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Massachusetts · Parking Rules

Massachusetts Parking Rules

A complete guide to parking rules in Massachusetts, based on the official MA RMV driver handbook.

Take the Massachusetts practice test Permit guide
Capital: Boston Min permit age: 16 Permit fee: $30 Hold period: 6 months

Where you can never park in Massachusetts

Whether or not a sign is posted, Massachusetts prohibits parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, in any marked crosswalk, on a sidewalk, in front of a public or private driveway, within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, within 30 feet of a stop sign or traffic signal, within 50 feet of the nearest railroad crossing rail, in a designated bicycle lane, and within 20 feet of a fire-station driveway. These distances appear on the test verbatim — memorize them.

Curb colors

Massachusetts uses a standardized set of curb colors. Red means absolutely no stopping, standing or parking. Yellow is a loading zone; you may stop only long enough to load or unload passengers or freight. White is for very brief passenger pickup or drop-off only. Green allows parking for a short, posted time limit. Blue is reserved for vehicles displaying a disabled placard or plate.

For a deeper read on this topic across all 50 states, see our right-of-way, speed limits, and alcohol and drugs articles.

Hill parking

When parking on a hill in Massachusetts, set the parking brake and turn the front wheels so the vehicle will roll into the curb if the brakes fail. Heading downhill, turn the wheels toward the curb. Heading uphill with a curb, turn the wheels away from the curb so the right rear tire rolls back against it. Heading uphill or downhill with no curb, always turn the wheels toward the edge of the road so a runaway vehicle leaves the roadway.

Disabled parking

Disabled parking spaces in Massachusetts are reserved for vehicles displaying a valid disabled placard or plate AND being used to transport the qualified person. Parking in a disabled space without a placard is a high-fine offense. The placard is for the person, not the car — a relative may use the placard only when the qualified person is the one being driven.

Parallel parking

The road test for an unrestricted Massachusetts license includes parallel parking. The standard maneuver is to pull alongside the car ahead of your space, signal, back at a 45-degree angle until your front bumper clears the rear bumper of the car ahead, then straighten the wheel and slide in. The vehicle should end up within 18 inches of the curb without hitting either neighboring car.

Quick facts about Massachusetts

  • Capital: Boston
  • Minimum permit age: 16
  • Current permit fee: $30
  • Supervised hold period: 6 months
  • Adult BAC limit: 0.08% · Under-21 BAC: 0.02%
  • Default speed limits: 65 mph rural Interstate, 55 mph urban Interstate, 25 mph residential, 20 mph school zone
  • Handheld phone use: banned
  • Vision standard: 20/40 acuity in at least one eye, corrected or uncorrected
  • Reinstatement fee after suspension: $500 + license fee
  • Official source: MA RMV

Other Massachusetts guides on PermitPrep

Each link below opens a dedicated Massachusetts page. Every guide is built from the same official MA RMV handbook so the rules stay consistent across topics.

Ready to test what you have learned? Take the free Massachusetts permit practice test — 20 randomized questions, instant grading, full explanations.