park trailer, and vehicles which are designed for recreational, emergency, or other types of human habitation.
This Section refers to any motorized vehicle including, but not limited to, a recreational vehicle or house car.
It shall be unlawful for any person to use, occupy, or permit the use or occupancy of any automobile, truck, camper, house car, mobile home, recreational vehicle, trailer, trailer coach, or similar equipment for human habitation on any public property, street, avenue, alley, or other public right-of-way within Prince George's County, except in a designated public campground, recreational park, or licensed mobile home park.
Penalty. Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of $50.
The Director is authorized, from time to time, to designate certain property for the parking of vehicles to be so designated by the affixing of a sign or other markings on or near the area so reserved. Signs or markings so erected shall be erected only under order of the County Executive or his designee in areas and under the conditions in the Order.
The Director may reserve parking for individuals, groups of individuals or to the public at large and for any other use designated by the County Executive or his designee. The Director shall reserve not less than fifteen (15) parking spaces for the County Council, to be designated as the County Council shall direct in an area suitable to the County Council.
The designated use appearing upon any sign so affixed by the Director shall be prima facie evidence as to the purpose for which the area may be used and that the sign was affixed by the Director.
Parking permits may be issued by the County Executive for reserved parking spaces or areas created under this Section. Said parking permits shall be conspicuously displayed as directed by Administrative Procedure. Any vehicle upon which said reserved permit is not displayed in the manner required shall be presumed to be unlawfully parked in said reserved space or area.
No person shall park, store, or leave any vehicle of any kind, whether attended or not, and no owner of any vehicle of any kind shall allow, permit, or suffer any vehicle to be parked, stored, or left, whether attended or not, upon any property owned or leased by the County and used for parking purposes, including access and egress roadways, without the consent of the County Executive.
Any vehicle found parked in a reserved parking space designated as provided in Section 26-128, whose owner or driver is not authorized to park in the space, may be impounded by the Police Department, or the Revenue Authority, or County work force. The impoundment of the vehicle shall be done pursuant to Division 18 of this Subtitle.
Any person issued a citation for violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of Thirty-five Dollars ($35.00) for each violation.
The Director shall be authorized, from time to time, to designate certain County owned or leased property for the erection of parking meters. Parking meters so erected shall be erected only under County Executive Order in areas and under the conditions as designated in such Order.
Any parking meter so erected shall have affixed on or about it a sign or writing notifying prospective users of the conditions of parking. The designated use appearing upon any parking meter or writing so affixed by the Director shall be prima facie evidence as to the purpose for which the adjacent area may be used and that the sign or writing was affixed by the Director.
It shall be the duty of the Director to see to the maintenance of parking meters and periodic collection of money deposited in any parking meters erected pursuant to this Division.
No person shall park, store, or leave any vehicle of any kind, whether attended or not, and no owner of any vehicle shall allow, permit, or suffer the vehicle to be parked, stored, or left, whether attended or not, upon any property upon which have been erected parking meters by the Director, except in strict conformance with the designated use, time, and other conditions appearing on or about any parking meters erected thereon.
Any vehicle found parked, stored, or left in violation of the conditions found on or about any parking meter may be impounded by the Police Department or the Revenue Authority, or any County work force. The impoundment of the vehicle shall be done pursuant to Division 18 of Subtitle 26 of this Code.
Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall be subject to a fine of not more than Thirty-Five Dollars ($35.00) for each offense.
No person shall willfully damage, destroy, or tamper with any parking meter, sign, or writing erected pursuant to this Division.
Any person violating this Section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be subject to a fine not exceeding One Hundred Dollars ($100) for each offense.
It shall be the duty of the Police Officers of the County, the Revenue Authority, or any other County employees specifically designated by the County Executive, to enforce the provisions of this Division.
No person shall park any watercraft on any public County streets, roads, highways, or rights-of-way at any time.
Any owner found in violation of this Section shall be subject to the following penalties:
A warning notice placed on the watercraft notifying the owner to remove the watercraft off all public County streets, roads, highways, or rights-of-ways within seventy-two (72) hours;
A Two Hundred and Fifty Dollar ($250) fine for a first offense; and
A Five Hundred Dollar ($500) fine for each subsequent citation issued.
For the purpose of defining the penalty under this Section, each violation shall be considered a separate offense and eligible for a separate citation Twenty-Four (24) hours after the last citation was issued.
Any watercraft that has not been moved from a public County street, road, highway, or right-of-way after the second violation of this section may be subject to tow and impoundment by the Revenue Authority or the County Police Department. The impoundment of the watercraft shall be enforced pursuant to Division 18 of this Subtitle.
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to encumber, obstruct or in any manner interfere with the free and uninterrupted use of any County road, street, highway, or public right-of-way by leaving cones and objects thereon.
The Department of Public Works and Transportation, the Department of the Environment, and the County Police Department are authorized to remove cones and objects on any County road, street, highway, or public right-of-way.
The removal of cones and objects set forth in Sec. 26-135.02(a) shall not apply to an official use by a governmental entity, or use by a public utility.