Contact Us - Parking
900 E. Broad Street, Room 102
Richmond, VA
23219 USA
Customer Service: 3-1-1
Paying your parking ticket online:
-
Outstanding parking ticket information - This link will enable you to obtain information by license plate or citation number.
- Pay Parking Ticket Online - Verify your ticket balance at online ticket lookup. Parking fines increase $10 at 15 and 30 days until they are twice the original amount.
The City provides three mobile payment apps, Passport Parking, Parkmobile, and Pay-By-Phone. Each allows motorists to pay for parking through their smartphones. Users can download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play. To use, motorists enter the zone they’re in, their car license plate number, the length of time they are parking and the payment method. Once the system confirms the transaction, the parking session begins.
The apps can be used for more than 2,270 on-street parking spaces, primarily in the downtown area. The city has 261 single-space meters and 269 pay stations. Traditional payment methods are still available for those who choose to use them, but all three mobile apps are a convenient alternative. It enables parkers to monitor and extend parking sessions remotely, sends alerts and notifications about parking sessions, provides payment history and e-mails a receipt at the end of the parking session.
The City utilizes Pay-by-Plate on its solar powered pay stations. Those using pay stations can enter their license plate number directly into the machine when they pay. The system will save the information for parking enforcement officers. Motorists can also extend the time on the pay station by mobile text message. Here’s a video you can watch to learn more about Pay-by-Plate and Extend-by-Phone.
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The parking fee at pay stations is $2.50 per hour. With Pay-by-Plate it is no longer necessary to place a receipt on the dashboard after you pay. Receipts will only be dispensed when requested.
Pay stations accept debit and credit cards, in addition to cash and coins. Single space meters only accept coins.
Each pay station has the ability to communicate with the Parking Enforcement Office, which makes solving many pay station issues easier, however, not all problems can be communicated. In the event of a problem at a pay station, you should always contact Metropolis at (804) 649-3025 to report the issue and/or you can report issues with a Parking Enforcement Officer patrolling the area if one is available.
Metropolis is contracted to provide parking asset management services for:
- Operations
- Maintenance
- Security
- Administration
Features
- License Plate Recognition Technology
- Immobilization/booting scofflaw vehicles
- Pay-by-Plate
- Extend-by-Plate
Time limit restrictions throughout the City are located on street parking signage and range from 15 minutes to 3 hours. It is not permitted to exceed the noted time limits and vehicles must be moved at least 500 feet from the original space to avoid a citation. Violators will be fined $30. Additionally, when parking in a time restricted location, Chapter 27, Section 248 of the City’s Code stipulates it is possible to receive up to three tickets per day for permitting a vehicle to stand in the same parking place during the same day.
If the on-street location requires payment, the time limit permitted is noted on single space meters and metered pay stations. In some pay station locations, the time limit restriction is only noted on the pay station. This is an on-going initiative to reduce street and sign clutter where possible.
Also, there are times during the day, such as peak traffic times of 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., where parking is not permitted, even though a parking meter may be present at that location. There is a $65 fine for such violations. Another sign which overrides a time limit restriction and meter location is the permanent street cleaning sign, in which a $50 fine will be assessed for a violation.
Be mindful of signage indicating residential street cleaning or vacuum leaf collection are scheduled. Parking violations during those times may result in ticketing and/or towing.
There are a wide variety of signs posted to indicate what the parking regulations are in specific areas. In order to avoid ticketing and/or towing, you must understand and adhere to them. The signs are constructed and placed in accordance with the
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
Here are some of the signs you will see throughout the City:
Payment for parking is required in time-restricted metered spaces, which includes designated disabled parking spaces, in accordance with City Ordinance: No. 2018-233. Specially marked meters with blue caps have been installed at these designated parking spaces throughout the city or are included in payments accepted at kiosk locations.
In the Downtown Central Business District vehicles with disabled parking placards will be limited to two hours, which is in accordance with City Ordinance: No. 2013-108-74. Four hour parking is allowed outside of the Central Business District for those with disability placards.
The Downtown Central Business District is defined as Interstate 95 to the North and East, the Downtown Expressway to the South and Belvidere Street to the West, and includes the neighborhoods of Jackson Ward, Monroe Ward, City Center District, Capital District, Central Office District, and the Biotech and MCV District.
Violators will be fined $30. Additionally, when parking in a time restricted location, Chapter 102, Section 275 of the City’s Code stipulates it is possible to receive up to three tickets per day for permitting a vehicle to stand in the same parking place during the same day.
