Roadwise States Louisiana Driving lessons Parking rules & distances Louisiana driving lesson · Passing, Lanes & Parking
Parking rules & distances A 3-minute lesson from the Louisiana course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Passing, Lanes & Parking
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 74, 75, 104 Where you park matters as much as how. Louisiana sets exact distances from hydrants, crosswalks, railroad tracks, signs and fire stations. These numbers are favorites on the written test.
18 inches Farthest your right wheels may be from the curb when parallel parked
Handbook p. 74 ↗ Know the rule
Before leaving a vehicle unattended, stop the motor, remove the key, lock the ignition and set the brake.
Handbook p. 74 ↗ It's also illegal to park: On a sidewalk In front of a driveway In an intersection Beside a parallel-parked vehicle (double parking) On a bridge or overpass, or in any tunnel Where official signs prohibit parking In a construction area if you will block traffic More than 2 feet from the curb In a handicapped space without a handicap plate, sticker or tag Handbook p. 75 ↗ No parking sign Know the rule
Getting out on the street side is dangerous. Look carefully for passing vehicles, especially bicycles, before opening your door.
Handbook p. 74 ↗ When passing parked cars, watch for one pulling out: Exhaust smoke from the tailpipe Brake lights, a flashing turn signal, or white backup lights Front wheels turning out from a parallel space Handbook p. 74 ↗ Know the rule
If someone is sitting in a parked car, expect a door to open. Watch for pedestrians, bicycles and especially children between parked cars.
Handbook p. 74 ↗ Know the rule
The International Symbol for the disabled marks spaces reserved for people with disabilities. Never use one unless you're lawfully entitled to it.
Handbook p. 104 ↗ Handicapped parking sign Put it into practice
You find a curb spot 25 feet from a stop sign and 17 feet from a fire hydrant. The hydrant distance is fine (15 feet), but you need 30 feet from a stop sign, so keep looking.
A useful reminder Parking numbers: 15 hydrant, 20 crosswalk, 30 signs and signals, 50 railroad, 20 or 75 fire station.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
How close to a fire hydrant is it illegal to park? Within 15 feet Within 5 feet Within 30 feet Within 50 feet Answer: Within 15 feet
Louisiana law prohibits parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant.
Handbook p. 75 ↗ How close to a crosswalk at an intersection is it illegal to park? Within 5 feet Within 20 feet Within 50 feet Within 10 feet Answer: Within 20 feet
Parking is prohibited within 20 feet of an intersection crosswalk.
Handbook p. 75 ↗ How close to a railroad crossing is it illegal to park? Within 15 feet Within 100 feet Within 50 feet Within 20 feet Answer: Within 50 feet
Parking is prohibited within 50 feet of a railroad crossing.
Handbook p. 75 ↗ How close to a traffic signal, stop sign, or yield sign is it illegal to park? Within 10 feet Within 15 feet Within 50 feet Within 30 feet Answer: Within 30 feet
Parking is prohibited within 30 feet of a traffic signal, stop sign, or yield sign.
Handbook p. 75 ↗ When you parallel park along a curb, your right wheels must be within how far of the curb? 18 inches 6 inches 3 feet 12 inches Answer: 18 inches
When parallel parked, the vehicle's right wheels must be within 18 inches of the right-hand curb.
Handbook p. 74 ↗ Spot A is 12 feet from a fire hydrant; Spot B is 25 feet from a stop sign. Which spot, if either, is legal to park in? Only Spot A is legal Only Spot B is legal Both spots are legal Neither spot Answer: Neither spot
12 feet is inside the 15-foot hydrant limit and 25 feet is inside the 30-foot stop-sign limit, so both are illegal.
Handbook p. 75 ↗ Previous lesson Lane changes & lane use Next lesson Parking brake, hills & angle parking More in Passing, Lanes & Parking About the source Roadwise’s Louisiana course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 74, 75, 104. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
For current application requirements, fees, appointments, and the format that applies to your age or license type, check Louisiana’s OMV. Roadwise provides study material and does not issue permits or licenses.
