Olympia, WA Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Hours posted limits apply
- 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Days not covered
- Saturdays, Sundays and RCW 1.16.050 holidays
- Overtime 1 penalty
- $28
- Overtime 2 penalty
- $50
- RV on City street
- 24 hours without a permit
- Abandoned on City right-of-way
- 72 hours or more
Summary
In the City of Olympia, Washington, posted on-street parking time limits apply from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and do not apply on Saturdays, Sundays or the public holidays listed in RCW 1.16.050. Other clocks run at any hour, including the 24-hour RV rule and the 72-hour abandoned vehicle rule on City right-of-way.
Except as provided in OMC 10.16.030, Posted parking time limits on City streets and zones apply during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. but do not apply on Saturdays or Sundays or those public holidays listed in RCW 1.16.050.
Full Breakdown
OMC § 10.16.050 fixes when posted time limits operate on City streets and zones in the City of Olympia, Thurston County, Washington: during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., not on Saturdays or Sundays, and not on the public holidays listed in RCW 1.16.050. The section opens with an exception for OMC § 10.16.030, the recreational vehicle rule.
That is separate from prohibitions. OMC § 10.16.010 says the chapter's no-parking provisions apply at all times or those times specified in the chapter or as indicated on official signs. A street posted under OMC § 10.16.020 as no parking carries a $95.00 restricted parking infraction, with a second $95.00 penalty after one more hour and a third after another hour.
Overtime penalties come from OMC § 10.16.080: overtime 1 is $28, overtime 2 is $50, and in residential zone 2 overtime 3 is $70 and overtime 4 is $90. A vehicle found in an on-street space within one residential parking zone for more than the allowed time is prima facie in violation, and moving it from one space to another within the zone is no defense. Failure to observe a sign, or the absence of a sign, is no defense under OMC § 10.16.090. Free parking zones under OMC § 10.16.070 are two-hour, one-hour and 90-minute zones, and the window between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm is when the posted maximum counts.
Longer stays hit other rules at any hour. An RV cannot stay on a City street longer than 24 hours without a Parking Services permit. A vehicle used for camping cannot stay in one location more than 24 hours after notice to move, and a vehicle on City right-of-way for 72 hours or more is abandoned under OMC § 10.16.040. Registered Residential Parking Program vehicles must be moved at least once every three days.
Violations & Fines
Overtime infractions run $28 for the first period exceeded and $50 for the second under OMC § 10.16.080. RVs over 24 hours without a permit draw $95.00 under OMC § 10.16.030. Failure to respond to a notice of parking infraction raises the amount by 100 percent, not to exceed a maximum of $25.00, and unpaid balances go to collection after 60 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do posted time limits in the City of Olympia apply overnight?
How much is an overtime parking ticket in Olympia?
How long can a car sit on an Olympia street before it counts as abandoned?
Is a missing sign a defense to a parking ticket?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Olympia
How Olympia compares: Cities with the Strictest Overnight Parking Rules·Compare Olympia to another location·View the Washington parking rules overview
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