Rules of the road

Parking & Stopping Rules

Parallel parking, distance from curbs and hydrants, and where you can't stop.

Stay at least three metres from a fire hydrant, nine metres from an uncontrolled intersection (15 metres if it has traffic lights), and never park where you lack 125 metres of clear view in both directions.

Ontario’s parking rules are mostly specific distances, not general judgment calls, so knowing the actual numbers is what separates a legal stop from a ticket.

Key facts

You must not park within three metres of a fire hydrant, or within nine metres of an intersection (15 metres if it is controlled by traffic lights).
Never park on a curve, hill, or anywhere you do not have a clear view for at least 125 metres in both directions.

Stay at least three metres from a fire hydrant when parking.

Know the required distances

Stay at least three metres from a fire hydrant, at least nine metres from an intersection, or 15 metres if that intersection is controlled by traffic lights. Stay at least 15 metres from the nearest rail of a level railway crossing, at least six metres from a public entrance to a hotel, theatre, or public hall while it is open, and off any bridge or within 100 metres of one.

Never park where you would block a sidewalk, crosswalk, pedestrian crossing, or road entrance, even briefly, since those distances exist so emergency access and sightlines stay clear regardless of how quiet the street looks.

Choose a spot you can actually see from

Never park on a curve, on a hill, or anywhere you do not have a clear view for at least 125 metres in both directions; other drivers need that much distance to see your parked vehicle and react in time.

When parallel parking, look for a space about one and one-half times the length of your own vehicle, and aim to stop no more than about 30 centimetres from the curb or road edge once you are in position.

Secure the vehicle before you leave it

Signal before pulling over, and check your mirrors and blind spot for a cyclist or vehicle beside you before moving toward the curb. Check for approaching traffic before opening your door, since a door opened into traffic or a cyclist’s path is a common and preventable collision.

Apply the parking brake and leave the vehicle in the correct gear or park position before you leave it, so that it cannot roll even on a slope; a parked vehicle you have not secured is legally still your responsibility if it moves.

Common mistakes

Parking closer than three metres to a fire hydrant because no vehicle is currently in that space.
Stopping within nine metres of an intersection without checking whether it has traffic lights, which would extend the required distance to 15 metres.
Parking on a hill or curve without confirming 125 metres of clear view in both directions.
Opening a car door without checking for an approaching cyclist first.