Blue zone parking: rules, disc, times & fines
Blue-marked bays are Switzerland's blue zone: on workdays from 08:00 to 19:00 you may only park here with a parking disc and for a limited time — usually one hour, considerably longer over lunch and overnight. This guide covers the official duration table, the Saturday and Sunday rules, resident permits and every fine under the OBV.
Updated: July 2026 · rules per SSV Art. 48a & Annex 3, fines per OBV Annex 1 (as of 1 July 2026)
At a glance
- Restricted hours Mon–Sat 08–19 workdays incl. Saturday
- Basic rule 1 hour with parking disc
- Lunch window until 14:30 arriving 11:30–13:29
- Overnight until 09:00 arriving from 18:00
- Sunday unrestricted unless signed
- Disc missing CHF 40 OBV item 202
- Time exceeded CHF 40–100 tiered by duration
- Legal basis SSV Art. 48a + OBV Annex 1
What is the blue zone?
The blue zone is the most common parking regime in Swiss residential areas: bays with blue markings, signposted with the «Parking with parking disc» signal (4.18) — often as a zone signal covering an entire neighbourhood. The legal basis is Art. 48a of the Signalisation Ordinance (SSV).
On workdays — which include Saturday — a restricted parking time applies between 08:00 and 19:00: you must set the parking disc when you park and may only stay as long as the official disc table allows (usually one hour). Outside these hours and on Sundays and public holidays, parking is unrestricted unless an additional panel says otherwise.
Blue-zone bays are intended for cars, other multi-track motor vehicles and motorcycles with sidecars (Art. 48a para. 1 SSV). For solo motorcycles, cities usually provide separate motorcycle bays.
Setting the parking disc correctly — 3 steps
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1. Set the arrow to the next mark
Point the arrow at the mark following your actual arrival time (marks = every half hour). Example: arriving at 14:47 → set the arrow to 15:00.
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2. Clearly visible behind the windscreen
In a car the disc must lie clearly visible behind the windscreen (Art. 48a para. 4 SSV). Not visible: CHF 40 (OBV item 202).
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3. Never re-adjust
The setting must not be changed until you drive away. Re-adjusting without leaving costs CHF 40 (OBV item 203) — just like setting a wrong arrival time.
The official parking-duration table (SSV Annex 3)
This is how long you may stay in the blue zone — the table comes directly from Annex 3 of the Signalisation Ordinance and applies on workdays (and, only where expressly signed, also on Sundays and public holidays):
| Actual arrival time | Time to set on the disc | Departure by |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 – 08:29 | 08:30 | 09:30 |
| 08:30 – 08:59 | 09:00 | 10:00 |
| … and so on, every half hour | … | … |
| 11:00 – 11:29 | 11:30 | 12:30 |
| 11:30 – 13:29 | mark following arrival | 14:30 |
| 13:30 – 13:59 | 14:00 | 15:00 |
| … and so on, every half hour | … | … |
| 17:30 – 17:59 | 18:00 | 19:00 |
| 18:00 – 07:59 | mark following arrival | 09:00 |
Note: Between 19:00 and 07:59 the disc is not required, provided the vehicle leaves before 08:00. Remember: arriving over lunch (11:30–13:29) lets you stay until 14:30 — and arriving from 18:00 lets you stay until 09:00 the next morning.
Saturday, Sunday & night-time — what applies when?
Saturday
Saturday legally counts as a workday: disc and time limit apply exactly like Monday to Friday, 08:00–19:00.
Sunday & public holidays
No time limit — unless an additional panel expressly extends the restriction to Sundays and public holidays (Art. 48a para. 2 SSV).
Night (19:00–07:59)
No parking disc required, provided you leave before 08:00. Arriving from 18:00 and setting the disc lets you stay until 09:00.
Watch the panels
Additional panels can set a different limit (minimum: 30 minutes) or extend the restriction to Sundays. The panel beats the default rule.
Blue-zone fines (OBV)
All amounts come from Annex 1 of the Ordnungsbussenverordnung (as of 1 July 2026):
| Offence | Fine | OBV item |
|---|---|---|
| Disc missing or not clearly visible | CHF 40 | 202 |
| Wrong arrival time set | CHF 40 | 203.1 |
| Disc re-adjusted without driving away | CHF 40 | 203.2 |
| Time exceeded: up to 2 hours | CHF 40 | 200a |
| Time exceeded: 2 to 4 hours | CHF 60 | 200b |
| Time exceeded: 4 to 10 hours | CHF 100 | 200c |
| Time exceeded by more than 10 hours | Regular proceedings | — |
Several offences can add up. Every other parking fine — no-parking zone, no-stopping zone, pavement, disabled bay — is in the full fine catalogue.