The City is committed to ensuring that on-street parking, including handicap parking spaces, is managed effectively for short-term use.
2026 Enforcement Calendar
City of Richmond Traffic Order 2971 declares that parking time limits and metered and unmetered zones will not be enforced on the following holidays. Morning and afternoon peak period towing regulation zones (ie. 7-9am or 4-6pm) will not be enforced on holidays except as indicate below:
- New Year’s Day – Thursday, January 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday – Monday, January 19
- President’s Day – Monday, February 16
- Peak Period Towing Zones WILL Be Enforced
- International Women’s Day – Monday, March 9
- Peak Period Towing Zones WILL Be Enforced
- Spring Holiday – Friday, April 3
- Peak Period Towing Zones WILL Be Enforced
- Memorial Day – Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth – Friday, June 19
- Independence Day – Friday, July 3
- Labor Day – Monday, September 7
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day – Monday, October 12
- Peak Period Towing Zones WILL Be Enforced
- Election Day – Tuesday, November 3
- Veterans Day – Wednesday, November 11
- Peak Period Towing Zones WILL Be Enforced
- Thanksgiving Holidays – Wednesday, November 25, Thursday, November 26, Friday, November 27
- Winter Holidays – Thursday, December 24 and Friday, December 25
All other prohibited regulations are enforceable: No Parking, No on Sidewalk, No Parking Tow Away, Bus Stop/Passenger Drop Off, Loading Zones, Spaces Reserved for Emergency Vehicles, Ambulances, or Law Enforcement, Fire Hydrant (15 feet), Handicap, Handicap Ramp, Corner Clearance, Cross Walks, & Travel Lanes, etc.
Enforcement Calendar for Residential Parking Districts only: Permit parking regulation will not be enforced on the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
- All other holidays will be enforced
There are three entities within the City authorized to issue parking tickets for on-street violations:
- Richmond Police Department (RPD)
- Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department (VCUPD)
- Parking Enforcement (PEO) staff under contract with the City of Richmond
- Parking is enforced pursuant to the Code of Virginia, Title 46.2, Chapter 12, Abandoned, Immobilized, Unattended and Trespassing Vehicles; Parking and Richmond City Code, Chapter 27, Article VI., Stopping, Standing and Parking.
There are a variety of parking infractions with fines ranging from $30 to $200.
Scofflaw vehicles, which have at least three unpaid tickets verified by either license plate recognition technology (LPR) or Parking Enforcement Officers, will be immobilized with the attachment of an orange ‘boot’.
Two notices will be placed on booted vehicles, on the driver’s side window and the windshield, with the full amount due, including a $60 processing fee for the boot. Before vehicles can be released all fees and fines must be paid in full. The boot will be removed within 45 minutes of payment. The fee is authorized by Ordinance: No. 2006-328 adopted by Richmond City Council on January 8, 2007.
Orange Boot Wheel Lock
Tickets can be paid in the Department of General Services Parking Division on the first floor of City Hall Room 102, with cash, credit card, debit card or money order between the hours of 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. No checks will be accepted. There will be a 2.5 percent convenience fee for debit or credit card payments. Tickets can also be paid by phoning Metropolis at (804) 649-3025 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Only debit or credit card payments are accepted. There will be a $3.00 convenience fee for debit or credit card payments paid via Metropolis.
The Richmond Police Department facilitates vehicle towing. If, for some reason, the City tows your car, you can retrieve it at:
Seibert’s Towing
642 W. Southside Plaza Dr.
Richmond, VA 23224
Phone: 804-233-5757
Web: www.seibertscos.com
You can look up your vehicle to see if it is at Seibert’s. Go to:
https://seibertstowing.com
On this page citizens can enter their VIN or plate number to see if their vehicle is there. There is a short lag time, but most vehicles should be in the system an hour or less from the time it was towed.
For additional questions, contact Seibert’s Towing at 804-233-5757.
Press Release: NEW Saturday Parking Enforcement Begins ~ Starting Saturday, October 15, 2022 ~
Beginning Saturday, October 15, 2022, the City of Richmond will begin enforcing time-restricted parking regulations on Saturdays on both sides of Arthur Ashe Boulevard from Broad Street to Moore Street, and in one section of the Central Business District.
