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SITE NAVIGATION

Discounts & Parking Rates

Parking Meters

Parking Operating Hours

Discounts & Parking Rates

Parking Meters

Parking meters on the street offer drivers multiple payment options. Meters and payment kiosks accept coins, mobile app payments, and credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover).

Meter revenues contribute to the City General Fund and may only be used as prescribed by Sacramento City Code section 10.40.130

When is meter payment required?

The physical meter screen or mobile payment app will reflect if payment is required with the appearance of a fee structure. When no payment is required, then a message indicating so will appear.

Meter payments are required during parking operating hours. These hours vary by location.

Paying at the meter: Initial payment made at the meter by cash or card will require physically returning to the meter if any additional time to park is desired. Payment to extend time can only be accepted at the meter and not through the mobile app.

Paying with mobile app: Initial payment using the mobile app will not require returning to the meter, as time extensions may only be performed using the app. There is a $0.35 per transaction convenience fee charged by the mobile app provider. Any subsequent transactions to add time via the app may result in an additional $0.35 convenience fee. Time extensions may only be performed through the mobile app because the initial payment made through the app.

Image of woman using a parking meter on the street with a video play button overlay

How to use smart meter

Video instructions on how to pay at single-space smart meters

Infographic of all tiered meter rates by hour and zone

Tiered meter rate brochure

Printable reference brochure with meter rates and payment guide

Image depicting zones for parking operational hours

Parking operating hours

Hours when time zones and meters are enforced

Dowload ParkMobile app

Easy way to pay at meters and parking facilities across North America

Image of barricade along 10th Street for reserved parking

Meter & space reservations

For construction projects or special events with permits

Parking meter receipts

Receipts for single-space smart meter payments

Meter locations

Parking meters are only authorized to be in Parking Meter Zones in specific traffic districts, as defined by Sacramento City Code section 10.40.010:

Central Traffic District
Fort Sutter Traffic District

With over 25,000 parking spaces in the Central City, only less than 6,400 are actually metered parking spaces.

Metered parking spaces may have single-space smart meters; multi-space meters in the form of green kiosks; or just signage posted with the meter zone (location) number indicating the code to enter on the ParkMobile payment app.

To view all meter locations, view the parking map and filter the legend to, "Space by time limit," and choose the meter type or choose all meter types. The legend is the icon in the upper left side of the screen that appears as three stacked squares.

Tiered meter rates

Meter payments are accepted at the meter, using cash or card (credit or debit), or via mobile app.

Smart meters in downtown and midtown operate on a tiered rate system:

There are no time limits at these meters.
Tiered rates allow drivers to stay longer at meters by paying into a dynamic rate structure rates based on the length of stay.
For long-term parking, it is recommended that drivers use off-street parking garages or lots, as those rates may be less expensive than paying the on-street meter rate.
Parking on the street is better suited for short-term parking to promote turnover, which supports residents, visitors, and businesses.

Rates are reflected on each meter screen.

Some spaces may be enforced by multi-space meters (green kiosks). These are spaces that do not have meters at each parking space, but payment is still required at kiosks located nearby on that side of the block.

At parking spaces without physical meters, also look for any posted ParkMobile signage on that side of the block to view the location number if mobile payment is preferred. Mobile payments are enforced by license plate readers.

The signs with a digit in a circle followed by the "+" sign reflects how many hours a vehicle may park at the base meter rate (Tier 1 rate) before the next tiered rate is required to continue parking at that space. When a vehicle leaves a space, the meter will reset to allow the next driver to park at the Tier 1 rate.

Tier 1: $1.75 each hour
Tier 2: $3.00 for one hour after Tier 1 ends
Tier 3: $3.75 each hour after Tier 2 ends

Image of a 2+ meter sign for tiered-rate parking

open_in_full

Example of meter sign indicating first two hours is charged at Tier 1 rate.

Image of a meter screen displaying tiered rates

open_in_full

Check meter screen for rates and important messages

Always check the meter screen to view meter rates and to make sure the meter actually requires payment.

If paying by mobile app, ensure the correct zone (location) number is entered for the parking space.

When paying a meter, ensure that payment is applied to the correct meter for that parking space or the correct license plate number is entered when using a Pay-By-Plate kiosk.

If the parking session will include a combination of paid time and free time, the physical meter or the mobile payment app will only reflect charges for the hours that require payment.

There are no time limits at meters as long as the meter is paid. During "free" hours, there are no time limits until operating hours go into effect again the next day and meter payment requirement resumes.

Free meter events

During the year, the City of Sacramento provides free metered parking either at all meters, or at select locations. The meter screen will reflect when payment is not required.

There are two types of free meter events:

Free meter holidays: Occur on specific holidays throughout the year
Free holiday meters: Occurs once a year during the winter holiday season

All other parking regulations are enforced including, but not limited to, posted regulations prohibiting parking during specific days and times for Street Services; "No Parking Any Time"; and spaces with time limits.

