Neighborhood parking issues are among the most frequent complaints residents have in Garland, according to the city’s website.
Prior to 2019, the city treated all parking offenses like traffic tickets, which are Class C misdemeanors. The criminal fines for most parking violations were between $80 and $200, and disputing the ticket required attending a scheduled court hearing, the city said on its website.
Partially due to the severe penalties, few criminal parking tickets were issued over the years, according to the city.
In recent years, the city has rolled out new ordinances to address parking problems around town, which are now largely treated as civil offenses.
The development aims to help residents understand the city’s parking standards and help change behavior without breaking the bank, Garland spokesperson Dorothy White said.
Here’s what you need to know about parking in Garland.
Unpermitted parking locations
- Parking is not allowed on unimproved surfaces, sidewalks, within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, within 30 feet of an intersection control device, in an alley if the parked car interferes with the movement of traffic, in an intersection or within 20 feet of a crosswalk.
- Double parking and blocking driveways are also not permitted.
- Parking certain oversized and commercial vehicles in residential areas is not permitted.
- Parking unregistered vehicles is prohibited. The new ordinance, which was passed by city council in May 2021, is intended to discourage residents from buying multiple cars to fix up and storing them on streets as part of a small business run out of their homes, council members have said.
- For a comprehensive list of parking violations in Garland, visit the city website here.
Fine amounts, how to pay
- Fine amounts for most parking violations range from $25 to $75. The first offense during a rolling one-year period will be $25, a second offense will be $50 and all subsequent offenses within a year will be $75.
- If a parked car creates a hazard, then Garland police could issue a criminal offense citation with a fine that exceeds $75. However, the vast majority of parking offenses are handled by city marshals, the city said.
- Individuals who are fined will not receive an email notification to pay their parking ticket. All violation notices are sent by regular mail and posted on the vehicle, according to the city.
- There is a 90-day grace period before fines will be issued for unregistered vehicles.
- Individuals will incur a $25 late fee if they do not pay their fine on time.
- Fines may be paid online following the instructions on the ticket. Individuals may also pay the ticket at the Charles E. Duckworth Utilities Building, 217 N. Fifth St., between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Ordinance enforcement
- The vast majority of parking tickets issued by the city are not treated as criminal offenses.
- The city may occasionally issue a citation as a criminal offense if a particular vehicle is creating a hazard. In these cases, tickets may be Class C misdemeanors with fines greater than $75.
- The city usually responds to specific complaints about cars parked improperly or unregistered parked cars, but city marshals are authorized to ticket any additional violations they see while on patrol.
Disputing tickets
- Residents can dispute their parking ticket at a hearing in the Parking Hearings Office of the Garland Municipal Court.
- If residents do not want to attend the hearing on their assignment hearing date, they may appear at the Parking Hearings Office on the first or third Monday or Wednesday of every month, the city website states.
- Residents may bring witnesses to testify on their behalf in front of a hearing officer.
- If ticket disputers are found liable, they must pay the ticket on or before the due date to avoid incurring a $25 late fee.
- If residents do not attend a hearing on or before their assigned hearing date, the city will assume that they do not contest liability for the citation.
