You May Be Breaking the Law in Texas if You Park in Front of Your Neighbor’s Driveway

After a long day at work, coming home is the calm of the day.  Imagine pulling up to your home getting ready to pull into your driveway and you realize you cannot pull up to your home.

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Why can you not pull up to your home?

A landscaping trailer is blocking your driveway because they are working on your neighbor's yard and decided to drop their trailer ramp in front of your driveway. Or your neighbors are having a get-together and one of their attendees chose to block your driveway just enough that you cannot pull into it and there isn't any room in front of your house for you to park.  You're left to park down the street and walk to your home.

It's frustrating and you just want to scream.

Guess what?

It is illegal to block someone's driveway in the state of Texas.

According to the Texas Transportation Code Sec. 545.302:

Sec. 545.302. STOPPING, STANDING, OR PARKING PROHIBITED IN CERTAIN PLACES. (a) An operator may not stop, stand, or park a vehicle:

(b) An operator may not, except momentarily to pick up or discharge a passenger, stand or park an occupied or unoccupied vehicle:

(1) in front of a public or private driveway;

What do you do if someone is blocking your driveway?

First, you politely ask them to move their vehicle.  If they don't, you can call local law enforcement.  They will probably ask the person to move or give them a ticket.  Yes, you can have the vehicle blocking your driveway towed.

Here's something interesting, it is also illegal for you to block your own driveway.

Keep in mind the street area in front of your home is public property and anyone can park in front of your house.  However, they can't block your driveway.

The moral of this story is don't block a driveway private or commercial.