Can I park in my front yard in Birmingham?

Only on a paved surface. In the front open space of a residential lot, vehicles may stand only on paved surfaces such as a driveway (§ 4.31 OS-02). Parking on grass or bare ground in the front yard is not allowed.

Paving has its own limit. The same standard requires at least 65 percent of the front open space to be vegetated, so you cannot solve a parking shortage by paving the yard. Overall, at least 40 percent of the lot must be open space, with at least 75 percent of that vegetated (§ 4.30 OS-01).

In the R8 attached single-family district, parking within the front or side open space is limited to driveways, and the required spaces must be in a garage, carport, or under the building (§ 4.48 PK-04). If your driveway cannot fit the required spaces, talk to the Planning Division before expanding it.