Usually, no. A dropped kerb is there so someone can get across the pavement or into and out of a property. Parking over it can leave a driver trapped on a driveway, force a wheelchair user into the road, or block a cycle route. It can also lead to a council penalty charge in the places where the relevant enforcement rules apply.
The detail matters. A lowered kerb serving a private drive is not exactly the same as a tactile pedestrian crossing, and parking law differs across the UK. But the safe, practical answer is simple: do not assume that an unmarked dropped kerb is fair game.
Start by working out what the dropped kerb serves
Look at the whole pavement, not just the bit of kerb beside your car. A lowered section may be for:
- a vehicle crossing into a driveway or garage;
- a pedestrian crossing, often with tactile paving;
- a cycle track entering or leaving the carriageway; or
- a raised carriageway meeting the pavement, rather than a visibly lowered pavement.
A tactile-paved crossing is the easiest case to spot. Blocking it is particularly disruptive for blind and partially sighted people, wheelchair users and people pushing prams. A driveway crossing can be less obvious, especially where the entrance is narrow, but it is still not a spare parking bay.
What the Highway Code says
Highway Code rule 243 says drivers should not stop or park where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles, or in front of an entrance to a property. It also says not to stop or park where doing so would obstruct cycle facilities.
That wording is important. Some parts of rule 243 are advisory rather than a stand-alone criminal offence, but it is not permission to block access. Separate parking restrictions and civil-enforcement rules can still apply, and a vehicle causing an unnecessary obstruction can create a different problem altogether.
England and Wales: when a dropped kerb can bring a PCN
In a special enforcement area, section 86 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 prohibits parking on the carriageway next to a footway, cycle track or verge lowered for pedestrians, cyclists or vehicles. It also covers a carriageway raised to meet the footway for those purposes.
So a yellow line is not the only thing to look for. A council can enforce a dropped-kerb contravention even when there is no road marking beside it. The practical risk is greatest at pedestrian crossings and shared driveways, where a council does not need the affected householder to complain before taking action.
There are limited statutory exceptions. For example, a vehicle may be permitted where it is wholly in an authorised parking place. There is also a narrow exception for parking outside residential premises with the occupier’s consent, but it does not apply to a shared driveway. Time-limited loading can be an exception only where the statutory conditions are met, so a delivery driver should not treat it as a general right to block a crossing.
If it is your own drive, consent may be relevant under the England and Wales dropped-footway rule, but it does not override yellow lines, a controlled parking zone, a dangerous position or any other restriction. Do not park there simply because you own the house.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Do not copy an England-and-Wales rule across the border. In Scotland, rule 243 says drivers must not double park or park where the kerb has been lowered to help pedestrians or cyclists, subject to limited exceptions. Scotland also has its own pavement-parking and double-parking framework. A driveway situation may involve local enforcement and obstruction issues as well, so check the council’s published parking guidance if you are unsure.
Northern Ireland has separate parking law and enforcement arrangements. The sensible rule remains the same: do not block a dropped kerb, property entrance or crossing. Check the signs and local restrictions rather than relying on advice intended for Great Britain.
Can you park opposite a dropped kerb?
There is no universal dropped-kerb distance rule for the other side of the road. But if your car makes it difficult or impossible for a vehicle to turn into or out of a drive, you may be causing an obstruction. The risk is higher on a narrow street, opposite a shared access, or where vans and emergency vehicles need extra room.
As a separate Highway Code point, do not park opposite or within 10 metres of a junction unless you are in an authorised parking space. That is a junction rule, not a general driveway measurement.
If someone has blocked your driveway
- Do not retaliate. Avoid blocking their car in, damaging it or having it removed yourself.
- Check whether it is a council-enforceable crossing. Your council’s parking team may be able to issue a PCN, particularly in England and Wales. Photograph the vehicle, its registration, the crossing and the surrounding signs.
- Report a genuine obstruction. If you cannot get your vehicle out, contact the local council in the first instance where it handles parking enforcement. If access is urgently needed or the situation creates danger, use the police non-emergency route, or 999 in an emergency.
- Keep the evidence factual. Note the date, time, location and why access was blocked. Do not rely only on a photograph that makes it hard to see the lowered kerb.
A quick parking check before you switch off
- Is the kerb lowered, raised or fitted with tactile paving?
- Would your car block a driveway, crossing or cycle entrance?
- Is this a shared driveway or a pedestrian crossing? Treat both as a clear no.
- Are there yellow lines, a controlled-zone sign, a parking bay or a loading restriction that adds another rule?
- Could a wheelchair user, pushchair or vehicle still pass safely without going into the road?
If the answer to the last question is no, find another space. It is quicker than a penalty charge, an argument with a neighbour, or leaving somebody stranded on the wrong side of the pavement.
Bottom line
Do not park across a dropped kerb just because there are no yellow lines. In England and Wales it can be a council-enforceable contravention, especially at pedestrian, cycle and shared-access crossings. Elsewhere in the UK, local rules differ but blocking access is still a bad bet. Leave the crossing clear and check the local restriction if there is any doubt.
