TITLE 9: VEHICLE CODE DIVISION 5: RULES OF THE ROAD
§ 5671. Curb Markings; Parking Meters. (a) The Department of Public Safety is authorized to establish special parking zones by use of paint upon curbs or upon the roadway. The Department of Public Works shall cause any established parking zone to be painted by colors which indicate the nature of the parking zone: (1) Red indicates no stopping, standing, or parking, whether the vehicle is attended or unattended, except that a bus may stop in a red zone. (2) Yellow indicates stopping only for the purpose of loading or unloading passengers for no longer than five minutes. Yellow also indicates that freight may be loaded or unloaded for no more than 15 minutes. (3) White indicates stopping only for loading or unloading of passengers for no more than five minutes or for the purpose of depositing mail in an adjacent mailbox. (4) Green indicates time limit parking specified by Department of Public Safety regulations. (5) Blue indicates parking limited exclusively to the vehicles of persons with disabilities. (b) The Department of Public Safety is authorized to establish parking meter zones by regulation. Any parking meter existing in the Commonwealth on the effective date of this Act designates a parking meter zone. (c) A parking meter zone is designated as the space parallel to the curb extending from the center of the parking meter standard at the head of the space to the center of the parking meter standard or other marking at the rear of the space; except that if a parking meter zone is served by a multi-space parking meter, the parking meter zone may be designated by signs or pavement markings. (d) No vehicle shall park in a parking meter zone at any time when such parking is otherwise prohibited. (e) No person shall park or cause, allow, permit, or suffer any vehicle registered in his or her name to be parked overtime or beyond the lawful period of time indicated on the meter. (f) No person shall park or cause to be parked any vehicle so that the vehicle is not within the area between the designated standards or other markings delimiting the parking space. (g) Immediately after parking a motor vehicle in a parking meter zone, the operator shall pay for the amount of parking time desired and, if a receipt is issued, place the receipt on the passenger side of the dashboard of the vehicle so that it is clearly visible through the windshield of the vehicle. The space may then be used by the vehicle during the parking limit indicated on the single-space or multi-space parking meter for that space or on the receipt issued, as is applicable. (h) A vehicle shall be considered illegally parked in a parking meter zone if: (l) The amount of time paid for at a single-space or multi-space parking meter has lapsed;
TITLE 9: VEHICLE CODE DIVISION 5: RULES OF THE ROAD
(2) The operator of the vehicle was issued a parking meter receipt and the expiration time indicated on the parking meter receipt displayed on the vehicle has lapsed; or (3) The operator of the vehicle was issued a parking meter receipt and the vehicle does not display the receipt in the manner required by subsection (g). (i) Parking meter zones may be used without charge at times when the signs and meters in those zones indicate payment is not needed. (j) Except for parking meter zones served by parking meters that issue receipts, the unexpired time in a parking meter zone, which is unoccupied, may be used by another vehicle without depositing payment. A car displaying a receipt issued by a parking meter may park in any unoccupied parking meter zone that is served by a parking meter that issues receipts until the expiration time shown on the parking meter receipt has lapsed. (k) Whenever a vehicle is identified as a government vehicle in accordance with 1 CMC § 7406, and is being used on official business, and is parked in a parking meter zone, the operator of the vehicle is not required to deposit payment to park in the parking meter zone. (l) Violation of any part of this section, other than subsection (m) is a civil infraction punishable by a fine of no more than $100. The Department of Public Safety is authorized to issue regulations establishing the fines for violation of this section. (m) It is unlawful for any person to cause to be parked any motor vehicle in a blue zone marked in accordance with subsection (a)(5) if the person is not in possession of a placard or license plate issued pursuant to 9 CMC § 5653. Any person violating this subsection shall be punished in accordance with 9 CMC § 5660. (n) Any person, business, or government agency may petition the Department of Public Safety to create or remove a special parking zone or parking meter zone. (o) The Department of Public Works shall construct, maintain, and operate any parking meter placed pursuant to this section. All revenue generated by parking meters shall be deposited into a special account for the Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority. The Special Assistant for Public Transportation shall be the expenditure authority for any funds deposited into the account. (p) Any fines collected pursuant to this section shall be placed into an account maintained for the Department of Public Safety. The funds will be used to offset the cost of enforcing the parking laws of the Commonwealth. The Commissioner for the Department of Public Safety shall be the expenditure authority for any funds deposited into the account. (q) The Department of Public Safety may promulgate regulations as necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. Source: PL 19-79 § 5 (Jan. 16, 2017), modified.
TITLE 9: VEHICLE CODE DIVISION 5: RULES OF THE ROAD Commission Comment: The Commission rearranged and renumbered this section from 9 CMC § 5812 pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(a)–(b) and based upon PL 19-79 fn. 1. The Commission changed written terms to numerals in (a)(2) and (l), and struck “or” at the end of (h)(1) pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(g). The Commission changed “Subsection 5 (g)” to “subsection (g)” in (h)(3) and “Section 5 (a) (5)” to “subsection (a)(5)” in (m) pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(a), (g).