How do parking meters work?
You'll find meters throughout Boston. Here's what you need to know.
You'll find meters throughout Boston. Most meters are active Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Please make sure to check the hours of operation when you park.
You can only park for two hours, but some meters allow for more time. Please check the meter when you park.
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Still have questions? Contact:
Parking Clerk
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1 City Hall Square
Room 224Boston, MA 02201-2007
Sundays and City holidays
On Sundays and City holidays you can park for free. But, all other parking regulations are still enforced.
If you are confused about a date, please contact BOS:311. Their team will be able to tell you whether you can park for free.
Christmas Day was on a Sunday in 2016. City offices were closed on Monday, December 26, to observe the Christmas holiday. Parking meters were free on both days. We also didn't enforce parking meter time limits on either day.
Paying for parking at a metered spot
Check the signs around the meter to make sure you can use the spot. To avoid getting a ticket, you must return to your car before the time expires on the meter.
You will find options to pay meters with quarters, credit cards, and the ParkBoston app. If a ParkBoston decal is on the meter where you parked, you can use the app.
For Pay and Display meters, you must take the receipt from the meter and place it on the inside of your car's curbside window.
Parking meter costs
Starting on Monday, July 1, 2019, parking meter rates will increase across the City of Boston. The revised fees build off what the City learned over its two-year performance parking pilot program in the Back Bay and South Boston. These updates are part of our efforts to:
- reduce congestion
- increase the availability of parking, and
- reinvest funding into transportation infrastructure.
- Back Bay: $3.75 per hour
- Bulfinch Triangle: $2.50 per hour in the area bordered by Causeway Street, Lomasney Way, Staniford Street, Merrimac Street, New Chardon Street, and North Washington Street.
- Fenway/Kenmore: $2.50 per hour
- South Boston Waterfront: $3.75 per hour on all City-owned streets, with the exception of D Street, which will be priced at $2.50 per hour.
- Motorcycle parking: $0.50 per hour at all motorcycle parking stalls. These stalls are located on Milk Street, Pearl Street, High Street, Batterymarch Street, Newbury Street, Exeter Street, Gloucester Street, Boylston Street, and Fairfield Street.
- Some areas of the Back Bay and Beacon Hill have small sections of meters costing $0.50 per 15 minutes, with a 30-minute maximum limit, that were installed to create more turnover at those locations.
- Parking meter rates in all other metered areas of the City, including Beacon Hill, the Financial District, and the South End, will be set to $2 per hour.
Types of meters in Boston
These meters are located throughout the City’s most popular shopping, business, and entertainment areas. This includes Faneuil Hall, the Financial District, Back Bay, and the South End.
All single space meters accept quarters, and debit or credit cards from Discover, MasterCard, or Visa.
Parkeon Pay and Display MetersThese battery-operated meters are recharged by solar power and have instructions in both English and Spanish. Pay and Display meters accept quarters and credit or debit cards from Discover, MasterCard, or Visa.
Please put the receipt on the inside of your car’s curbside window to show you’ve paid for the spot.
- Parking meters with red-capped domes mean the meters are not in effect at certain times due to parking restrictions. These are often drop-off zones during the day.
- Parking meters with yellow-capped domes mean the metered spaces are also used as loading zones at times during the day.
If you want to park at a meter with a colored dome, please make sure to check the posted signs on the street. The signs will explain any parking restrictions.
BOS:311 service requests
Service requests-
Still have questions? Contact:
Parking Clerk
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1 City Hall Square
Room 224Boston, MA 02201-2007
