Trying to find a parking space can be a nightmare, especially if you’re in a city centre. If you see yellow lines and can’t remember if you’re allowed to park, it can be tempting to just pull up and hope for the best.
But getting it wrong could land you with a parking fine of around £70, possibly even more in more expensive areas like London. Not to worry, we’re going to run you through all the parking restrictions and rules for single yellow lines and double yellow lines.
What does a single yellow line mean?
Single yellow lines mean there are parking and waiting restrictions, so you can’t stop or park here during certain times of the day. There is no standard time rule for single yellow lines so there will usually be a road sign with more information.
Can you park on a single yellow line?
You are not allowed to stop or wait on single yellow lines during the times displayed on the road sign. Parking on a single yellow line is only allowed outside of those hours. For example if the sign says 8.00am – 6.00pm, you can park on the single yellow line after 6.00pm, as long as you’ve moved your parked car before 8.00am.
The road signs you’d expect to see are yellow time plates. They’ll include an image of the no waiting road sign and tell you the times the no waiting restrictions are in force. If there is no road sign or time plate, you should assume that you can’t park at any time on the yellow line.
Can you park on a single yellow line on a Sunday?
In some places, you can park on a single yellow line on a Sunday. It’s important not to make an assumption though, you can only park on a Sunday if the sign says no waiting between Monday and Saturday.
It might be busy so you’ll need to parallel park. Check out our guide to parallel parking
Can you stop on a single yellow line to pick up passengers?
You can usually stop and pick up a passenger on single yellow lines. You can also stop to load or unload your car. Make sure you look out for any signs that might tell you not to stop and load or unload your car before pulling over.
What do yellow lines on the kerb mean?
You may see yellow lines on the kerb next to a single or double yellow line on the road. Yellow lines on the kerb mean no loading or unloading is allowed. There may be black and white plates to tell you what time this is in force. If there’s no sign, you should assume it’s always in force. You can still stop briefly while picking up and dropping off passengers.
Can you park on double yellow lines?
As a general rule, you can’t park on double yellow lines. Double yellow lines mean no waiting is allowed at any time. You can usually stop to load or unload, unless signs or road markings tell you otherwise.
Can you park on double yellows with a disabled badge?
The only exception to parking on double yellow lines is if you’re a blue badge holder. These are the rules for parking on yellow lines with a disabled badge:
- You can park on a single or double yellow line for up to 3 hours
- You have to display your disabled badge clearly showing the blue badge clock with the time you arrived and parked
- After your 3 hours are up, you have to wait for at least an hour before you park in the same spot
- Your car shouldn’t be obstructing the road
- You can’t park if there are any road signs or marking to indicate there’s no loading or unloading allowed on the yellow lines
What are red lines and can you park in them?
If you live in London, Leeds or the West Midlands you’re likely to have come across single and double red lines. These red lines are found on ‘red routes’ where vehicles are not allowed to stop.
With single red lines, you can’t stop, wait or park. That means, unlike single yellow lines, you can’t stop to load or unload, or to pick up passengers. But there may be time plates that show you hours where the no waiting or stopping rule isn’t in place.
With double red lines there is no stopping, waiting or parking at any time.
Parking restrictions
It’s important to know all the road signs and markings that are there to tell you there are parking restrictions in place. Unfortunately, “I didn’t know what that meant” isn’t going to cut it as an excuse if you fall foul and get a parking ticket. Rules 238 to 252 of the Highway Code will tell you all the rules you need to know on parking and waiting.
Parking on a single or double yellow line will usually land you with a £70 parking fine, and it could be even more depending on the local authority. This will be reduced by 50% if you pay it within 14 days.
Make sure you’re insured
Got an exciting trip coming up? Now you’re up to speed on parking restrictions and rules, let’s think about insurance. If you’re travelling with a friend you could share the drive with temporary car insurance.
Or if your car is in the garage, borrow a car from a friend or family member. We might be able to help you out with temporary cover from 1 hour up to 60 days.