Free Parking in Boston, MA: Where to Find It
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Boston on-street meters are free on Sundays and City holidays, but other parking regulations still apply (boston.gov). Most meters operate Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., although the posted sign controls. Do not use residential permit spaces without a valid matching neighborhood permit. If free street parking is unavailable, the Westin Seaport District Garage costs $25 a day.
Parking Near Boston
Free parking on Boston streets and at city meters
Boston’s on-street meters are free on Sundays and City holidays, and Boston still enforces other parking regulations on those days (boston.gov). Most Boston meters operate Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., so a meter may also be free outside those operating hours, but the posted sign controls the individual space.
Boston’s residential permit spaces are not general free parking because Boston reserves them for vehicles with a valid permit for the matching neighborhood.
Parksy parking by Boston’s Seaport and Devonshire Street
The Westin Seaport District Garage has secure covered parking at the Westin Seaport District, 0 yards away, for $25 a day. The Westin Seaport District Hotel Garage also offers secure parking at the same location, 0 yards away, for $25 a day. These garages suit drivers who need a reserved indoor alternative when free street spaces are unavailable.
A valet space at 68 Devonshire Street is 109 yards away and costs $28 a day. A second valet option at the Hyatt Centric Boston, also at 68 Devonshire Street and 109 yards away, costs $28 a day. The Devonshire Street valet spaces suit drivers visiting the Financial District who prefer attended parking over circling Boston blocks for an open meter.
Boston meter, visitor-space, and permit rules
Boston’s meter spaces require drivers to return before the time shown on the meter expires, even when the meter is free on a Sunday or City holiday (boston.gov). Boston’s parking signs also identify spaces that change function during the day, including red-capped meters that can mark drop-off restrictions and yellow-capped meters that can operate as loading zones.
Boston’s Resident Parking Only restrictions apply to vehicles not registered in the neighborhood, including visitors’ cars and vehicles owned by residents but registered outside the neighborhood (boston.gov). Boston signs without time restrictions apply all day and night, while signs without day restrictions apply seven days a week. Boston visitor spaces marked “Two Hour Limit Except Resident Sticker” limit non-permit vehicles to two hours during the posted hours, while a valid matching Resident Parking Permit is exempt from that restriction.
Boston parking-ticket costs, deadlines, and appeals
Boston requires a parking ticket fine to be paid within 21 days of issuance to avoid an additional penalty (boston.gov). Boston uploads tickets issued by Parking Enforcement Officers to the City’s online system the same day, although handwritten tickets can take longer to appear.
Boston allows a driver to appeal a ticket, but Boston requires payment within 10 days after a denied appeal unless the driver requests a hearing with the Office of the Parking Clerk. Boston’s hearing number is 617-635-4410, and Boston’s Parking Clerk also handles out-of-state plates or unknown ticket numbers at that number (boston.gov). Boston’s ticket process therefore gives a driver a defined payment deadline and a formal hearing route instead of treating an overstay as an informal warning.
Photo: Pexels / Altaf Shah Sources
* Please note: parking prices, time limits and fine amounts change frequently and vary by operator, council and local authority. Everything on this page is indicative and provided on a best-endeavours basis. Always check the sign, the operator or the issuing authority before you rely on a figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find free parking in Boston, Massachusetts?
Boston on-street meters are free on Sundays and City holidays, but other parking regulations still apply (boston.gov). Most meters operate Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., although the posted sign controls. Do not use residential permit spaces without a valid matching neighborhood permit. If free street parking is unavailable, the Westin Seaport District Garage costs $25 a day.
Are Boston parking meters free on Sundays and City holidays?
Yes. Boston’s on-street meters are free on Sundays and City holidays (boston.gov). The posted sign controls each individual space, including any time limit or other restriction.
What are Boston’s meter operating hours?
Most Boston meters operate Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. A meter may also be free outside those operating hours, but the posted sign controls the individual space. Even when a meter is free on a Sunday or City holiday, drivers must return before the time shown on the meter expires (boston.gov).
Can visitors park in Boston residential permit spaces?
Boston’s residential permit spaces are not general free parking. Resident Parking Only restrictions apply to vehicles not registered in the neighborhood, including visitors’ cars and vehicles owned by residents but registered outside the neighborhood (boston.gov).
How long can a non-permit vehicle stay in a Boston visitor space?
Boston visitor spaces marked “Two Hour Limit Except Resident Sticker” limit non-permit vehicles to two hours during the posted hours. A valid matching Resident Parking Permit is exempt from that restriction. Boston signs without time restrictions apply all day and night, while signs without day restrictions apply seven days a week.
When must I pay a Boston parking ticket, and can I appeal it?
Boston requires a parking ticket fine to be paid within 21 days of issuance to avoid an additional penalty (boston.gov). A driver can appeal a ticket, but payment is required within 10 days after a denied appeal unless the driver requests a hearing with the Office of the Parking Clerk. The hearing number is 617-635-4410 (boston.gov).
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