Central Business District
Arthur Ashe Boulevard from Broad Street to Moore Street
$30 Fine
- Exceeding the time limit designated on signs
- Violation of parking meter provisions
- Parking improperly in a metered on-street parking space
- Parking improperly in a metered off-street parking area
- Parking oversized vehicles improperly in metered spaces
- Parking in a metered or non metered parking space
- Parking or stopping on the wrong side of the street
- Parking more than 18 inches from a curb
$50 Fine
- Parking in any location in violation of section 27-197, to include the following places:
- On a sidewalk
- In front of a public or private driveway
- Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant
- Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection
- On the roadway side of any vehicle parked at the edge or curb of a street
- At any place where official signs prohibit parking, or during street cleaning
- At any place where an order, rule, or regulation issued under section 2-428 prohibits or restricts parking
- On a curb, or with any wheels off of the roadway and on the far side of the curb from the roadway
- On a median
- Parking in any lane marked and designated as a "fire lane," within or adjacent to a parking area or parking lot that is open to the public and which is designed to accommodate 50 or more vehicles
- Parking so as to block an alley or to block a driveway into an alley
- Vehicle released at location
$60 Fine
- Parking in excess of the time limit designated on signs in a restricted parking district without a valid parking decal, temporary parking pass or visitor's parking pass for that restricted parking district
$65 Fine
- Parking in a tow-away zone
- Parking in a bus zone or taxicab stand
- Parking within an intersection
- Parking on a crosswalk
$120 Fine
- Towing of illegally parked vehicles
$200 Fine
- Parking in handicap zone
- Parking in front of a ramp constructed for use of handicapped persons
- Administratively, under limited circumstances as noted below
- Contest directly to Richmond Traffic Court.
The Administrative Review Process is currently limited to the review of citations issued for parking violations. Towing charges and any related storage fees are not presently included in the scope of this process and must be appealed to the Richmond Traffic Court.
The administrative review of a parking citation is limited to the following conditions:
- Malfunctioning parking meter
- Error entering plate
- Fallen or misplaced permit or placard
- Owner Deceased
- Missing, illegible, ambiguous or incorrectly worded sign
- Sign or other parking prohibition installed subsequent to parking
- Stolen or transferred vehicle
- Stolen or lost license plate
- Disabled vehicle
- Medical emergency
- Restricted Parking Permit (ticket issued in error)
- Other
If any of the above conditions apply to your citation, you may complete an Administrative Review Form. After completing and submitting the form, your request will be reviewed by our Administrative Review Board.
Please allow up to 5 BUSINESS DAYS to receive a response to your review request. You will receive an EMAIL from the Parking Administrative Review Board with the ruling. Please check your SPAM folder if you have not received a response in your inbox in that time frame.
If the Board is unable to recommend dismissing the citation(s), you will be given next step options – you may either pay the citation or contest the citation to the Traffic Court.
If your request for dismissal is approved, your citation will be forwarded to the General District Court, Traffic Division with the recommendation to dismiss.
You may contest your citation * (see below) with the Richmond General District Court -- Traffic Division. If you wish to dispute a parking ticket/citation, you must complete a Contest Citation Form that has been approved by the Court, and schedule a court date.
To complete the contest form and schedule a court date, come to:
Parking Violation Unit, City of Richmond
900 E. Broad St., Room 102
Richmond, VA 23219
This is the procedure set by the Manchester General District Traffic Court, who reports to the Virginia Supreme Court, not the City of Richmond.
* The City of Richmond reserves the right to prohibit the contesting of tickets once collection action has been initiated. According to City code section 27-219, The City of Richmond will prohibit anyone from contesting a citation(s) if that action is not taken within 10 days after the first notice of nonpayment is mailed. Citations may not be contested after they have been paid, nor may payment for contested citations be made to the City of Richmond once they have been contested. Once the citation has been contested and the information forwarded to the Traffic Court to establish a court date, all actions regarding the citation must be handled through the Clerk, General District Court, Traffic Division: (804) 646-6677.
About the contest process
Once you complete the Contest Form, a court date will be set. A copy of the Contest Form, with the court date noted on the form, will be given to you.
Should the traffic judge not rule in favor of the contesting party, the court will collect both the cost of the parking violation and associated court costs. The city does not receive any portion of the court costs, nor is it responsible for determining the amount charged. The amount of court costs for unsuccessfully contesting a parking violation may be obtained from the office of the Clerk of the General District Court, Traffic Division, at (804) 646-6677.
