Q: Is it legal for mail carriers to park their vehicles in front of a fire hydrant? Right in front of the no parking zone sign?
A: As clearly stated in RCW 46.61.570, drivers shall not stand or park a vehicle within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant. Wait, maybe that isn’t clear. What’s the difference between standing and parking a vehicle? I’ll skip the legal jargon and instead offer a simple explanation. You could legally stop your car in a no-standing zone to allow passengers to get into or out of your car. Any other reason for stopping would be considered “standing”. In a no-parking zone, along with allowing passengers in and out of your car, you could also load or unload property. Both exceptions to standing and parking are limited to the actual time it takes to load or unload passengers or property.
In some states, parking involves leaving your vehicle. That’s not the case in Washington. Both standing and parking have a “whether occupied or not” component to their definitions. If you pulled into a no-parking zone and left your car running while eating a taco in the driver’s seat, technically you’re parking, according to Washington law.
Of the two, standing is more restrictive than parking, and in the fire hydrant scenario, the law prohibits both. That means the only (or nearly only) legal reason to stop in front of a fire hydrant would be to let a rider in or out. There are a few limited instances when the parking rules are suspended. These would include obeying a police officer and avoiding conflict with other traffic.
Back to the original question: There is no provision in Washington law that allows mail carriers to violate traffic laws, including rules about parking. However, while the drivers themselves can be cited for violations, the United States Postal Service, as a federal agency, has immunity from local laws. This has created an interesting situation for infractions that are commonly issued to the registered owner of a vehicle rather than a driver, including parking tickets and photo enforcement. Often the driver isn’t present for a parking ticket, so the ticket is associated with the car and it’s owner. And when a traffic camera captures a violation, the notice of infraction is sent to the registered owner of the vehicle. The city of East Cleveland found that when they submitted traffic violations made by USPS drivers captured on camera, they went unpaid.
As reported by a Cleveland journalist, a lawyer for the Postal Service responded to the city, “In providing mail service across the country, the Postal Service attempts to work within local and state laws and regulations . . . However, as you are probably aware, the Postal Service enjoys federal immunity from state and local regulation . . . The Postal Service requires its employees to obey all traffic laws and rules while operating Postal Service vehicles. However, the state and/or local ordinances imposing penalties and fines cannot be enforced as against the Postal Service.”
This sort of situation could also happen if an officer left a ticket on the window of an illegally parked, unattended USPS vehicle. In fact, it has. Last year, KLS News in Salt Lake City reported that USPS owes the city tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid parking tickets.
Not wanting to rely on stories in other states and cities, I a spoke with a local postmaster, who was puzzled by my question about parking tickets. Not because he didn’t understand the legal issues, but because in his thirty-three years working for the postal service parking tickets have never been a problem. He told me they have very strict internal policies for traffic violations and emphasized several times that all drivers are expected to obey all traffic laws. Supervisors will sometimes go out and observe to verify that delivery drivers follow traffic laws. The state’s penalty for a driver violating the law is less severe than the consequences USPS administers, which include suspension and termination. As far as the USPS being immune from local laws, that’s a constitutional battle that he’s never had to fight.
Parking next to a fire hydrant is a violation of the law, even for the USPS drivers. USPS may not be obligated to pay the fine, but their drivers, if caught, still can face the consequences of their offense.
My postal carrier will complain that my trash dumpster blocks his route. (We place our trash ON OUR DRIVEWAY before we leave for work. The trash guy comes before the mail guy. Trash guy puts our can anywhere he wants, often on its back with the lid open. We have no control over this. The mailman will sometimes leave us a nasty note or move the can to the center of our driveway so we can t drive into our driveway without getting out of our car to move it. This is NOT OUR FAULT and the postal carrier is just being a jerk. The GOVERNMENT has a lot more pull with the trash company than I do! I ve asked the trash men to not leave the can in the middle of the road and I can t be home to babysit the trash can, I have a day job. I understand that this is extremely frustrating to the postal worker, especially on trash day, but one home owner can not change the practices of the trash companies the post office can be very pursuasive if they would intervene.
You’re lucky your carrier is even moving your trash can. I’ve seen trash cans blocking mailboxes, which is considered not accessible. We’re not required or authorized to touch people’s property, especially if it’s unsanitary. They should be holding your mail. What a complaint though, having to get out of your car to move your own trash can. That’s where the city should require people to keep them since they love using their trash cans to block parking spots. Don’t block city property, block your own driveway.
