(The Center Square) – Parking infractions will cost drivers in Seattle more starting next year.
Starting on Jan. 1, parking fines will range from $43 to $78. This is an increase over the current range of $29 to $53.
Currently, most parking fines range from $29 to $53, depending on the type of violation. The new fines will range from $43 to $78.
According to the Seattle Municipal Court, the fine increases align with the city’s current parking rates and accounts for inflation.
Last fall, a quarter of Seattle streets saw an increase in hourly parking rates, with some reaching a new high of $6.50 an hour.
Seattle typically changes off-street parking rates three times a year: in the spring, summer and fall.
This is the first time since 2011 that the Seattle has increased the amount of parking fines.
According to the city’s 2025-2026 budget, parking infraction penalties totaled $22.4 million in 2023. The estimate for 2024 considerably dropped to $17.2 million.
With the parking fine increase, the city expects to collect approximately $23.8 million in 2025 and 2026.
In recent years, the city has struggled to enforce parking infractions as a result of a staffing shortage within the parking enforcement unit.
Since 2020, the Parking Enforcement unit has been operating with approximately 20 vacancies, out of 104 parking enforcement officer positions.
From 2021 to 2023, the unit was located within the Seattle Department of Transportation. The city transferred the unit back to SPD in 2023 with an expectation that the department would fully staff the unit.
The shortage has been exacerbated by the struggle to find candidates capable of making it into the training phase of the process. Last April, only two out of 123 applicants made it to the training phase.
The Center Square previously reported on the staffing shortage resulting from a hiring process that can last up to seven months. This makes the job less desirable for those interested.
