Portland parking minimums were eliminated citywide in 2023, so the zoning code no longer requires a minimum number of car spaces for new housing. As of October 8, 2026, parking supplied voluntarily still must meet development standards, and bicycle parking, loading and other requirements can apply independently. The city’s parking overview identifies these remaining requirements.

For an infill project, evaluate the spaces, driveway and supporting infrastructure together before deciding whether to supply car parking. An optional stall can affect much more of the site than its painted rectangle.

Start with the building type and site rules

Portland residential parking requirements distinguish houses, duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes from other development. Section 33.266.120 generally governs those smaller building types; Section 33.266.130 governs other development, with exceptions such as parking tracts. Identify the applicable section before selecting dimensions or drawing setbacks. Chapter 33.266

Check the base zone, overlays and plan district as part of the site’s review of zoning and land-use rules. Parking maximums can still limit the number supplied, and special geographic rules can supersede the general standards. The city’s June 2025 update packet includes the applicable maximum-parking tables and their qualifications.

On a preliminary plan, mark the permitted parking location, maneuvering space, pedestrian routes and landscaping before counting stalls. Surface parking can require perimeter and interior landscaping; larger lots face additional tree-canopy or solar requirements. These are separate design checks in the city’s parking standards overview.

Keep that marked-up plan with the rest of your buildable-lot due diligence. A zoning designation alone does not establish which parking layout can be approved.

Check driveway access before committing to stalls

A parking space on private land and a driveway crossing the public right-of-way involve separate approvals. Under Section 17.28.110, the city can require evidence that a proposed driveway reaches legal parking and maneuvering space. It can refuse a driveway permit when that evidence is missing.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation’s driveway rule, amended effective June 11, 2026, addresses location, width, sight distance and conflicts near intersections. The applicable dimensions depend on the residential development and access arrangement. Use that dated driveway rule when evaluating a curb crossing.

Sketch the vehicle’s complete path from street to stall, with trees, sidewalk crossings and nearby corners on the same drawing. If the access fails, moving the stall may be more useful than refining its dimensions.

Bicycle parking and loading have separate triggers

The general bicycle-parking table lists Household Living sites with five or more units. Its short-term requirement is two spaces or one per 20 units, whichever is greater. Count units on the site rather than assuming each small building stands alone. Table 266-6

For long-term residential bicycle parking, temporary rates remain in effect until January 1, 2029: one space per unit in Standard A areas and 0.7 per unit in Standard B areas. Portland staff confirmed these rates in their August 11, 2026 presentation. These are baseline requirements; qualifying projects may obtain housing adjustments affecting bicycle-parking quantity or location.

Reserve usable space for storage and circulation early. The same presentation explains the separate concerns of security, weather protection and rack usability. A bicycle count written on a plan does not establish that the proposed storage works.

Loading has a different threshold. Under Section 33.266.310, an entirely residential building generally needs a loading space if it has more than 50 units, or more than 20 when its only street frontage is on a streetcar or light-rail alignment. Mixed-use buildings have additional rules. Loading standards

Record why loading is or is not triggered, and recheck that conclusion if the unit count, commercial floor area or street-frontage assumptions change.

Include drainage, accessibility and electrical work

Three reviews belong in the preliminary budget:

• Drainage and paving. Chapter 17.38 and the Stormwater Management Manual govern applicable runoff requirements. The 2025 manual became effective March 1, 2025; its transition from the 2020 edition ended June 1, 2025. For an existing application, check the city’s applicability dates. Title 24 separately regulates parking and driveway surfaces.
• Accessibility. Identify the accessible parking and routes required for the particular building and use, including applicable federal requirements. Portland assigns parking-accessibility review to Life Safety staff. For work governed by the Oregon Structural Specialty Code, the 2025 construction provisions became mandatory April 1, 2026.
• Electrical infrastructure. For new buildings with at least five dwellings, all supplied residential parking spaces must be EV-ready when there are one through six spaces. With seven or more, the requirement is the greater of six spaces or 50 percent. The zoning requirement concerns conduit supporting future Level 2 charging; electrical installation also requires the applicable permit review. City EV-ready requirements

Include these elements when pricing the parking option. Paving costs alone do not capture the work involved.

A six-unit example: optional cars, required bike storage

Suppose a proposed new building contains six homes on a Standard A bicycle-parking site. Assume ordinary Household Living use, no approved adjustment and no special district provision changing the calculation.

The baseline is six long-term bicycle spaces under the temporary bicycle rates and two short-term spaces under Table 266-6. If the developer voluntarily supplies two residential car spaces, both need conduit under the EV-ready standards.

Early in residential development planning, compare two complete concepts: one without car parking and one showing both stalls, access, drainage and electrical work. Use local housing research to assess expected resident demand, then weigh it against construction cost and alternative uses of the land.

November amendments are not yet effective on October 8

The City Council adopted Regulatory Improvement Code Amendment Package 11, or RICAP 11, on August 6, 2026. But Ordinance 192213 makes it effective November 1. Relevant amendments include:

• A conditional allowance for driveway parking associated with converting an existing attached garage to living space, including a 9-by-18-foot space and conditions tied to street-facing window standards.
• Relief from full long-term bicycle-parking compliance when a change of use creates a shortfall, while prohibiting further reduction in compliance.
• Clarifications concerning tenant access to shared long-term bicycle parking and public access to short-term parking.

These provisions appear in the ordinance’s July 2026 amended Exhibit B. They are adopted but not yet effective as of this article’s October 8 date.

Before committing to a purchase or final design, bring the proposed layout and unresolved code questions to a Portland planner and the project’s design professional. Have them confirm the standards and effective dates governing the application, especially where an assumption could change the project’s feasibility.