Meter and Space Reservations are excluded from any free meter program offerings because fees charged are to provide exclusive use of the reserved parking spaces and program administration.

Image of parking meter reflecting the words, "Free Holiday Parking"

open_in_full

Meters will reflect when payment is not required

Free meter holidays

"Free meter holidays" are specifed holidays, approved by the Sacramento City Council, when all meters throughout downtown and midtown are free all day.

These meter holidays are defined in Sacramento City Code section 10.04.010.

Meter screens will inform motorist that no payment is required on these dates:

New Year Day (January 1st)
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday (Third Monday of January) *
Washington's Birthday and President's Day (Third Monday of February) *
Cesar Chavez Day (March 31st) *
Memorial Day (Last Monday of May)
July 4th
Labor Day
Veterans Day (November 11th)*
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

If any of the holidays listed above fall on Sunday, the Monday following is a holiday.

Meters in Old Sacramento require payment every day, including Sunday. Therefore, meters in Old Sacramento will still require payment if the holiday falls on a Sunday and will be free on the Monday that follows.

Free holiday parking

"Free holiday parking" occurs near the end of each calendar year to promote holiday shopping in downtown and midtown. This is independent of the "free meter holidays" that refer to holidays when meters are free throughout the year.

Free parking is offered at select on-street meters in downtown and midtown during specific hours, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, when all metered parking spaces on the street are free all day.

To ensure the metered space is free, please check the meter screen at that space for any messaging referring to free parking. The ParkMobile app should not allow payment for free hours.

Thanksgiving Day: All metered parking spaces on the street are free for the entire day.

Day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve (December 24th):

Free metered space locations: Front Street to 29th Street, between I Street to L Street
Monday - Friday: Free after 4:30 p.m.
Saturdays and Sunday: Free all day

Christmas Day (December 25th): All metered parking spaces on the street are free the entire day.

Free holiday meters map

View specific metered spaces that are free during the free holiday meter program

Long-term meters

The majority of meters are considered "short-term" meters because they accomodate parking for only a few hours. These meters have tiered meter rates which are charged at an hourly rate.

To support employees who must rely on street parking to attend to their jobs due to limited or no off-street parking options nearby, the City of Sacramento also offers "long-term" metered parking. These special meters accept a max rate of payment and allow up to 10 hours of parking.

Drivers may park for less than 10 hours at a long-term meter. However, if the planned parking session will be four hours or less, please utilize a short-term meter to allow those who need long-term parking a space on the street.

How long-term meters work

Long-term meters charge the base rate of $1.75 per hour, then will "jump" to a flat rate to allow up to 10 hours of parking if the parking session extends beyond a specific number of hours.

For example, at 10-hour meter with an $8 flat jump rate, a driver may park short-term at the $1.75 per hour rate. However, if parking time entered into the meter will cost $8 or more, the meter will only collect $8 and the parking session time will "jump" to reflect coverage for 10 hours of parking time, even if the car doesn't plan to stay parked for 10 hours.

Drivers may choose to pay by the hour for short-term parking or choose the "max" rate button to pay the posted flat rate for 10 hours of parking.

To view all long-term meter locations, view the parking map and filter the legend to, "Space by time limit" and choose "10 Hour" for long-term meters. The legend is the icon in the upper left side of the screen that appears as three stacked squares.

Special Event Meter Rates

When an event at Golden 1 Center expects to exceed 15,000 attendees, then SacPark Meters will activate a special event meter flat rate within a three-block radius of Golden 1 Center. Meters will be activated with this rate two hours prior to the event start time.

Activation of special event rates in garages or lots (off-street) are independent of special event rates at street meters (on-street). Off-street parking rates and on-street parking rates operate independent of each other, including when special event rates at either are activated.

How special event meter rates work

Special event meter mode still allows short-term parking at the Tier 1 base meter rate. This accommodates those who need short-term parking.

Payment of the Special Event Rate will be required for any time parked beyond Tier 1. There is an exception for meters posted with 1+ signage. At those meters, the Tier 2 rate will still be in effect and Tier 3 will be the Special Event Rate.

Once a parking session reaches the tier that triggers the Special Event Meter Rate, then the meter will require payment equal to the difference between $18.75 and what was already paid to meter.
Payment of this difference will allow continued parking at the meter and no other charges will be required to remain parked for the rest of the day or evening (depending on the event time).
If the vehicle stays in the same parking space, then meter will require payment again at the start of the next day's parking operating hours.

Motorists who made their initial meter payments by ParkMobile will receive a reminder text that their time is expiring and an option to extend time from the app will be offered.

If initial payment was made at the meter, then extensions of time must also be paid at the physical meter.

Parking Operating Hours

ON THIS PAGE

Parking Meters

When is meter payment required?

Meter locations

Tiered meter rates

Free meter events

Free meter holidays

Free holiday parking

Long-term meters

How long-term meters work

Special Event Meter Rates

How special event meter rates work

More