How to Parallel Park: Steps and Rules in Every State

Parallel parking is the one skill people dread more than the written test. It looks hard because you are steering backwards into a gap with a curb on one side and a car on the other. In reality it is a short sequence of fixed reference points: if you hit the same points every time, the car ends up in the same place every time. This guide shows you the sequence, the sizes involved, and what each state actually says about it.

Short version: line up beside the front car, back up until you see its rear light in your side window, turn the wheel fully toward the curb, straighten when your car is at about 45 degrees, then turn fully the other way to tuck the front in. Finish within 12 to 18 inches of the curb, depending on your state.

What you need before you start

How to parallel park in 7 steps

1. Find the space and signalLook for a gap on the right side of the road. Turn on your right signal early so drivers behind you know you are slowing down on purpose.
2. Pull up beside the front carStop parallel to the car ahead of the gap, about two to three feet away from it, with your rear bumper lined up with its rear bumper.
3. Check all around and shift to reverseLook in the mirrors, then over your right shoulder, then over your left. A cyclist, a pedestrian or a car overtaking you matters more than a perfect park.
4. Back up slowly and turn toward the curbRelease the brake and let the car creep. Turn the wheel all the way toward the curb and keep reversing until your car points at roughly 45 degrees to the road.
5. Straighten the wheel and keep goingOnce you are at 45 degrees, straighten the wheel and reverse straight back until your front bumper has cleared the back corner of the car you were parked beside.
6. Turn the other way to bring the front inNow turn the wheel all the way away from the curb and keep creeping back. The front of your car swings in toward the curb and the car settles into the space.
7. Straighten and centerPut the car in drive, straighten the wheels, and roll forward to center yourself between the two cars. Put it in park, set the parking brake and check the gap to the curb.

Reference points that make it repeatable

Every car is a little different, so find your own marks once and reuse them. Park next to a real car or a pair of cones in an empty lot and note these three moments.

• Start mark: when your rear bumper lines up with the other car's rear bumper, you are in the right place to begin.
• Turn mark: when the back of the other car's headlight or taillight appears in your side window, you are at the right spot to start turning the wheel toward the curb.
• Straighten mark: when your car points at about 45 degrees (the front bumper lines up with the middle of the gap or the car ahead's rear corner), straighten the wheels.

Your marks will move if you drive a different car. A pickup or SUV has a longer wheelbase and a bigger blind spot, so redo the practice drill the first time you drive a new vehicle.

How big a space do you need?

The honest answer is that it depends on how well you can steer. A sedan can get into a space only a few feet longer than itself with practice. A beginner should look for about one and a half car lengths, which is roughly 22 to 25 feet for most cars. Test spaces are usually tighter than that, and they vary by state. A few examples from official testing pages:

• Georgia: 22 feet long by 10 feet deep.
• Pennsylvania: 24 feet long by 8 feet wide.
• Missouri: 25 feet by 7 feet, finished within 2 minutes.
• Michigan: your vehicle length plus 6 feet, 8 feet wide, no touching the boundary lines.
• Alaska: 10 feet by 30 feet, marked with cones.

In the real world, the space is only part of the picture. You also need room behind you to back up. Check that no car is tailgating you before you stop, and do not start if a driver is closing in.

How close to the curb should you be?

Every state sets a maximum gap between your tires and the curb. The two numbers you will see most are 12 inches and 18 inches. Twelve inches is about the length of a ruler. Eighteen inches is about the length of a loaf of bread. If you are farther away than that, you can be ticketed for improper parking, and on a road test it can cost points or fail you outright. In Idaho, for example, more than 18 inches from the curb is treated as a critical error.

A simple habit: look at the right-hand curb in your mirror when you finish. If you can fit a whole shoe between the tire and the curb, you are probably still too far out.

Parallel parking rules and test status in every state

The table below lists the farthest your tires may sit from the curb and whether the standard road test includes a parallel park. The figures come from each state's own driver manual, road test guide or statute as we read them in October 2026. Where we could not confirm a number on an official page, we say Check the manual rather than guess.

Rules change and testing sites differ, so confirm with your state's DMV before test day. A manual from this year is the best source for the exact number and for how the examiner scores it.

States that dropped it from the road test

A handful of states have decided that a parallel park is not worth failing a new driver over. Maryland removed it from its test in 2015, Nevada dropped it too, and Florida, Iowa and New Mexico do not require it. Ohio replaces it with a marker course that checks the same car control. Even if your state does not test it, you will still need the skill the first time you park on a city street, so it is worth learning.

Parallel parking on a hill

Hills add one more step, and these rules are the same almost everywhere. After you park, turn the front wheels so the car cannot roll into traffic if the brakes fail.

Parking on the left, and on one-way streets

On a one-way street, many states allow you to park on the left side as well, as long as your tires are within the same distance of the left curb. Some states only allow it when a local ordinance says so. The technique is the same, mirrored: keep the car parallel and finish within your state's limit. Always check for a no parking sign on both sides before you stop.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

• Too far from the curb: you straightened too early. Next time, wait until the car is at a deeper angle before straightening.
• Hitting the curb: you turned toward the curb too late, or let the wheels turn too far. Slow down and straighten sooner.
• Sticking out at the back: you started too far from the front car, or you did not turn away from the curb in step six.
• Crooked in the space: you stopped as soon as you got in. Roll forward and straighten the wheels to center the car.
• Going too fast: creeping speed gives you time to steer. If your foot is on the gas, you are going too fast.
• Relying on the camera: many testing agencies say the backup camera and parking assist must be off. Use your mirrors and your shoulder checks.

How to practice without a test or a curb

You do not need a driving school to learn this. You need an empty parking lot and something to act as the other cars.

1. Mark a space with four cones, boxes or laundry baskets: a pair for the front end and a pair for the back, spaced about one and a half car lengths apart.
2. Pick a painted line or a curb to act as the curb side.
3. Run the seven steps ten times in a row, slowing down each time you feel rushed.
4. After each try, get out and measure the gap to the curb. Your goal is under 12 inches.
5. Shrink the space a little each round until you can park in about your car length plus 6 feet.

Test day tips

• Practice in the car you will use for the test, not a different one.
• Do not apologize or narrate. Stay calm, signal and check your mirrors where the examiner can see you.
• If you make a mistake early, finish safely, then ask whether you can adjust. Some states allow a couple of corrections.
• Know the scoring in your state. Touching a cone or going over the line can be an automatic fail in some places and only a deduction in others.
• Do not rush. Examiners are usually more interested in whether you are safe than whether you are quick.

Frequently asked questions

Parking skills are part of safe driving, but they are only one part of getting your license. If you are preparing for your written test, our free practice tests cover every state, and you can retake them as often as you need. Always confirm current rules with your state DMV before you go.