NYC Fire Hydrant Ticket: $115 & the 15-Foot Rule
The penalty
The fine: $115, citywide
Under the NYC Department of Finance fine schedule (violation code 40), stopping, standing, or parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant costs $115 — the same amount in Manhattan and in every other borough. There's no first-offense warning and no time-of-day discount.
- $115 fine — Flat citywide. One of the steepest standard curb tickets in NYC.
- 24/7 enforcement — The hydrant rule never sleeps — nights, Sundays, and holidays included.
- Tow risk — Cars blocking hydrants can be towed on top of the ticket — especially if firefighters need access.
The rule
15 feet, both sides of the hydrant
- How to judge 15 feet — Fifteen feet is roughly one full car length. If any part of your car — bumper included — is within a car length of the hydrant on either side, you're in the ticket zone. When in doubt, leave extra room.
- Painted curbs don't count — Yellow or red paint near a hydrant is not legally binding in NYC — in fact, NYC DOT considers painting curbs an illegal defacement. The only measurement that matters is the physical 15 feet from the hydrant itself.
The one narrow exception: briefly standing — not parking — with the driver behind the wheel and ready to move is permitted in limited circumstances. The moment you leave the car unattended, it's a $115 ticket.
Avoid it automatically
Spotto's hydrant radar warns you before you park
Judging 15 feet by eye at night, in the rain, on an unfamiliar block is how $115 tickets happen. Spotto maps NYC fire hydrant locations and warns you the moment your parked position falls inside the 15-foot zone — before a ticket writer ever walks by.