Gotcha! 3 Parking Rules to Remember
These little-known laws will get you a ticket in Seattle faster than you think.
By Patrick Hutchison February 16, 2012
This article originally appeared in the March 2012 issue of Seattle magazine.
Every month, 97 Seattle Police Department parking enforcement officers print around 45,000 citations (about 7 percent of the city’s total population). While most tickets are for commonsense infractions—the most common: not paying or letting your time expire—there are a few lesser-known ways to end up with the dreaded envelope tucked under your wiper.
Seattle Municipal Code: 11.72.240
Rolling forward—or even moving your car across the street—won’t give you more minutes in a time-restricted parking area. If you want to reset the clock, you have to move to a different block.
Seattle Municipal Code: 11.72.090
Safety and better visibility for pedestrians is at the heart of this rule, which restricts parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk, whether it’s marked or unmarked.
Seattle Municipal Code: 11.72.145
Don’t assume that you can only get ticketed for expired tabs while driving. Officers can fine licensing violations—including missing plates and expired tabs—on parked cars, too.
Most parking violations in Seattle carry a $47 fine. The big exception? Park in a handicapped space without the proper placard and you’ll be slapped with a $250 fine. Park with a fake or borrowed placard and you could be fined $450!
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