How to Establish Driveway Clearance

The following are general guidelines for how to establish a driveway clearance. If you have any questions about these guidelines, please contact Parking Control at (503) 823-7275.

You may paint your own driveway clearance within the following limitations:

1. You may paint only the “throat” of the driveway; the throat includes the “wings”. When the City has a curb where the driveway meets the street, the wings are the sides of the driveway where it slopes down from the top of the curb to the street level. The throat of the driveway is the full length of the driveway where it meets the street, and the throat includes the wings. For further information about driveway wings and throat, please click here.
2. You must use "TRAFFIC LINE YELLOW" paint which may be purchased through traffic supply companies. The City cannot recommend a paint store.
3. Generally, the width of the paint along the entire throat of the driveway where it meets the street may be painted up to the width of the curb. However, curb widths can vary, and in no event may the paint exceed 8 inches, wide as measured from and starting at the curb face.
4. You may not paint a driveway clearance if the driveway is located at or within a prohibited parking area such as "No Parking At Any Time," "No Parking In This Block," "Truck Loading Zone All Days, All Hours," etc.
5. You may not paint a driveway clearance at a curb cut (driveway) which does not meet the definition of a driveway (see definition here: City Code Title 16, §16.90.105).

Instead of painting a driveway yourself, you may instead pay for the Portland Bureau of Transportation to paint a driveway clearance for you. When painted by a PBOT work crew, the driveway clearance may extend up to three feet beyond the throat of the driveway, thereby gaining a bit more turning room for cars entering and existing the driveway. PBOT will individually evaluate each request.