On-street parking in Bellingham is governed by BMC Chapter 11.33 (Parking, Standing, and Stopping), BMC Chapter 11.36 (Parking Meters), and BMC Chapter 11.38 (Residential Parking Zone), supplemented by state law RCW 46.61.570 for prohibited locations. Paid parking hours on downtown Bellingham metered streets are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday under BMC 11.36.030. The civil penalty for a parking meter or overtime infraction is thirty dollars; an unpaid citation past thirty days adds a twenty-five-dollar late fee. Under BMC 11.33.060, no vehicle may remain continuously parked for more than seventy-two hours on any city street.
Bellingham's on-street parking framework lives in BMC Title 11 (Vehicles and Traffic). BMC Chapter 11.33 (Parking, Standing, and Stopping) sets the general framework, BMC Chapter 11.36 (Parking Meters) covers paid meters, and BMC Chapter 11.38 (Residential Parking Zone) covers RPZ permit areas. Under BMC 11.36.030 (Parking meters - Payment and time limits), paid parking hours on downtown Bellingham metered streets are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with rates and time limits posted on each meter. Older single-space meters accept payment by coins and the PayByPhone mobile app; since July 2022 the city has been replacing them with new single-space meters that also accept Visa and Mastercard. Under BMC 11.33.230 (Penalties for parking infractions), the civil penalty for a parking meter or overtime infraction is thirty dollars, and if the person fails to respond as directed on the citation within thirty days, the civil penalty increases by a late fee of twenty-five dollars. Under BMC 11.33.060, vehicles may not remain continuously parked for more than seventy-two hours on any city street; the rule applies to motorhomes, travel trailers, boat trailers, utility trailers, cars, trucks, vans, buses, motorcycles, and motor scooters. State law RCW 46.61.570 (Stopping, standing, or parking prohibited in specified places) applies citywide regardless of vehicle type and prohibits parking within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant, within twenty feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, in any intersection, on a sidewalk, in front of a public or private driveway, or in any space where official signs prohibit stopping. Enforcement: City of Bellingham Parking Services (360) 778-7780 or parking@cob.org.
Failing to pay at a downtown Bellingham meter during paid hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, or exceeding the posted time limit, is a thirty-dollar civil penalty under BMC Chapter 11.33 and BMC Chapter 11.36; failing to respond within thirty days adds a twenty-five-dollar late fee. Leaving any vehicle continuously parked on a Bellingham city street for more than seventy-two hours violates BMC 11.33.060 and may result in impoundment after a warning tag. Parking within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant, twenty feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, in any intersection, on a sidewalk, in front of a driveway, or in any space where official signs prohibit stopping violates RCW 46.61.570 as enforced through BMC Chapter 11.33.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Bellingham, WA
The Bellingham Municipal Code does not contain a specific provision allowing or prohibiting artificial turf on private residential property. However, synthet...
Bellingham, WA
Within the Lake Whatcom watershed, BMC 16.80.080 requires residential single development to retain (or restore) at least 30% of the total site area as a Nati...
Bellingham, WA
Bellingham food trucks may operate on private property with the owner's permission or in the public right-of-way only after obtaining a Commercial-Related Te...
Bellingham, WA
Operating a food truck in Bellingham requires (1) a Whatcom County Health and Community Services Mobile Food Unit annual permit (plan review + annual operati...
Bellingham, WA
Federal law (FAA Part 107 and 49 U.S.C. § 44809) governs U.S. airspace and preempts local altitude/flight-path regulation. Bellingham sits inside Class D con...
Bellingham, WA
Bellingham does not require a city permit for residential garage, yard, or estate sales and does not codify a hard maximum number of sales per year. Activity...
See how Bellingham's street parking limits rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.