Hydrant Violation

A hydrant violation is issued when a vehicle is parked or stopped within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. This is one of the most frequently issued parking violations in NYC, with a base fine of $115. The 15-foot rule applies regardless of whether the hydrant appears to be in use or functional.

Hydrant violations are enforced by both traffic agents and FDNY. If a fire breaks out and your vehicle is blocking a hydrant, the FDNY will break your windows to run hoses through the vehicle — and you'll still receive the ticket plus potential damage costs. Vehicles blocking hydrants can also be towed immediately without warning.

For fleet drivers, estimating 15 feet can be tricky, especially on crowded blocks where every inch of curb space matters. Some drivers park just past what they think is 15 feet and still get ticketed. Fleet operators should educate drivers on using vehicle length as a reference (15 feet is roughly the length of a standard sedan). Clear Plates flags hydrant violations so you can spot drivers who repeatedly incur these preventable tickets.