Parking signs: no parking and no stopping

What does a no parking sign mean in the Netherlands?

Sign E1	Broken yellow line along the kerb

The sign and a broken yellow line along the kerb mean the same thing: no parking, but stopping is allowed. The line applies for as long as it runs.

The no parking sign (sign E1) means: you may not park on this side of the road. Stopping is allowed. So you may let someone get in or out. And you may load and unload straight away.

You recognise the sign by its blue background, red border and one red diagonal slash.

Waiting for someone, making a call or popping into a shop is parking. So that is not allowed here, even if you stay in the car.

Memory aid: in your mind, turn the sign a little to the right until the red slash stands upright. That slash is the straight line of a letter P. Add a curve at the top right and you see a P: P for parking ban. Only parking is banned; a quick stop is fine.

1. Sign E1	2. Turned: slash upright	3. P for parking ban

No stopping sign: what is not allowed?

Sign E2	Solid yellow line along the kerb

The sign and a solid yellow line along the kerb mean the same thing: no stopping, so no parking either. The line applies for as long as it runs.

At the no stopping sign (sign E2) you may not stop, so you may not park either. You do not let anyone get in or out here. You do not load or unload anything.

The sign has two red slashes in a cross. So it is the sign for no parking and no stopping. Memory aid: X means nothing at all.

Do you have to stop because traffic requires it, such as at a red light or in a queue? That is fine. The ban is about stopping by choice.

How far does a no parking sign apply?

A no parking sign applies from the sign to the next junction. It only applies on the side of the road where the sign stands. So you may park on the other side, if no other ban applies there.

The no stopping sign works the same way.

No parking on both sides: the word ZONE

Does the sign say ZONE above it? Then the ban applies in the whole area and on both sides of the road. It continues until you see the end of zone sign.

No parking sign with an arrow or sub-plate

Always read a sub-plate together with the sign above it. An arrow or a distance shows where the ban applies. Does it show days or times? Then the ban only applies at those times.

Does the sub-plate show a vehicle, such as a lorry? Then the ban only applies to that vehicle. You may park there with your car.

A parking bay next to the sign

Is there a parking bay or lay-by next to the road? Then you may park there, even if a ban sign stands along the road. The ban applies to the road, not to the space meant for parking. Do check whether the bay itself has a sign with a restriction.

Parking signs with a P: who may park there?

A blue square parking sign with a white P means: you may park here. This is sign E4. Is there a symbol or text on or under the sign? Then the space is only for that group.

Not part of that group? Then you may not park there. Letting someone get in or out, or loading and unloading straight away, is allowed, because that is stopping.

Sign	What does it mean?
	You may park here. Without a symbol or sub-plate, anyone may park here.
	Only for passenger cars, not for lorries or buses. With another vehicle you may still stop here: to let someone get in or out, or to load and unload straight away.
	Disabled parking space. Only with a valid disabled parking card behind the windscreen, when you are driving the card holder. A passenger with a broken leg does not count. Without a card you may still stop here: to let someone get in or out, or to load and unload straight away.
	Only with the right parking permit. A parking disc does not help. Without a permit you may still stop here: to let someone get in or out, or to load and unload straight away.
	Only park here to charge an electric car. You may still stop here: to let someone get in or out, or to load and unload straight away.
	Taxi rank: only taxis may park here. With your own car you may still stop here: to let someone get in or out, or to load and unload straight away.
	Only if you carpool: you leave your car and travel on together with others. You may still stop here: to let someone get in or out, or to load and unload straight away.
	P+R (park and ride): you park and travel on by bus, tram, metro or train. You may still stop here: to let someone get in or out, or to load and unload straight away.

Parking sign for electric cars

At sign E8c you may only park to charge an electric car. No sign at the charging point? Then, under the traffic rules, the space is not only for charging. Do check for other signs.

Where can you park and where not? An overview

A yellow line on the kerb works just like these signs. A broken yellow line means no parking. A solid yellow line means no stopping, so you may not let anyone get in or out either. Read more about yellow lines on the road.

What you see	Parking	Stopping
Sign E1, no parking	No	Yes
Sign E2, no stopping	No	No
Broken yellow line	No	Yes
Solid yellow line	No	No
Parking bay next to a ban sign	Yes	Yes
Erf, outside a bay	No	Yes

In some places you may not park even without a sign, such as in front of a driveway or close to a junction. You can read about those in parking rules.