Illegal Red Curbs Appear in Sacramento as City Warns Residents Not to Paint No-Parking Zones

City officials in Sacramento are asking residents to stop painting unauthorized red curbs after discovering several homemade no-parking zones in the Curtis Park neighborhood.

Residents first noticed the red-painted curbs several months ago, believing they were official traffic markings. After the city learned the curbs had been painted without authorization, crews covered them with gray paint.

Despite the removal of the red markings, officials say parking remains illegal in those locations.

Under California's "daylighting" law, which took effect in January 2025, drivers are prohibited from parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk. The rule is designed to improve visibility for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists at intersections. The unauthorized red curbs had all been painted within these legally restricted areas.

The City of Sacramento says residents should not paint curbs or make any modifications within the public right-of-way because unauthorized changes can create confusion and conflict with official traffic control standards.

Officials acknowledged they do not currently have the funding to paint every eligible curb red but say they are adding official curb markings through transportation improvement projects as funding becomes available. Drivers can still be ticketed for parking in these no-parking buffer zones, even if the curbs are not painted red.