Providence, RI Parking Rules: Street Parking Limits (2026)

Section 15-2(a) applies the general penalties of section 1-10 of the Code of Ordinances to violations of Chapter 15, but it gives drivers a cheaper route. A person who appears before the clerk of court, or mails the payment, instead of appearing in person before the Providence Municipal Court and admits the violation pays the amount in a three-column schedule of offense, code reference and fine. The parking rules behind the schedule sit in sections 15-147 through 15-151, with fire lanes in section 15-118(c).

Parking during an emergency costs $250.00, parking so as to obstruct the flow of traffic costs $200.00, parking in a bicycle lane costs $125.00, and parking within 8 feet of a fire hydrant costs $110.00. A flat $100.00 applies to parking on a sidewalk, inside an intersection, inside a marked crosswalk, within 20 feet of a marked crosswalk, obstructing a driveway, in a marked bus stop, in a tow zone and in a fire lane.

Parking without a permit in a residential zone (section 15-151) costs $60.00. Double parking, or parking more than 3 feet from the curb, costs $55.00. Parking within 25 feet of a corner, in a taxi stand or in a loading zone, overtime parking, angled parking and standing in a prohibited area each cost $50.00. Parking with left wheels to the curb and parking at an expired or unfed meter cost $40.00. Parking from 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. without a valid permit costs $35.00, and the lowest fines, $30.00, cover parking within one foot of a driveway, parking over 1 foot but less than 3 feet from the curb, and parking in an otherwise prohibited area.

Metered spaces carry an extra rule. Under subsection (b), each consecutive unit of time a vehicle stays beyond the first unit counts as a separate violation, up to a maximum of two violations. Section 15-13 caps meter fees at $2.00 per hour and allows them Monday through Saturday between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.

Two entries in the schedule carry no dollar figure: valet zones are handled under Chapter 14, Article XIV, and commercial vehicles standing in residential zones are handled under section 15-153. The section was last amended by Ord. No. 2025-21 on June 5, 2025, and an offense committed before that ordinance took effect is still governed by the version in force on the date of the offense.