Tacoma, WA Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Citywide overnight ban
- None exists
- Restrictions
- Posted block-by-block, not blanket
- Old fixed ban
- 11 p.m.–6 a.m. rule repealed 2009
- Backstop rule
- 7-day street limit, $35 fine
Summary
Tacoma has no blanket overnight parking ban. The City Traffic Engineer designates restrictions street by street under TMC § 11.05.250, including 'No Parking Anytime' zones marked with posted signs.
The City Traffic Engineer, or designee, has the authority to establish on-street parking restrictions to regulate the flow of traffic and/or parking. Such restrictions include, without limitation, Loading Zones, One-Hour Parking, Two-Hour Parking, No Parking Anytime, Disabled Parking, and similar designations. This includes the authority to establish, expand, and dissolve permit parking only zones and the authority to create the rules and regulations related to permit application, acquisition, award, denial, and revocation. No such parking restrictions shall apply to law enforcement or other emergency vehicles when in service. (Formerly 11.28.130. Ord 15258 § 183, 1955-02-28; Ord. 17636 § 1, 1964-06-30; Ord. 20935 § 2, 1976-12-21; Ord. 25208 § 3, 1992-11-24; Ord. 25247 § 2, 1992-12-22; Ord. 27839 Ex. A, 2009-10-27; Ord. 28404 Ex. A, 2016-12-13; Ord. 28974 Ex. A, 2024-08-06)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4946110; v22 updated 2026-07-28).
Full Breakdown
Tacoma repealed its old fixed overnight parking ban, 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. under former TMC § 11.05.270, in 2009 (Ord. 27839). Today the City Traffic Engineer sets on-street parking restrictions block by block under TMC § 11.05.250, which lists Loading Zones, One-Hour Parking, Two-Hour Parking, No Parking Anytime, and Disabled Parking as available designations, each requiring posted signage. A vehicle can sit overnight on an unposted residential street without violating any time rule. The citywide backstop is the seven-day extended-parking limit in TMC § 11.05.230, which bars leaving any vehicle on a public street or alley longer than seven calendar days.
Violations & Fines
Parking in a signed 'No Parking Anytime' zone or past a posted time limit violates TMC § 11.05.250's designations; leaving a vehicle on a street past seven days violates § 11.05.230, penalty at least $35.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave my car on a Tacoma street overnight?
Did Tacoma used to ban overnight street parking citywide?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tacoma
How Tacoma compares: Cities with the Strictest Overnight Parking Rules·Compare Tacoma to another location·View the Washington parking rules overview
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Overnight Parking in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle overnight parking.