Worcester, MA Parking Rules: Preferential Parking Districts (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Chapter 13, § 40
- Sticker fee
- $10.00
- Zone boundaries
- Set by Schedule XX, city clerk's office
- Sticker/permit expiration
- December 31 each year
- Misuse fine
- Up to $300 per offense (§ 41)
- Weight limit for sticker eligibility
- Under 1 ton registered weight
Summary
Streets posted "resident parking only" in Worcester require a valid resident sticker under Chapter 13, Section 40. Stickers cost ten dollars, must show the vehicle registered at a city address, and expire every December 31.
(a) No person shall park any vehicle in any area posted "resident parking only" without a properly displayed, valid and current resident parking sticker issued under the provisions of this section. (b) Where official signs are erected giving notice thereof, parking is prohibited or restricted as to time, space and streets in accordance with the schedule of streets designated as schedule XX on file with the city clerk... (c) The parking administrator shall issue a resident parking sticker upon payment of a fee of $10.00, to the non resident owner of property which is located within the resident only parking zone and to any resident, owner/user of motor vehicles who meet the qualifications of this ordinance.
Full Breakdown
Section 40, "Residents Parking Program," makes it unlawful to park in any area posted "resident parking only" without a properly displayed, valid resident parking sticker. The boundaries of each restricted zone are set by posted signs keyed to Schedule XX, filed with the city clerk and incorporated into the ordinance by reference. c. 90, section 2, at a Worcester address, weighs under one ton, and is owned or used by someone actually residing at that address. Stickers must be affixed to the rear window's driver-side lower corner (or, on wagons and convertibles, as far back on the left-side glass as possible).
Households may also qualify for one visitor permit under subsection (g), displayed on the dashboard above the steering wheel, and doctors, dentists, funeral directors and other home-based professional or business uses authorized as accessory uses under the Zoning Ordinance can request additional visitor permits from the parking administrator. All stickers and visitor permits expire automatically on December 31 each year, and no permit issues while any household member owes unpaid parking fines or excise taxes to the city.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle displaying a revoked, expired, or improperly affixed resident sticker is treated the same as one with no sticker at all and is ticketed accordingly under Section 40(i)-(j). Separately, Section 41 makes it a violation to sell, transfer, or alter a resident sticker or visitor permit, or to use one in violation of the program's terms; a person who does so faces a fine of not more than three hundred dollars per offense, and the misused permit is subject to revocation and confiscation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Worcester resident parking sticker cost?
Do Worcester resident parking stickers expire every year?
Can I sell or give away my Worcester resident parking sticker?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Worcester
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