Tallahassee's Parking Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles parking rules a little differently. In Tallahassee, Florida, there are 7 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Preferential Parking Districts

Tallahassee Code of General Ordinances Sec. 20-109(b) lets the city manager set rules, procedures and fees for extended parking by residents in metered residential areas. It rides on the same permit framework the city uses for contractors who need unlimited-time meter parking to do construction or repair work.

Key details: Governing section: Code of General Ordinances Sec. 20-109(b). Program: extended parking, metered residential areas. Set by: city manager rules, procedures, fees. Base permit issuer: public works director. Permit misuse: forfeiture plus code penalty.

Using a metered-space permit, including a resident's extended-parking authorization under subsection (b), for a purpose other than the one it was issued for is a violation of Sec. 20-109 that forfeits the permit and subjects the holder to punishment for a violation of the Code of General Ordinances, on top of the standard parking-fine framework for the underlying meter violation itself.

Loading Zones

Tallahassee Code of General Ordinances Sec. 20-79 caps passenger loading zone stops at three minutes and commercial loading zone stops at 15 minutes while the posted hours apply. Commercial vehicles using a designated commercial zone also need an annual permit from the city treasurer-clerk displayed on the windshield.

Key details: Governing section: Code of General Ordinances Sec. 20-79. Passenger zone limit: 3 minutes unless sign states otherwise. Commercial zone limit: 15 minutes unless sign states otherwise. Permit issuer: city treasurer-clerk, renewed annually. Permit prerequisite: valid city or county occupational license.

Exceeding the three-minute passenger limit or the 15-minute commercial limit, or using a commercial loading zone without the required permit and business signage, draws a fine set by city commission resolution after a noticed public hearing, and a police officer may have the offending vehicle towed from the zone in either case.

Abandoned Vehicles

Tallahassee Code of General Ordinances Sec. 20-132 bars abandoning any vehicle anywhere in the city, and Sec. 20-134 gives property owners only 72 hours to remove a partially dismantled, wrecked, junked or nonoperating vehicle before it becomes a violation. The city manager can impound a vehicle that appears abandoned under Sec. 20-135.

Key details: Governing sections: Code of General Ordinances §§ 20-131 through 20-135. Citywide ban: abandonment prohibited, no time buffer (§20-132). Street/highway rule: no grace period for wrecked vehicles (§20-133). Private property grace: 72 hours before violation (§20-134). Enforcement: city manager may impound (§20-135).

Leaving a vehicle in violation of Sec. 20-132's abandonment ban, Sec. 20-133's street prohibition, or Sec. 20-134's 72-hour private-property limit exposes the vehicle to impoundment by the city manager under Sec. 20-135, with the owner responsible for towing and storage charges under Sec. 20-49 before the vehicle is released, in addition to any citation issued under the chapter's general fine-by-resolution framework.

EV Charging

Tallahassee charges electric vehicle drivers by the kilowatt-hour at city-owned public EV stations, plus any parking-meter fee and an idle-time charge after a ten-minute grace period. The rate is currently $0.30 per kWh with a $0.40-per-minute idle fee, reviewed by the city commission every three to six years.

Key details: Initial EV rate: $0.30 per kWh. Idle time fee: $0.40 per minute. Idle time grace period: 10 minutes. Rate review cycle: Every 3 to 6 years, city commission. Residency requirement: None, open to any user.

A vehicle parked at a city on-street or off-street EV station without charging is subject to ticketing under applicable state and local parking laws. Nonpayment of the charging cost, idle-time fee, or any applicable parking fee at the time of use is a billing violation handled the same as other unpaid utility and parking charges.

Street Parking Limits

Tallahassee Code of General Ordinances Sec. 20-73 sets the default on-street parking rule: absent markings, every vehicle must park parallel to the right-hand curb and no more than 12 inches away from it. The same section bans parking with the vehicle's left side against the curb, meaning you cannot face into oncoming traffic except on one-way streets or streets where parking is allowed on only one side.

Key details: Governing section: Code of General Ordinances Sec. 20-73. Curb distance: within 12 inches of right curb. Wrong-way ban: no parking with left side to curb. Exception: one-way streets, one-side-parking streets. Enforcement: citation, fine set by resolution.

Parking contrary to Sec. 20-73's curb-distance or wrong-way rule draws a parking citation with a fine set by city commission resolution after a noticed public hearing. The registered owner is presumed responsible unless another driver's care, custody or control of the vehicle is documented. Unpaid tickets escalate: after two citations go unpaid, the city may impound the vehicle and hold it until storage costs and fines are satisfied.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

Tallahassee Code of General Ordinances Sec. 20-81 makes it unlawful to park a truck or trailer over 20 feet long on a street in front of any residence, except for immediate pickup or delivery. Trailers built to haul a boat are carved out of the ban entirely, and a detached road or truck tractor is not covered.

Key details: Governing section: Code of General Ordinances Sec. 20-81. Length trigger: trucks/trailers over 20 feet. Exempt: boat-hauling trailers. Exception: immediate pickup or delivery only. Also exempt: detached road or truck tractor.

Parking a truck or trailer longer than 20 feet in front of a residence outside the immediate pickup-or-delivery exception is a violation of the general parking chapter, carrying a fine set by city commission resolution after a noticed public hearing, with the standard right to request a hearing before the city manager's designee within three days of the citation.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Tallahassee actively enforces its commercial & oversized vehicles requirements.

Curb Color Rules

Tallahassee Code of General Ordinances Sec. 20-78 bars parking next to any yellow or red curb on a city street unless a sign specifically says parking is allowed there. A police officer who finds a vehicle in violation is authorized to have it towed on the spot, not just ticketed.

Key details: Governing section: Code of General Ordinances Sec. 20-78. Core rule: no parking at yellow/red curb absent sign. Enforcement: officer may have vehicle removed immediately. Origin: Code 1957 Sec. 32-20; Code 1984 Sec. 23-38.

A vehicle parked at an unposted yellow or red curb can be towed immediately by a police officer under Sec. 20-78's removal authority, in addition to a parking citation carrying a fine set by city commission resolution after a noticed public hearing. There is no grace period built into the section; the officer's discretion to remove attaches as soon as the violation is observed.

The Bottom Line

Tallahassee's parking rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Tallahassee is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Tallahassee can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.