You may check on the status of citations contested with the Richmond Traffic Court online. If you have contested your ticket to the Traffic Court, click to find out the status of your case. Read the "How to use" instructions before proceeding on their site.
All work performed within the public right of way requires a Work in Streets Permit (WISP). The Right of Way Management Division provides reviewing, permitting and coordinating for all activities in the right of way in order to ensure public safety and mobility. If you are a commercial contractor, you will need to contact Mr. Leslie James for a Work in Streets Permit (WISP) at (804) 646-1288. Also, any metered spaces that will be reserved as a construction or parking zone, will require a fee for the period of the work. Payment can be arranged with Ms. Stacy Franklin at (804) 646-6397.
Contact the Richmond Police Permit Office at (804) 646-1717 if you have questions about special event and film production permits.
If you are planning to temporarily close the street fully including the sidewalk you must apply for a Street Closure Permit. The Street Closure Permit gives you permission to have the street closed to vehicular traffic as long as local access for residents and emergency vehicles is maintained while you hold your event.
A parade is a march, procession or race consisting of people, animals, bicycles, etc. on a public street, sidewalk which does not comply with normal traffic regulations and includes different assembly and disassembly points. These events require a Parade Permit from the Richmond Police Department. The Parade Permit Application must be submitted at least 30 business days prior to the day of the event.
You will first need to register your these event(s) with the office of Ms. Priscilla Wright (Department of Parks & Recreation) at (804) 646-3998.
When applying for moving permit, and/or a temporary residential parking permit, please call Department of General Services (DGS) Parking Division: (804) 646-3684.
Residential Parking Districts
Richmond code section 27-279 provides the criteria necessary to establish restricted parking districts. This ordinance permits the creation of additional districts throughout the city while not adversely affecting existing districts.
Richmond's neighborhoods have limited parking for residents therefore parking without a permit on designated residential streets is restricted to residents (see definition below) of a Residential Parking District and guests of the residents (with a temporary permit or an annual visitors pass).
The decal helps to ensure that residents of densely populated areas have reasonable access to parking near their residences. Cars parked in violation will be ticketed and possibly towed.
The ordinance specifies that home owners can purchase permits for all vehicles they own, and two annual visitor passes. Renters, with the appropriate approval of the property owner, can only purchase permits for their vehicles.
General Permit Requirements & Definitions
Please visit the Fan, Carver, Randolph, South Mulberry and Jackson Ward District pages for specific instructions and forms.
Please review the instructions and complete the application. Tenants must complete an application and have the property owner sign the form. Please contact 804-646-5700 should you have any questions.
Parking decals are permits for persons residing in a residential restricted parking district that enables residents to park vehicles, including motorcycles, within a designated area for greater than the hourly restriction without being ticketed. In order to park in designated areas of the district, any parked vehicle must display the decal. Those eligible to obtain a permit must display it inside the car, on the lower section of the driver's side back windshield.
A resident of the district is defined as an owner of record or renter of property in the district and members of their immediate family who reside with the owner or renter at the address in the district:
- Who are licensed drivers; and
- Whose domicile is the address for which they are seeking to obtain the parking permit.
Property owners and renters who reside in the district must complete the Residential Parking Permit Application.
Property owner information will be verified with the City Assessor's records. If property is in a trust, proof of ownership will be required.
Renters must have a copy of their signed lease and the permit application must be signed by the property owner or landlord.
Vehicles are required to be garaged at the address where the decal is requested. Students with cars registered at an address other than one in the city of Richmond must provide a copy of their full-time (12 credits or more) student schedule.
All city taxes and fees that are due must be paid prior to obtaining a parking decal.
Guests will be in violation and may be ticketed and towed if a current guest permit (temporary parking or annual visitor's pass) is not properly displayed. The guest permit should be placed on the front dash, driver side and fully visible.
Residents must include or present a photo ID or another form of identification that enables City staff responsible for administering the restricted parking program to verify their identity.
Enforcement Calendar: Permit parking regulation will not be enforced in Residential Parking Districts on the following holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Christmas Day
- All other holidays will be enforced
Department of General Services (DGS) Parking Division
City Hall
900 E Broad St., Room 102
Richmond, VA 23219
Bring proof of residency or lease, driver's license, vehicle registration form and if you are a student, bring your full-time class schedule.
Applications and more detailed instructions are noted below. If you have any questions, please call 3-1-1 or visit with a member of our Parking staff in Room 102 in City Hall, 900 E. Broad St.
Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
