Is It Legal To Park in Front of a Mailbox in Washington State?

Is It Legal In Washington State To Park In Front Of A Mailbox?

Are you one of the many people in Washington State who are unsure of whether or not it is legal to park in front of a mailbox?

Can You Legally Park In Front Of A Mailbox In Washington State?

I saw a recent posting in the West Richland Facebook group showing photos of cars in front of mailboxes and it got me thinking about the parking laws in Washington State.

Parking rules can be confusing, especially when it comes to mailboxes.

Many people wonder if it is against the law to park their cars in front of mailboxes while they run quick errands or visit friends or family.

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First and foremost, parking in front of a mailbox is murky at best.

After a little digging, I couldn't find anything about an overall law against parking in front of a mailbox. I did discover that some counties like Whatcom County do have laws governing parking in front of mailboxes.

It looks like it's up to the local counties to make ordinances about parking in front of a mailbox so as is the case of the West Richland residents, there might not be much they can do about it. The residents should petition the city for an ordinance to prohibit parking in front of mailboxes.

It is illegal to park in areas that are designated as “No Parking Zones.” These areas often include fire hydrants, crosswalks, and bike lanes.

Some areas may have additional parking restrictions, so it is important to check the signage and posted rules before parking your car. I did discover 20 such places in Washington State law where you could get a ticket and here is the complete list here.

Here is where Federal law steps in, USPS Mail carriers are also prohibited from delivering mail to boxes that are obstructed by parked cars.

If a mailbox is obstructed, the mail carrier may not be able to deliver mail to that address, which can cause serious inconvenience to the mailbox owner.

So even though outside of a few counties, I couldn't find a statewide law in Washington State prohibiting parking in front of mailboxes, maybe it's because common sense should tell you that you shouldn't park in front of a residential mailbox.

You can read more details about parking laws in Washington State here.