SEATTLE — Starting Jan. 1, Seattle residents and visitors will be paying more for parking tickets if they park in an illegal spot within the city.
Previously, most parking fines ranged from $29 to $53, depending on the type of violation. In 2025, the new fines will start at $43 and can reach as much as $78 — an approximate 33% increase in cost. The only parking tickets that exceed $78 are if a car is parked illegally in a disabled zone, has a forged parking permit or if a “junked” car is using a city parking spot.
This is the first increase in parking citations since 2011. The full list of the citations and their attached costs can be found here.
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The City of Seattle cited the price hikes are to account for inflation and current parking rates.
The Center Square reported that parking infraction penalties are estimated to reach $17.2 million in 2024, more than $5 million less than the $22.4 million parking citations netted in 2023. This parking fine increase is expected to reach approximately $23.8 million in both 2025 and 2026.
Seattle Police Department (SPD) parking enforcement officers are responsible for enforcing all parking regulations and violations on city property.
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Last October, the price of parking increased by 50 cents per hour in more than a quarter of the parking spots in nine Seattle neighborhoods. The most expensive jumps were $6 an hour in the afternoon in Ballard and Columbia City and $6.50 for an hour of afternoon parking in Fremont and the Pike, Pine downtown area.
Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.
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