This Couple Was Fined $1.5K For Parking In Their Own Driveway – Now The Law Is Changing

The Golden Gate Bridge is an icon of San Francisco, along with cable cars, the Painted Ladies, ridiculously expensive real estate, and challenging parking. A nightmare for tourists, parking in The City by the Bay can intimidate locals even when they aren't dodging the new driverless Waymo taxis. The streets are crowded and some have confusing rules about when you're allowed to park. Parking is so challenging, in fact, that the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has a section of its website devoted to parking legally in the city.

Rules include a 72-hour parking limit in areas without any other restrictions like residential parking permits, curbing your tires on any hills (an admittedly sensible law in a city like San Francisco), and a restriction on the use of objects to claim an on-street parking space. In March 2025, the city enacted a new law that prohibits parking within 20 feet of any intersection. Some neighborhoods restrict parking to residents only, and non-residents may be fined. 

These rules make sense, even if they do make parking a bit more challenging for visitors and residents alike. But in 2022, one couple who had lived in their home for 36 years received an astronomical ticket for parking in their own driveway. Luckily, the fine was waived and now, the law is changing.

When Ed and Judy Craine received a $1,542 parking ticket, they'd lived in their home for more years than many San Franciscans had been alive. For 36 years, they parked their car on the concrete pad in front of their home in the Diamond Heights neighborhood. Steep hills make parking a challenge and can be tough on your brakes, but the Craine's carport provided an easy solution. Suddenly, the city deemed it illegal due to a push for "beautification."

The San Francisco Planning Department told the Craines that they were no longer allowed to park on the pad anymore because it did not have any kind of covering. If they didn't move their vehicle, they were to be fined an additional $250 per day. Ultimately, to continue parking on their own property, the Craines had to prove it had historically been used for parking. With the help of their local ABC affiliate, they found a photo from 1958.

Now the city is ensuring that no other family will receive the same treatment that the Craines did in 2022. Director of Current Planning, Elizabeth Watty, called it "a bit embarrassing" that the beautification policy was still in place. The city is amending the planning code to ensure that all homeowners can park in their driveways without fear of being fined. However, city residents should note that some restrictions are still in place. Homeowners cannot park on the sidewalk, and only two vehicles can be parked in a driveway, or they'll face a $1,725 fine.