Avoid Tickets: How Far You Can Park from the Curb in Minnesota

I'll admit, it can be so difficult to keep track of all of the driving laws in Minnesota. They're obviously all set for a very good reason, to keep all of us safe on the road, but because there are so many and some you don't use often, it can be hard to remember.

One of those laws could be our law about parking. Did you know that there's a law telling you how far you can park from the curb? It's true!

ALSO READ: MN Police Can No Longer Ask You This Question

Minnesota Roadway Laws You May Not Remember

There can be some oddball laws when it comes to driving that are only used in specific scenarios, so you may not remember them.

For example, the Minnesota Drivers Manual says that if you are driving on a minimum of a two-lane highway and the speed limit is 55 mph or higher, you can legally drive 10 mph over the speed limit to pass in the left lane.

Another interesting one you may have forgotten is that if two people come to a stop sign and stop at the same time, the person on the left yields to the person on the right.

One that I definitely didn't remember learning about is how far from the curb your allowed to park. So consider this a review for all of us!

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How Far Away from a Curb Can You Park in Minnesota?

The reason this came up is because a question was posed in the Post Bulletin asking about a ticket someone got for parking 14 inches away from the curb.

When you look at the Office of the Revisor of Statutes, you will in fact find the law talking about how far you can park from the curb. It says:

Except where angle parking is permitted by local ordinance, each vehicle stopped or parked upon a two-way roadway where there is an adjacent curb shall be so stopped or parked with the right-hand wheels of the vehicle parallel with and within 12 inches of the right-hand curb.

Why is this a law? Because if people are sticking out too far from the curb this poses a crash risk to other drivers. So the next time you need to park by a curb, make sure you get that thing as close to the curb as you can to avoid a ticket!