In this guide
Why the overnight bans exist
A plow cannot clear a street properly with cars parked along it. It has to swing wide, which leaves a ribbon of snow down both sides that packs into ice by morning, and the truck has to come back when the cars have gone. That is the whole reason for the overnight ban, and the Town of Amherst Highway Department says it plainly: “The most desirable time to plow snow is when the Town’s parking ban is in effect.”
The same page gives a sense of the scale. Clearing the entire town — roadways, municipal lots and sidewalk district areas — takes about six to eight hours, and the department is responsible for salting and plowing over 320 miles of town and county roadways. Those hours are the ones the ban protects.
Enforcement is real. The Town of West Seneca attaches “a parking ticket with a fine of $15 or $30 if not paid within ten days,” and notes that “repeat offenses and /or emergencies may result in the vehicle being towed.”
Ban dates, town by town
Every rule below is quoted from the municipality’s own website, checked on 2 October 2026. Dates change, and some towns re-post their notice each autumn, so confirm with your own town before the first storm — the link in each row goes straight to the page the rule is published on.
| Where you live | Ban runs | Hours | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst (also Getzville, East Amherst) | Nov 1 – Mar 31 | 1–7 a.m. | Roads in the Town |
| Clarence (also Clarence Center) | Nov 1 – Apr 30 | 1–7 a.m. | Town and county roads |
| Hamburg (also Lake View) | Nov 1 – Apr 1 | 1–6 a.m. | Town and county roads |
| Eden | Nov 1 – Apr 1 | 2–7 a.m. | All public highways except state highways |
| West Seneca | Nov 15 – Mar 15 | 1–7 a.m. | Any roadway in the Town |
| Kenmore | Nov 15 – Mar 15 | 2–6 a.m. | Village streets |
| Depew | Nov 15 – Mar 15 | 2–7 a.m. | Village roadways |
| East Aurora | Nov 15 – Apr 1 | 2–7 a.m. | On-street, plus village lots |
| Williamsville | Nov 1 – Apr 1 (2025–26 notice) | 1–7 a.m. | All village streets |
| Buffalo | Nov 15 – Apr 1 (bus routes) | See city list | City snow resources |
Two towns state the ban as standing policy rather than a seasonal notice, and both are worth reading in their own words. Amherst: “The parking ban runs from November 1st thru March 31st from 1am to 7am and prohibits any vehicles from parking on the roads in the Town.” Clarence, as Local Law No. 2: “No Parking on any Town or County Roads in the Town of Clarence from November 1st thru April 30th during the hours from 1:00am to 7:00am.” Clarence runs a full month longer than its neighbour, which catches people who move between the two.
Two of those rows carry a caveat worth repeating. Williamsville and Eden publish their ban as a dated notice each autumn rather than as a standing page, and the most recent notices on both sites are the ones posted in November 2025 for the 2025–26 season. The dates have been consistent across previous years, but check the village or town site once the new notice goes up.
Buffalo works differently from the suburbs. Rather than a blanket overnight ban, the city restricts parking on streets carrying bus routes through the winter months, so the rule that applies to you depends on your street. The city’s snow emergency and removal page is the place to check.
The hours are the part people get wrong
Neighbouring municipalities differ by a single hour, and that hour is when the ticket gets written. Kenmore ends at 6 a.m. while Depew, two towns over, runs to 7 a.m. Hamburg starts at 1 a.m. and Eden at 2 a.m. If you have moved recently, do not assume your old town’s hours moved with you.
Towns that do not publish a date
Not every municipality puts its winter parking rule where the public can read it. For these, call the highway department or the clerk before the season starts rather than relying on what a neighbour tells you:
- Cheektowaga, Lancaster, Tonawanda and Orchard Park — we could not open a published rule on the town websites when checking in October 2026.
- Akron — the most recent village parking notice we could find dates from 2023, so the current season’s dates should be confirmed with the village.
- Boston — the town publishes a detailed road list showing which roads the town, county and state each maintain, but no winter parking restriction.
Where a village sits inside a town — Depew inside Cheektowaga and Lancaster, Kenmore inside Tonawanda, East Aurora inside Aurora, Akron inside Newstead — the village rule governs village streets, and the town rule governs the roads outside the village line. If your street is near the boundary, that distinction decides which rule you are under.
Who has to clear the sidewalk
In most of Erie County the answer is: you do, if the sidewalk runs along your property. The municipalities that publish the rule are unambiguous about it.
The City of Buffalo states that “Residential property owners are responsible for shoveling or plowing public sidewalks adjoining their homes” and that “Commercial property owners are responsible for plowing commercial parking lots, driveways, and public sidewalks adjoining their businesses.”
The Village of Kenmore puts it as a matter of law: “Under Village law, property owners are responsible for the removal of snow and ice (as well as maintenance and repair) from the sidewalks in front of their homes/businesses.” The Village of Depew is briefer: “Sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of the property owner.”
East Aurora goes further and spells out the liability. Village code, quoted on the Public Works page, requires that an owner “shall keep such sidewalk free and clear of and from snow, ice and all other obstructions,” and adds that “such owner shall be liable for any injury or damage by reason of omissions, failure or negligence to make, maintain or repair such sidewalk.”
For a business, that sentence is the whole argument for a documented sidewalk routine. It is the same principle behind keeping accessible routes clear at a commercial property, and the reason commercial snow contracts should say who clears the walk and when.
