2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINE - Highways and Traffic (§§ 1-8 — 5725) › Chapter 27 - Vehicle and Traffic Law (2000) › Subchapter V - Provisions on Vehicular Traffic (§§ 5151 — 5179) › § 5169 - Stopping, stalling, or parking vehicles in specific places

The following rules shall apply when stopping, stalling, or parking a vehicle in the specific places designated herein:
(a) No person may stop, stall, or park a vehicle on the public road in the following places, except under extraordinary circumstances to avoid interrupting traffic, or in compliance with the law or the specific indications of a law enforcement officer or a traffic light or signal:
(1) On a sidewalk.
(2) Within the area of a street or highway crossing;
(3) On a crosswalk.
(4) Within a distance of sixteen point four (16.4) feet or five (5) meters from a street corner, measured from the building line.
(5) Within a distance of sixteen point four (16.4) feet or five (5) meters from the closest rail of a railroad track.
(6) Alongside or opposite an excavation or obstruction when stopping, standing or parking a vehicle would obstruct the general traffic.
(7) Alongside or contiguous to a vehicle stopped or parked on a public road.
(8) On any bridge or elevated structure on a highway or within a tunnel.
(9) At more than one (1) foot or thirty point five (30.5) centimeters from the edge of the sidewalk or curb.
(10) On all medians separating traffic movements, medians, traffic channeling and seeded areas adjacent to sidewalks, except seeded areas of those main avenues provided by the Secretary.
(11) Within a distance of sixteen point four (16.4) feet or five (5) meters from a fire hydrant.
(12) In front of a fire station, including the front and side opposite to the public highway, the width of the entrances to the station, plus an additional twenty (20) feet or six point zero ninety-six (6.096) meters at both sides of said entrances.
(13) At less than three (3) feet or ninety-one point four (91.4) centimeters from any access or exit of a garage. This prohibition shall apply to the front as well as to the opposite side of the entrance or exit of said garage when the public highway is so narrow that by parking a vehicle in said places it obstructs the entrance or exit of the vehicles. This provision shall not cover a driver or owner of a vehicle when he/she parks it at the entrance of the garage of his/her residence, and provided there is no legal provision, regulation or municipal ordinance prohibiting the parking of vehicles on the side of the public highway and at the time that said driver or owner has parked his/her vehicle.
(14) In front of the entrance to a place of worship, public or private educational institution, movie theater, banking institutions, parking or automobile service areas or gas stations and places where public acts are conducted.
(15) At duly marked or painted or indicated bus stations, for a length of five (5) meters before or after such places.
(16) Within a distance of sixteen point four (16.4) feet or five (5) meters before and after a fixed or intermittent traffic light, or stop sign or yield sign, measured from the edge of the pavement or shoulder.
(17) On any public road:
(A) When the purpose of parking along the public road is to sell, advertise, show or rent vehicles or any other merchandise.
(B) For the purpose of washing, cleaning, lubricating or repairing a vehicle, except to conduct emergency repairs.
(18) On the grounds of the Capitol Building of Puerto Rico, except in accordance to the regulations established by the Legislature for that purpose. The House of Representatives and the Senate of Puerto Rico may, through a concurrent resolution, exempt compliance with this section regarding the grounds adjacent to the Capitol during working hours.
(19) On parking areas of private buildings that have been duly identified as such with legible signs posted in one (1) or more visible places of said parking areas, for the private use of a particular person or for the exclusive use of the tenant or tenants of the building to which the parking area belongs. The only persons who may park in the parking areas of private buildings are those whose names have been posted, have been duly authorized to do so or have obtained the consent of the person to whom said parking space has been assigned.
(20) Within a distance of less than three (3) feet or ninety-one point four (91.4) centimeters from any other parked vehicle, except as otherwise authorized by the Secretary.
(21) Anywhere where parking is prohibited by official signs.
(22) In places specifically prohibited by official signs lacking parking spaces for the disabled, except that the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to persons deprived of mobility or missing both legs who hold a special driver’s license by virtue of § 5062 of this title.
Notwithstanding this exception, parking shall not be allowed on toll ways, expressways, reversible lanes or heavy traffic highways or roads when there are other authorized parking areas nearby.
Whenever necessary, parking in such places shall be for a short time and the driver shall have a sticker issued by the Department affixed to the front windshield of his/her vehicle indicating that the driver of the vehicle is authorized to park the latter. The parking authorized herein shall be for the sole purpose of allowing the driver to deal with matters inherent to his/her disability or employment.
(23) So as to obstruct pedestrian facilities for physically disabled persons, be they pedestrian ramps or walkways, as these terms are defined in § 5001 of this title.
(b) No person shall stop, detain or park a vehicle, with or without occupants, on the pavement or roadway of a public highway in a rural zone when it is possible to detain, stop or park said vehicle off the roadway. Sufficient space shall be allowed at all times, at the opposite side of the vehicle, that is stopped, detained or parked and the vehicle which has stopped or is detained or parked shall be visible from a distance of two hundred (200) feet or sixty point ninety-six (60.96) meters, in both directions of the public highway.
(c) No person shall stop a vehicle for any purpose other than for loading or unloading merchandise at any place designated as a loading and unloading zone and at no time shall park for such a purpose for more than one (1) hour during working days and hours.
(d) No motor vehicle in which there is explosive materials shall be parked at a distance of less than five (5) feet or one point five hundred twenty-four (1.524) meters from the roadway of a public highway, nor in private property without the knowledge and consent of the person in charge, nor within three hundred (300) feet or ninety-one point forty-four (91.44) meters from a bridge, tunnel, building, or place where people are at work or meet, except for brief periods of time when the needs of the operation require it and it is impossible or impractical to park the vehicle in any other place.
(e) A motor vehicle that contains hazardous materials, other than explosive materials, shall not be parked at a distance of less than five (5) feet, or one point five hundred twenty-four (1.524) meters from the traffic flow portion of a public highway, except for brief periods of time when the needs of the operation require the vehicle to be parked and it is impossible or impractical to park it elsewhere.
This section shall not apply to the driver of a vehicle that has broken down and needs to be repaired on the pavement or roadway of a public road lacking a shoulder, provided said maneuver can be made in one (1) hour and if the vehicle has not been left on a bridge, elevated structure, tunnel or intersection in which case the vehicle must be removed immediately.
Any person who violates the provisions of this section, except for clauses (1), (10), (11), (12) and (15) of subsection (a) of this section, shall be guilty of an administrative fault and be punished by a fine of seventy-five dollars ($75).
Any person who violates the provisions of clauses (10), (11), (12) and (15) of subsection (a) of this section shall be guilty of an administrative fault and be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars ($100).
Any person who violates the provisions of subsection (a)(1) of this section shall be guilty of an administrative fault and be punished by a fine of one hundred fifty dollars ($150).
History —Jan. 7, 2000, No. 22, § 6.19; Aug. 11, 2000, No. 156, § 1; June 3, 2004, No. 132, § 6; July 16, 2010, No. 81, § 1.