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Parking near a fire hydrant in Québec: the 3-metre rule

Updated October 2, 2026

Under Québec’s Highway Safety Code you can’t stop a vehicle within 3 metres (about 10 feet) of a fire hydrant, unless it is an emergency or another provision allows it. There is no sign to remind you.

It used to be 5 metres

You’ll still hear “5 metres”. That was the figure in the original 1987 version of article 386; it was later reduced to 3 metres after the fire service confirmed that distance was enough. Municipal rules can add their own details, so the most careful answer is: at least 3 metres, and more if the street’s signs say so.

Why drivers miss it

• The zone is unmarked: no plate, often no paint.
• It applies all year, day and night.
• Hydrants vanish behind parked cars and snowbanks.

How CurbParker shows it

CurbParker draws a 3-metre no-parking zone around every hydrant, so a gap that looks free next to a hydrant is red on the map. New York uses a longer distance — 15 feet.

Quick answers

Keep reading

Sources

Code de la sécurité routière, art. 386 (Légis Québec)

The signs on the street always win. This page is general information, not legal advice; rules change, so check the posted sign and the official source.