Three-minute curb rule makes this more drop-off than parking
Curbside Parking at MRY sits directly in front of the terminal on Fred Kane Drive, but it operates like a rolling drop-off lane, not a place to leave your car. Airport rules cap your wait at 3 minutes, and staff treat it as active loading only, not a short-term lot.
The curb line along Fred Kane Drive is camera-monitored and watched by both Del Rey Oaks Police Department and Airport Operations, so this is not a spot to stretch the limit. Expect to be told to move if you linger past those 3 minutes, even if you stay in the car with hazard lights on.
Pricing for Curbside Parking isn't posted on the airport’s parking sheet because long stays aren’t the intent here; the official paid options are the main and economy lots with published daily maximums, while the curb is treated as a free, ultra-short-use area. Treat every stop here like a live drop or pickup, not a place to leave the car while you walk inside for coffee.
Use curbside in front of the single Monterey terminal only if your passenger is ready to step out with bags in under 180 seconds. Anything slower and you’re better off looping Fred Kane Drive again or pulling into the regular parking lot for a calmer hand-off.
Pro tip: Text your arrival time from a minute or two away, then roll straight to the terminal curb and keep the engine running so you’re gone again before the 3-minute clock becomes a problem.