Austin offers travelers and residents alike a wide variety of activities to explore within its city limits, but the local government makes parking tricky. When you’re looking for parking, expect to compete with a high volume of people who are also looking for the most popular spots.
Keep reading to find out about Austin parking rules and discover tips and tricks to avoid surprise regulations and find the best parking spots near your destination.
Understanding Austin street parking rules:
Back-in parking, weekend parking rates, and residential parking rules can make parking in Austin seem pretty confusing. Luckily, with some understanding of these rules you’ll be a parking pro in no time.
Tips to avoid a parking ticket
- Red curbs are for firefighters only. Don’t park there!
- If you’re on Congress, make sure you back in to ‘back-in’ parking spaces, or you might be ticketed.
- If you’re parking in a metered space overnight, be sure to pay the overnight fare option.
- Don’t park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant.
How does residential parking work?
If you live in a neighborhood that requires a residential parking permit to park on the street, there are a few things to know. You’re able to apply for a permit in-person, by mail, and online.
You’re able to apply for a permit at any time, but if you’re renewing you have to renew during one of the two renewal periods and there are no grace periods. That means, if your parking permit goes up, you’ll be ticketed right away!
Here’s when each permit expires:
- Orange area permits issued to residents near the University of Texas expire July 31 of each year.
- All other color area permits expire December 31 of each year.
What do street parking signs in Austin mean?
Here’s how to read the parking signs you’ll come across while parking in the city:
Here’s a photo of a typical Austin parking meter.
Only park here if you have a residential parking permit.
What are street parking rules for metered spaces?
Austin has plenty of street and metered parking that costs between $1.0 to $1.25 per hour. It’s important to understand the rules of that specific meter if you don’t want to get a parking ticket.
Read all of the street signs carefully before you park.
- If you have a disabled parking permit, parking at metered spaces is free.
- Motorcycles and scooters can park for free for up to 12 hours at metered spaces.
- Click the “next day purchase” button on paystations if you plan to park overnight.
Where can I park in downtown Austin?
Parking meters and parking garages are great options for cheap Austin parking. If you’re looking for a metered spot, they are free when meter limits are’t running.
Here are meter operating hours in downtown Austin:
- Monday-Wednesday: 8am – 6pm
- Thursday-Friday: 8am – midnight
- Saturday: 11am – midnight
- Parking is free at meters on Sundays throughout Austin.
How to find the best cheap parking in Austin?
Pay attention to Austin parking rules to make sure you don’t end up with a ticket on your windshield. Here is some useful knowledge to find the best parking near your destination:
- In general, parking garages offer the most convenient parking. To compare costs, head to the parking map and look for the parking garage icon.
- There are street parking spaces downtown that allow you to park overnight, just make sure you pay the additional fee at the meter.
Where can I find parking garages near downtown?
The easiest way to find parking garages in Austin is by heading to the parking map. There, you’ll find all of the information you need and you’ll be able to reserve a spot right then and there.
What’s the cost of an Austin parking ticket?
Costs for parking tickets in Austin aren’t cheap. If you’re already facing a steep parking ticket bill
| Parking Violation | Standard Fine | Early Payment Fine |
| Parking within an intersection | $40.00 | $20.00 |
| Parking in a loading zone | $40.00 | $20.00 |
| Double parking | $70.00 | $35.00 |
| Parking with 15’ of a fire hydrant | $70.00 | $35.00 |
| Parking in a tow-away zone | $50.00 | $25.00 |
| Parking at an expired meter | $30.00 | $15.00 |
How do I pay an Austin parking ticket?
Drivers with parking tickets are encouraged to pay online.
What do I do if my car gets towed?
Before you jump to any conclusions, call 311 or visit the official city towing page. There are several ways you can find out if your car was towed or stolen.
Is metered parking suspended today?
Austin does give people a break once a week. Parking at metered street parking spaces is free every Sunday. Street parking is also free on select parking holidays throughout the year.
Check out this guide if you’re looking for free parking in Austin.
Which days are Austin parking holidays?
Below are the official parking holidays in the city.
| Start Date | Parking Holiday | End Date |
| 2024-01-01 | New Year's Day | 2024-01-01 |
| 2024-07-04 | Independence Day | 2024-07-04 |
| 2024-09-02 | Labor Day | 2024-09-02 |
| 2024-11-28 | Thanksgiving Day | 2024-11-28 |
| 2024-12-25 | Christmas Day | 2024-12-25 |
To know which specific regulations are suspended on these days, please check the SpotAngels app.