Parking Parking Parking rules are enforced at a local level, but there is a pretty consistent set of state-wide laws and associated parking signs.
Many cities also have reasonable metered parking, either on-street or in separate lots.
Parking violations are handled in a large variety of ways, ranging from towing and stiff fines in places like San Francisco to more gentle fines elsewhere. You are not usually allowed to park on the shoulders of major highways and roads. Anything left unpainted or gray is considered to be available for unrestricted parking, subject to local rules and things like metering, obstructions, other parking signs, etc. This color scheme is often also used in private parking lots. You must not park in front of a street-side fire hydrant, or in any way that makes access to the hydrant difficult in case of fire.