No parking any time sign: what it means

NO PARKING ANY TIME sign: a white vertical rectangle with a red border, the red words NO PARKING ANY TIME and a red double-headed arrow
Drawing: Drivoku, based on MUTCD sign R7-1. Simplified; real signs follow the FHWA Standard Highway Signs specifications.

NO PARKING ANY TIME means you must not park here at any hour, on any day. The arrows show which way the no-parking zone runs.

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What does the NO PARKING ANY TIME sign mean?

MUTCD Section 2B.52 lists parking “prohibited at all times” as one type of parking prohibition. Section 2B.53 says prohibition signs like this one have a red legend and border on a white background.

The arrows show where the rule applies. A double-headed arrow means the sign stands partway along the no-parking zone, which continues in both directions. A single arrow marks the end of a zone.

Quick quiz

What does the sign at the top of this page mean?

  1. Stop on the shoulder only in an emergency.
  2. Do not stop inside the intersection.
  3. No parking here at any time.

Show answer

C. No parking here at any time. Parking is prohibited at all times in the marked zone (MUTCD Section 2B.52). Source: MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2B, Regulatory Signs, Barricades, and Gates: Sections 2B.52 and 2B.53, FHWA; MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA

Where will you see it?

Along streets and in parking areas, often with several signs along the length of the no-parking zone.

What should you do?

Do not park in the marked zone. Read the arrows to see where the restriction applies.

What do people get wrong?

Do not read the double-headed arrow as permission to park on either side of the sign. It shows the directions in which the restriction applies.

Common questions

What does the double-headed arrow mean?

Section 2B.53 says a double-headed arrow is used where the sign is partway along the zone, so the restriction applies in both directions.

Can I stop to let someone out?

The MUTCD leaves things like passenger loading to state and local codes, so check your state driver handbook.

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Sources

Checked on 5 November 2026 against the MUTCD 11th Edition (FHWA), Sections 2B.52 and 2B.53.

  1. MUTCD 11th Edition, Chapter 2B, Regulatory Signs, Barricades, and Gates: Sections 2B.52 and 2B.53, FHWA
  2. MUTCD 11th Edition, FHWA. FHWA lists the current version as the 11th Edition with Revision 1, dated December 2025

Sign pictures are our own simplified drawings of the MUTCD designs, which are in the public domain (MUTCD Section 1D.06). Sources and image credits.

This text was written with AI help, checked against the MUTCD and approved by Fri Vei AS. Last updated .

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