I own a parking lot with all spaces rented, USPS drivers continue to park in these spaces too the dismay of the space renters when they show up to park- i asked a USPS driver why he parks here and hr said they can park anywhere they want. Is this true? If it is im putting up a gate
as an employee of the USPS, put up your gate, deny access and don’t get your mail! ha ha
The mailman is there for your renters. They order the S**t. The mailman doesn’t want to be in your dumb ass parking lot as much as you do. Get over yourself.
A postal worker in Hollywood, California has been parking in front of driveways (completely blocking them). That’s completely illegal all the way and an abuse of power. If this has happened to you, take a picture or video of the incident and file a complaint with the post office.
It started up again. A postal worker in Hollywood, California started to block our driveway. This time it’s only part of our driveway which is still illegal because our vehicle has to go around it to go out.
It’s very suspicious that this comes after a big dispute with a stranger who blocked our drive and threatened my relative by saying that he was law enforcement (which is a very serious offense according to the police. All will be documented and reported to the authorities.
I agree with you 100%. I carried mail for 34 years. PROUD CITY LETTER CARRIER. You have a lazy whiny ass carrier, city or rural.
My mail carrier is driving on my new, very expensive lawn when she pulls away rom the mailbox, and even on the grass before the driveway as she pulls up. I put up a reflector, about 5 feet after the box, to remind her to turn the steering wheel and not drive on my grass. Now I am told that I must remove the reflector because of the 15 feet clearance after the mailbox. Is this true, or is this a snow, or other large object guideline? Other people on my street(lots of new houses, and lawns), have the same issue. One guy paced a large rock.
“How to make someone that services you, job harder than it already is”. Wow you and your neighbors are horrible people.
USPS workers are paid by the people he services.
Where do the govt. get the money to pay them? Taxes!
USPS workers are handsomely paid with great benefits too!!!
oh babe. no no no. i deliver mail. i do not get paid handsomely. also, the post office does not get any money from the government for my salary. my salary is paid for by stamps, parcel shipping, and those dreadful advertisement newspaper things everyone hates so much. literally not a single taxpayer dime pays my wage. so no, i don’t work for you. i work for the post office and the post office pays me. i will say, though, that i do provide damn good service to my customers and i love what i do. but try again with the “paid by the people”. that’s just totally false. we’re not paid by anyone but the sweat we sweat.
Some people would complain if they were hung with a new rope. If you want your mail delivered keep your mail box clear of snow and posted so you’ll get your mail.
What if the postal truck parked in a reasonable accommodation parking spot given to a resident of a housing complex under the fair housing act?
I can’t help you there. Your question has exceeded my level of knowledge. I’m a traffic safety guy; I’m lost when it comes to the fair housing act.
Sounds like you should contact local law enforcement and place a video camera of him vandalizing your property. Get a police report number and then give that report number to your Post Master and tell him that he needs to rectify the issue otherwise your lawyer will handle the case next.
While he is a Federal Employee he is not immune to Civil Litigation and while he does have the right to enter the property to go to the mail box and back he does not have the authority to alter or modify anything on your property which Includes moving your trashcans, opening or closing your gates that are not blocking him from doing his job, He can not legally remove a car cover on your car either. His duties must be in the sole premise of completing his duties.
One thing you could even do is place a camera out there that can only view where the cans are and if it is shown him moving your property out of frame of the camera and that property disappears then he could also be liable for theft as well if that property disappears.
USPS mail carrier here. We can move a trash can if it’s in the way (usually with the bumper of our truck). If it’s just one trash can blocking the box, I’ll move it. Where it lands is where it lands. If it’s the whole street, it’s no access. If you complain about me moving your trash can out of the way, you don’t get mail on trash days. I’ll write it up as no access, date it and stick a cd104pic-e form on the offending object.
We actually are immune to civil litigation. It’s called Implied Immunity. As long as we are doing our jobs, we are not liable (assuming we don’t damage something like your vehicle or run over your mail box). So we can move your trash can, open a gate and even drive through part of your yard. Don’t like it? Get a P.O. box and stop delivery service to your residence.
As for the original commentator, please refer to my first paragraph about your trash problem.