Pushing snow into the road is illegal
This one is statewide, not a local by-law. The Town of West Seneca quotes it directly from section 1219 subdivision A of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law: “No person shall throw or deposit upon any highway any snow or other substance likely to injure any person, animal or vehicle upon such highway.”
Towns enforce it. Hamburg’s winter policies state that “Under the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law it is illegal to plow snow from a driveway onto the road” and that “any violators of this law will be prosecuted.” Amherst warns that “the person, property owner or private plow operator can be given a summons” under VTL 1219 or the town’s own ordinance, adding simply: “It is illegal to deposit snow or ice into the street.”
Note who is named in that Amherst sentence — the property owner as well as the plow operator. If you hire someone who pushes your driveway snow across the road, the exposure is not only theirs. It is a fair question to ask a contractor before signing: where does my snow go?
If a plow takes out your mailbox
Several towns publish the same policy, and it is narrower than people expect. Amherst, Hamburg and West Seneca all replace a mailbox and post with a standard replacement when a town plow is responsible. All three exclude custom-built, ornamental and plastic mailboxes, and all three exclude damage caused by the weight of thrown snow rather than contact with the truck.
In West Seneca’s words: “When the weight of the snow damages your mailbox or post, it is the responsibility of the property owner to replace their mailbox and/or post.” A mailbox already loose in October rarely survives February. Our guide to driveway markers and snow stakes covers where to put markers so the plow can see your edges in the first place.
What the ban means if someone plows for you
Overnight bans and overnight plowing exist for the same reason, and they work together. Contractors run residential routes through those early hours precisely because the streets are clear of cars, which is also when a driveway can be cleared before you leave for work.
Three practical consequences:
- Keep your own cars off the street during ban hours, even if your driveway is being cleared. A car at the kerb blocks the town plow, and the ridge it leaves ends up across your apron.
- Park so the driveway can be done in one pass. A single car left mid-driveway turns a two-minute job into a hand-shovelling job, and most crews will clear around it rather than wake you.
- Agree the sidewalk explicitly. Driveway clearing does not automatically include the public walk, and in Buffalo, Kenmore, Depew and East Aurora that walk is legally yours to keep clear.
Redefine runs snow plowing and removal across 20 Erie County towns with 24/7 storm dispatch, covering driveways, aprons, walks and steps. Routes fill in October.
Five things to do before the first storm
Find your own town’s dates and hours
Use the table above, then confirm on the town or village site. Put the start date in your phone — 1 November and 15 November are the two that matter.
Sort out where the second car goes
Households with more cars than driveway need a plan before the ban starts, not at 1 a.m. during the first lake-effect band. Check whether your village offers any permitted overnight lot.
Stake the driveway edges
Markers go in while the ground is soft, in October or early November. They tell a plow operator where your pavement ends once everything is white.
Decide who clears the sidewalk
If it is you, have a shovel and de-icer by the door before you need them. If it is a contractor, get it in writing with the driveway.
Plan where the snow goes
Not into the road — that is the part that is actually illegal. Pile it downwind of the drive where it can melt and drain away from the house, and keep it clear of the fire hydrant.
FAQ
When does the winter parking ban start in Erie County?
It depends on the municipality. Amherst, Clarence, Hamburg and Eden start on 1 November. West Seneca, Kenmore, Depew and East Aurora start on 15 November. End dates range from 15 March in West Seneca, Kenmore and Depew to 30 April in Clarence.
What are the overnight parking ban hours?
Commonly 1 to 7 a.m., 2 to 7 a.m. or 2 to 6 a.m., and they differ between neighbouring municipalities. Amherst, Clarence and West Seneca run 1 to 7 a.m.; Depew, East Aurora and Eden run 2 to 7 a.m.; Kenmore runs 2 to 6 a.m.; Hamburg runs 1 to 6 a.m.
What happens if I park on the street during the ban?
A ticket, and in some cases a tow. West Seneca publishes a fine of $15, rising to $30 if it is not paid within ten days, and says repeat offences or emergencies may result in the vehicle being towed.
Who is responsible for clearing the sidewalk in Buffalo?
The property owner. The City of Buffalo states that residential property owners are responsible for shovelling or plowing the public sidewalks adjoining their homes, and commercial owners for their lots, driveways and the sidewalks adjoining their businesses.
Is it illegal to push snow from my driveway into the road?
Yes. New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law section 1219(a) states that no person shall throw or deposit upon any highway any snow or other substance likely to injure any person, animal or vehicle. Towns including Hamburg and Amherst say violators can be prosecuted or given a summons, and Amherst names the property owner as well as the plow operator.
Will my town replace a mailbox its plow hits?
Usually only with a standard mailbox and post, and only when the truck itself caused the damage. Amherst, Hamburg and West Seneca all exclude custom, ornamental and plastic mailboxes, and all three exclude damage caused by the weight of snow coming off the plow.
Sources. All rules quoted from the municipality’s own website, checked 2 October 2026: Town of Amherst Highway Department, Snow & Ice Control Procedures; Town of Clarence, Local Law No. 2; Town of Hamburg Winter Policies; Town of Eden winter parking notice; Town of West Seneca Winter Policies; Village of Kenmore snow removal; Village of Depew snow plowing; Village of East Aurora Public Works; Village of Williamsville overnight parking ban notice; City of Buffalo snow removal guidelines; Erie County Department of Public Works. Rules change and several municipalities re-post theirs each autumn — confirm with your own town or village before the first storm. This is general information, not legal advice.
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