Fire Lanes
What You Didn't Know About Those RED CURBS
To Be Valid, a Red Curb MUST be clearly marked with the words, "FIRE LANE".
If the curb does not say FIRE LANE, then unless it meets one of the other requirements of VEH 22500.1 (see #1 and #2 below), then that area is NOT a Fire Lane
Take a look at the relevant state law below.
VEHICLE CODE 22500
VEHICLE CODE - VEH
DIVISION 11. RULES OF THE ROAD [21000 - 23336] ( Division 11 enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3. )
CHAPTER 9. Stopping, Standing, and Parking [22500 - 22526] ( Chapter 9 enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3. )
22500.1.
In addition to Section 22500, no person shall stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a peace officer or official traffic control device along the edge of any highway, at any curb, or in any location in a publicly or privately owned or operated off-street parking facility, designated as a fire lane by the fire department or fire district with jurisdiction over the area in which the place is located.
The designation shall be indicated (1) by a sign posted immediately adjacent to, and visible from, the designated place clearly stating in letters not less than one inch in height that the place is a fire lane, (2) by outlining or painting the place in red and, in contrasting color, marking the place with the words “FIRE LANE”, which are clearly visible from a vehicle, or (3) by a red curb or red paint on the edge of the roadway upon which is clearly marked the words “FIRE LANE”.
(Amended by Stats. 1984, Ch. 129, Sec. 1. Effective May 21, 1984.)