Highlands County, FL Parking Rules: Street Parking Limits (2026)

Highlands County's traffic code, chapter 11, article II, treats on-street parking as a civil, noncriminal infraction rather than a criminal moving violation. Section 11-52 lists specific places where stopping, standing or parking is unlawful anywhere in the unincorporated area: on the roadway side of a car already parked at the curb (the classic 'double parking' or wrong-way parking violation), on a sidewalk, bicycle path or bicycle lane, within an intersection or crosswalk, on a bridge, on railroad tracks, or on any public right-of-way or private lawn without the owner's consent.

A separate clause bars standing in front of or within five feet of any driveway, within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant, or within twenty feet of a crosswalk. Section 11-53 separately forbids obstructing a fire lane. Under Sec. 11-56, the fine is $100 for parking in a disabled space (Sec. 11-54) and $30 for every other violation of the article. Sec. 11-57 lets the code enforcement clerk add a $15 delinquency fee if the fine is not paid within fifteen days, and unpaid tickets can be referred to a collection agency.

Owners who wish to contest a ticket must file a written request for a court hearing with the code enforcement clerk within fifteen days, and a county court judge can impose a civil penalty of up to $100 plus costs. Sec. 11-58 authorizes law enforcement to immobilize a vehicle with three or more unpaid recorded parking violations using a boot, and to impound a vehicle with five or more unpaid violations, with towing and storage costs charged to the owner as a lien on the vehicle.