Oakland Street Sweeping

Street Cleaning is suspended on the following days:
Fri, Nov 29 2024 for Day after Thanksgiving

The street sweepers come through commercial areas at night in order not to impede the normal flow of daily traffic. In residential areas, street cleaning occurs throughout the day.

Look for posted signage with restricted hours on each block. If you’re planning a trip, check out this Oakland street sweeping map, which allows you to search for restrictions on each block during whatever time you choose.

If you’re looking for more general parking information, check out our Oakland street parking guide to find out what curb colors mean, how to obtain a residential parking permit, and city-wide meter rates.

Look for posted signage on your block. Each sign will show the hours when street sweeping occurs in Oakland as well as the days of the week. Keep in mind, street cleaning occurs during the day on residential streets.

Technically, it is legal to park after the street sweeper passes. Just make sure that street cleaning is actually complete because the process takes more than you think. First, look for the broom support truck. A worker picks up larger items on the street, things like abandoned furniture or fallen branches.

Next, look for the street flusher, which is used mostly on commercial streets like Market and Mission. The flusher’s jets shoot water down the roadway, loosening grit and grime for the street sweeper round.

Third in line is the parking ticket officer, citing cars that haven’t moved.

Finally, the street sweeper comes along. This is the most commonly recognized vehicle for street cleaning. It has big brushes and a large tube with a vacuum that leaves the street squeaky clean.

After that final step, you can legally park.

A street cleaning ticket in Oakland will cost you $66. If not paid promptly, that fine jumps to $119 and again to $196, so pay it off ASAP!

Yes! On city-recognized national holidays, street sweeping is suspended and you are free to park, regardless of the posted signage.

Oakland Street Cleaning Holidays:
January 1 (New Year’s Day)
January 21 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
February 12 (Lincoln’s Birthday)
February 18 (President’s Day)
May 27 (Memorial Day)
Tuesday, July 4 (Independence Day)
September 2 (Labor Day)
September 9 (California Admission Day)
November 11 (Veteran’s Day)
November 28 (Thanksgiving Day)
November 29 (Day after Thanksgiving Day)
December 25 (Christmas Day)