Lowell, MA Parking Rules: Street Parking Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Code Chapter
- Chapter 266, Article V
- Time-Zone Hours
- 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., except Sundays and holidays
- Enforcing Agency
- Lowell Police Department / Parking Department
Summary
On-street parking in Lowell is regulated by Code of Ordinances Chapter 266 (Vehicles and Traffic), which sets 15-minute, 30-minute, one-hour and two-hour zones (enforced 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. except Sundays and holidays) plus streets where parking is prohibited at all times. Vehicles parked in violation may be towed at the owner's expense.
Sec. 266-50. Prohibited in specified locations. No person shall stand or park, allow, permit or suffer any vehicle operated by him or registered in his name to stand or park in any street, highway, road or parkway under the control of the City in violation of any of the traffic rules and regulations of the City... Vehicles found violating any of the provisions of this section may be moved by or under the direction of the Lowell Police Department and at the expense of the owner thereof to an approved storage area, and the expense and cost of such removing, towing and storage shall be the liability of the owner of the vehicle. Sec. 266-54. Two-hour parking areas. A. Between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on every day except Sundays and holidays, no person shall park, stand or stop a vehicle for a period of time greater than two hours in the areas listed in Schedule K, filed in the office of the City Clerk.
Full Breakdown
Lowell's general parking authority is in Chapter 266, Article V. Section 266-50 prohibits standing or parking in violation of the City's traffic rules and authorizes police to remove violating vehicles to a storage area at the owner's expense. Time-limited zones are set by section: 15-minute (266-51, Schedule H), 30-minute (266-52, Schedule I), one-hour (266-53, Schedule J) and two-hour (266-54, Schedule K), each in effect 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on every day except Sundays and holidays. Section 266-56 (Schedule M) prohibits parking at all times on listed streets, and 266-59 (Schedule O) prohibits parking during specified hours. Metered zones are governed by Article VII; the City removed its 'feeding the meter' prohibition in the 2025 omnibus amendment. Speed limits on City-owned roadways in thickly settled or business districts default to 25 mph under MGL c. 90, sec. 17C.
Violations & Fines
Vehicles parked in violation may be moved/towed at the owner's expense under sec. 266-50; basic parking fines are set in the Schedule of Basic Parking Fines (sec. 266-132). Unpaid fines referred to the Registrar add a $5 charge per MGL c. 90, sec. 20A.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are Lowell's time-limited parking zones enforced?
Can my car be towed for a parking violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lowell
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Street Parking Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle street parking limits.