If a city in California has more than 2 million residents, it must manage off-street parking in a way that aligns with existing regulations in this chapter.

If you run a parking lot that's not on the street, you can't park your customer's car on any street or alley outside of that facility.

This California law states that an off-street parking facility operator cannot tow a vehicle within 24 hours after the parking fee period expires. However, they can charge extra fees according to their posted schedule if the vehicle remains longer than initially paid for.

The law also prohibits towing vehicles if the parking facility is accessible to the public but lacks an on-duty attendant or a way for patrons to pay the parking fee when they first park. Nonetheless, operators can still charge for parking time based on their posted rates.

This law says that if you own or manage private property that's open to the public for free parking, you can't tow or remove a vehicle until it has been parked there for at least one hour. There are exceptions where a vehicle can be immediately towed if it's parked dangerously or illegally, such as near a fire hydrant, in a fire lane, blocking an entrance or exit, or in a space reserved for disabled persons.

The one-hour rule doesn't apply to residential properties or hotels/motels where parking spots are clearly marked for specific rooms. The idea is to prevent unnecessary towing that could leave drivers stranded, suggesting that traffic tickets or other civil solutions are better for public safety.

If someone breaks this rule and tows a vehicle too soon, they have to pay the vehicle owner or their agent twice the amount of the towing and storage fees.