If you’ve got better things to do than be with your family on Thanksgiving Day and need a car to run those errands, you’ll pretty much have free reign while parking anywhere in the city.

Although parking hazardously is always ticketable and towable – as is parking in a red or blue zone – much of the rest of the city is yours for the parking.

Here’s the Basics:

Parking Enforcement for
Thanksgiving and Black Friday 2017

On Thursday: For the Thanksgiving Holiday, parking meters and seven day street sweeping will not be enforced citywide, (typically this includes The Embarcadero and Fisherman’s Wharf areas as well)

On Friday: Parking meters and 7-day street sweeping WILL be enforced.
Commuter tow away, residential parking permits and Monday-Friday street sweeping will not be enforced on both Thursday and Friday.

Thanksgiving Day
– Parking Meters not enforced on city property – The SF Port has confirmed for us by email that parking meters are also not enforced on Thanksgiving Day 2017, but just a warning, the SF Port  hasn’t yet updated their website for 2017.
– M-F Street Sweeping not enforced
– 7-Day Street Sweeping not enforced (except Market St.)
– Commuter Tow Away not enforced
– Residential Parking Permits not enforced.
– Green, Yellow & White zones vary – see below

Day After Thanksgiving
– M-F Street Sweeping not enforced
– Commuter Tow Away not enforced
– Residential Parking permits not enforced
– Green, Yellow & White zones vary – see below
– Sorry, parking meters and 7-day street sweeping are enforced the day after Thanksgiving on both city and SF Port Property

>> Park at your own risk of getting a ticket: We’ve done our best to review all the rules and lay them out for you, but you’re on your own of course.  If you want more clarification, contact SF parking enforcement.

Thanksgiving Parking Rules Overview:
Thursday, November 23, 2017

FREE PARKING (i.e. Not Enforced) 

• M-F Street Sweeping: Not enforced (Thu & Fri)
  – Please note that the few streets that have nighttime 7-day street sweeping – like Market Street – may still be enforced
• M-F Residential Permit Parking: Not enforced (Thu & Fri)
• Commuter Towaway: Not enforced (Thu & Fri)
• Parking Meters: Meters are free on Thursday only. Friday all meters are enforced – even starting at midnight.

But please note….
– Hazards are always subject to tickets and towing
– Posted 1-2 hour parking time limit areas and Night-Time Seven-Day-a-Week Street Sweeping (such as Market Street) will be enforced.
– Meter customers are advised to check parking meters to verify enforcement time limits and amounts.
– Keep in mind that a new day starts at midnight, so you may start getting tickets at 12:01am the next dy.

ENFORCED:

• Red Zone: Enforced
• Blue Zone: Enforced (Handicap)
• Green Zone: Enforced (short term parking – usually 10 mins Monday-Saturday 10 am to 6pm). But… we called SFMTA and they told us Green Zone was NOT enforced on Thanksgiving, but we have not been able to confirm this 100%. Park here at your own risk.
• Yellow Curbs: Commercial loading & unloading parking zones are enforced, but there’s no tow-away. (you can still get a ticket) But… we called SFMTA and they told us Yellow Zone parking was NOT enforced on Thanksgiving, but we have not been able to confirm this 100%. Park here at your own risk.
• White Zone: Passenger loading zones are enforced (5 minute limit), but only while the business (and some apartment buildings) is open. If the business that paid for the zone (usually the one right in front of the white zone) is closed, it’s free parking. (Beware… some businesses are 24 hours even though they may look closed. Our parking enforcement source recommended you find a security guard for the building and ask.)
• Posted 1-2 hour parking limits: Enforced
• 7 Day a Week Nighttime Street Sweeping: This everyday street sweeping such as along Market Street is still enforced even on holidays

Source: SFMTA Holiday Enforcement,  SFMTA Color Curb Program Details

 

Port of SF meters (see map) are enforced 7 days a week, 7 am to 11 pm typically with the following one-day parking holidays:

• New Year’s Day, January 1, 2017, only* 
• Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2017, only*
• Christmas Day, December 25, 2017, only*

* The SF Port has confirmed for us by email that parking meters are also not enforced on Thanksgiving Day 2017, but just a warning, the SF Port hasn’t yet updated their website for 2017.