Private Parking Enforcement

When you own and maintain a parking lot for the use of your customers, it can be very frustrating when your customers can’t use it. The sheer numbers of vehicles in highly populated counties outweigh the numbers of available parking places. Competition for them is fierce. Knowing what your rights are as the owner of a private parking lot and receiving help with private parking enforcement are two of your best options for dealing with issues.

The first consideration is always safety. While it is true that most law enforcement agencies don’t enforce minor infractions in privately owned parking lots, they can issue citations and make arrests for more serious crimes. For example, if an officer is following a suspected drunk driver and the driver tries to fleeinto or is stopped in a private lot, the officer is well within the law to pursue the investigation, arrest the driver, and have the vehicle towed. 

According to California law, vehicles that are parked in private lots must meet certain requirements. They must be properly licensed and equipped with the major parts in order to be operated safely on public streets and highways including tires, doors, windshields, and engines with transmissions. These laws protect you from having to allow unlicensed vehicles to take the parking spots your customers need and to keep junk vehicles from being abandoned on your property.

The most common types of accidents that occur in private lots are caused by rear end collisions and other mishaps while backing up, impulsive turns, driving the wrong direction in a row of cars, driving excessively fast, and improperly entering or exiting the parking lot. California vehicle codes apply to the conduct of drivers in private parking lots that is dangerous to other drivers and pedestrians. In other words, just because you own a parking lot doesn’t mean you have to let people behave inappropriately or illegally.

The California Safety Agency can help you understand your rights as the owner of a private parking lot and make your lot safe and available to your customers. Through the use of our parking permit system, we can be certain that your customers or employees can get their much-needed parking spaces. Entry gates can slow down drivers as they enter and leave your lot. Additionally, security guards patrolling in vehicles and on foot can deter crime, diffuse problem situations, and provide emergency assistance for your employees and customers.

An experienced provider of security systems for apartment complexes, HOAs, and gated communities, the California Safety Agency can tailor a private parking enforcement program that will work for your business in San Diego, San Bernadino, Riverside, Orange, and Los Angeles Counties. Visit our website to learn more or to receive a quote.