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Bellevue, WA Parking Rules: Preferential Parking Districts (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Authorizing section
BCC 11.23.010
Who authorizes zones
City council, by ordinance
Illegal permit sale penalty
$250.00 flat, BCC 11.23.029/.040(F)
Non-permit option
Time-limited or time-of-day parking allowed
Latest amendment
Ord. 6918, 2026

Summary

Bellevue's city council may establish residential permit parking zones restricting on-street parking to permit holders on specified streets under BCC 11.23.010, with time-limited or time-of-day options for non-permit vehicles. Selling, transferring or counterfeiting an RPZ permit is a separate $250.00 infraction.

The city council may by ordinance establish residential permit parking zones which restrict parking on specified streets except by permits issued to area residents. Such zones allow for time-limited parking or time of day restrictions for vehicles without a permit.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 6929, passed July 14, 2026).

Full Breakdown

010 authorizes the city council to establish residential permit parking zones (RPZs) by ordinance on specified streets, restricting parking there except to permits issued to area residents. The section gives the council flexibility in how a zone operates: it can allow time-limited parking or time-of-day restrictions for vehicles that do not hold a permit, rather than banning non-permit parking outright at all hours. The current version was reenacted by Ord. 014, so RPZs and paid curb pricing now sit as parallel tools the council can apply to different streets.

029 makes it unlawful to sell, transfer, purchase, counterfeit or otherwise acquire for value a residential parking zone permit or decal, or to use or display one to park in a zone it was not issued for. 00 fine that is not subject to the annual CPI adjustment applied to other parking infraction penalties in the chapter. 040.

Violations & Fines

Parking in a residential permit zone without a valid permit is a parking infraction under BCC 11.23.040, subject to the standard 30/33-day response window, escalating $25.00 default penalty, and registration-hold consequences for nonpayment. Selling, transferring, or counterfeiting an RPZ permit or decal under BCC 11.23.029 carries a fixed $250.00 penalty that does not adjust with inflation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Bellevue create a residential parking zone?
The city council establishes a residential permit parking zone by ordinance under BCC 11.23.010, designating specified streets where parking is restricted to permit holders, with optional time-limited or time-of-day allowances for non-permit vehicles.
Can I sell my Bellevue residential parking permit to someone else?
No. BCC 11.23.029 makes it unlawful to sell, transfer, purchase, or counterfeit a residential parking zone permit or decal, or to use one issued to someone else. The penalty is a flat $250.00 under BCC 11.23.040(F).
What happens if I park in an RPZ zone without a permit?
It is cited as a parking infraction under BCC 11.23.040, with the standard 30-day (33 if mailed) response window before a $25.00 default penalty and possible registration hold apply.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Bellevue

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