Resident permit: unlimited parking in your own zone
If you live (or run a business) in a blue-zone neighbourhood, you can buy a resident parking permit from the city. With a valid permit behind the windscreen, the disc limit no longer applies within the designated area — governed by the additional panel exempting authorised residents. Price, area and conditions are set by each city:
Blue zone Zürich
Almost every residential neighbourhood in the city is a blue zone. Resident and day permits are available online from the city of Zurich.
stadt-zuerich.ch/parkieren ↗Blue zone Basel
Residential areas rely extensively on the blue zone; resident permits are managed by the canton of Basel-Stadt.
bs.ch ↗Blue zone Bern
Blue zones shape the residential neighbourhoods; resident permits are issued by the city of Bern.
bern.ch ↗Blue zone Luzern
Lucerne also manages its neighbourhoods with blue zones and city resident permits.
stadtluzern.ch ↗No-parking, no-stopping & yellow markings
Not every unmarked area is free: these signals and yellow markings define where stopping and parking are prohibited — and what it costs (OBV, as of 1 July 2026):
No parking — signal 2.50
Round blue signal with a red rim and one diagonal: parking prohibited, brief stopping for boarding and loading allowed. Tiered fine: 40 (up to 2 h), 60 (2–4 h), 100 (4–10 h) — OBV item 250.
No stopping — signal 2.49
Round signal with two crossed diagonals: even voluntary stopping is prohibited. Stopping: 80, parking: 120 (OBV item 230).
Yellow line broken by crosses / field with diagonal cross
No-parking line (6.22) and no-parking field (6.23): parking prohibited at the marked spot — same tiers as the signal (OBV items 255/256). Art. 79a SSV.
Continuous yellow line at the road edge
No-stopping line (6.25): voluntary stopping prohibited. Stopping: 80, parking: 120 (OBV item 241).
Yellow zigzag line
Marks bus and tram stops (6.21): stopping only to let passengers on and off, provided public transport is not obstructed. Parking: 120 (OBV item 239).
White zone (white markings)
White bays are free, fee-based (parking meter) or restricted by an additional panel — the on-site signage governs.
Blue-zone FAQ
How long can I park in a Swiss blue zone?
Basic rule: one hour from the set mark. You point the disc's arrow at the mark following your arrival and may stay until one hour after that time. Example: arrive 09:40 → set 10:00 → leave by 11:00. Over lunch (arriving 11:30–13:29) you may stay until 14:30, and arriving from 18:00 even until 09:00 the next morning (SSV Annex 3).
Does the blue zone apply on Saturday?
Yes. Saturday counts as a workday in Switzerland — the disc and time limit apply on Saturdays from 08:00 to 19:00 exactly as during the week.
Does the blue zone apply on Sunday?
No — on Sundays and general public holidays, blue-zone parking is unrestricted by default. Exception: an additional panel expressly extends the restriction to Sundays and holidays (Art. 48a para. 2 SSV).
How do I set the parking disc correctly?
Set the arrow to the mark that follows your actual arrival time — the marks are in half-hour steps. Example: arriving at 14:47 → set 15:00. Then place the disc clearly visible behind the windscreen and do not change it until you leave.
What does parking without a disc cost in the blue zone?
CHF 40 (OBV item 202) — the same as a wrongly set arrival time or a re-adjusted disc (item 203). If the parking time is also exceeded, the 40/60/100 tiers can come on top.
May I re-adjust the disc to park longer?
No. The set arrival time must not be changed until you drive away (Art. 48a para. 3 SSV). Re-adjusting without leaving costs CHF 40 (OBV item 203.2). To stay longer, you must drive off and may only set a new time upon a new arrival.
How long may I park overnight in the blue zone?
Between 19:00 and 07:59 no disc is required, provided you leave before 08:00. If you arrive from 18:00 and set the disc, you may stay until 09:00 the next morning — ideal for the night.
What is the resident parking permit?
A municipal permit for people living or working in the neighbourhood: with a valid permit behind the windscreen you may park in the designated blue zone without the disc limit. Each city sets its own permit, price and area (e.g. Zurich, Basel, Bern, Lucerne).
Which vehicles may use blue-zone bays?
Cars, other multi-track motor vehicles, motorcycles with sidecars and vehicles of similar size (Art. 48a para. 1 SSV). Solo motorcycles belong on the cities' separate motorcycle bays; multi-track mopeds are excluded.
What happens if I exceed the time by more than 10 hours?
The standard-fine tiers (CHF 40/60/100) only cover up to 10 hours of excess time. Beyond that, the case goes to regular proceedings — with procedural costs and usually higher amounts.
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