Chapel Hill, NC Parking Rules: Street Parking Limits (2026)

Chapel Hill's on-street parking framework lives in Chapter 21 of the Town Code (Traffic Code), with Article IV (Stopping, Standing and Parking) establishing the no-parking and time-limit rules and Article V (Parking Meters) establishing the metered zones. Citywide, NCGS 20-162(a) provides: 'No person shall park a vehicle or permit it to stand, whether attended or unattended, upon a highway in front of a private driveway or within 15 feet in either direction of a fire hydrant or the entrance to a fire station, nor within 25 feet from the intersection of curb lines or if none, then within 15 feet of the intersection of property lines at an intersection of highways.' Chapel Hill's general on-street parking rules, published by Park on the Hill: park 'no farther than 12 inches from the curb'; '25 feet' from intersections, stop signs, traffic signals, and crosswalks; '15 feet' from fire hydrants; no parking on any sidewalk anywhere in Town limits; no parking across the center line; no parking in bus stops or loading zones (except as specified); no blocking driveways; no alley parking except for active delivery. Downtown metered on-street parking: $2.00 per hour (a Daily Tar Heel summary of the recent rate change notes some segments are $2.00 per hour 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and $1.75 per hour elsewhere in the 8 a.m.-6 p.m. window, with the headline rate at $2.00). Per Park on the Hill, on-street enforcement runs 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with all on-street Town meters carrying a 3-hour time limit. Parking is not enforced on Sundays, Town holidays (Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day), or all Saturdays in July and December. Town-owned off-street decks and lots (West Rosemary, West Franklin, South Graham, James Wallace Deck, 140 West Deck) run $1.50 per hour up to 10 hours; the 125 East Rosemary Deck is free for the first 30 minutes, then $1.00/hr (1-2 hrs) and $2.00/hr (3-9 hrs); the Rosemary/Columbia Lot is $2.00/hr up to 12 hours. Pay stations accept Visa, Master Card, and American Express; the Rosemary/Columbia and Wallace Deck also accept $1 and $5 bills; ParkMobile is available. Residential Parking Permit (RPP) zones - there are 16 - protect UNC-impacted neighborhoods. Permits cost $25 per decal annually ($15 if purchased mid-year after January). Visitor options: up to ten 3-day visitor permits per year at $2.00 each, and up to five 7-day visitor permits at $10.00 each. In-home care permits are $10; replacement permits $15. Residents are 'exempt from posted time limits only in their zone'; 'Residential permits do not allow free parking in downtown parking areas.' Fine for parking in an accessible space without a valid permit: $250. Booting or towing occurs after 4 unpaid tickets. If a ticket is not paid or appealed within 21 days, a $10 late fee is added; another $10 late fee is added if not paid within an additional 14 calendar days. Chapel Hill Transit has operated fare-free since 2002 under a contractual cost-sharing agreement with the Town of Carrboro and UNC, reducing commuter parking demand.