ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — It can be really annoying to leave your house and find a neighbor’s car blocking your driveway. And it should be, because that’s illegal, according to the Illinois Vehicle Code.

However, what if it’s your car and your driveway? Can you legally park in front of your own driveway?

The answer, again, is no: Illinois law prohibits parking a vehicle, whether occupied or not, in front of a public or private driveway, and you could get a ticket.

Illinois law also prohibits a vehicle from blocking fire hydrants, public building entrances and exits, bus stops, and loading areas.

A vehicle cannot be parked within 15 feed of a fire hydrant, within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, within 30 feet of a stop sign or traffic signal, or within 20 feet of the driveway of a fire station.

The law does allow some leeway for the temporary purpose of loading or unloading property or passengers.

Parking a vehicle, whether occupied or not, is prohibited within 50 feet of a railroad crossing, or on a highway between sunrise and sunset.

It’s also illegal to park in a driveway and block the sidewalk, even if it’s your own driveway and sidewalk.

This is because sidewalks are for public use, being installed to give pedestrians a safe place to walk.

Even though a person’s driveway is their own property, the sidewalk that crosses it is part of an “easement,” or a right to use someone else’s land for a specific purpose. This means that while residents are granted use for the entrance to and the rest of their driveway, the sidewalk is owned by the city or county.

Laws that deal with blocking sidewalks have to do with public safety. If the sidewalk is blocked, a pedestrian might have to walk on the road to get around the car. This can be dangerous.

A car that is parked over the sidewalk can receive a ticket for doing so. In addition, a fine might be given to the homeowner.