Denver’s 2-hour parking rules let you park on a posted block for up to two hours during the enforcement window shown on the sign, after which you must move your vehicle at least 100 feet or to a different block face. Overstaying costs $25, rising to $35 if you don’t pay promptly, and ignoring the ticket long enough turns it into a court judgment and a boot on your wheel.
How to Know You’re in a Two-Hour Zone
Two-hour zones are marked by signs with green lettering on a white background, posted at intervals along the block. Each sign spells out the time limit and the hours it’s enforced. The sign closest to your parking spot governs your vehicle, so read it before you walk away. Some blocks have shorter limits of 15 or 30 minutes near high-turnover areas, and some have longer ones. If the sign says two hours, that’s your ceiling.
Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure designates and posts these zones under the Revised Municipal Code. The posted sign is the legal authority on what applies to your spot, so “I didn’t see the sign” won’t get a ticket dismissed.
When the Clock Starts
Non-metered time-limit zones run on the hours posted on the block itself. Some signs specify 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; others may differ. Metered parking in Denver is enforced Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.1City and County of Denver. Street Parking
If you park before the enforcement window opens, your two hours don’t start ticking until enforcement begins. Park at 7:30 a.m. in a zone that starts at 8:00 a.m. and you have until 10:00 a.m., not 9:30. That extra half hour matters if you’re catching a morning appointment.
Moving Your Car to Reset the Two Hours
When your time is up, you can’t just shuffle forward a few spaces. Denver requires you to move your vehicle at least 100 feet from its original position or to a different block face, meaning the stretch of curb between two intersections. Pulling ahead on the same side of the same block doesn’t count. The 100-foot standard appears in Municipal Code Section 54-485(c) and applies across Denver’s time-limited zones.2City and County of Denver. Accessible Parking in Denver Frequently Asked Questions
Enforcement officers track vehicles with a mix of license plate information and physical markers, including tire chalk in some situations. Moving 20 feet is not moving.
What an Overtime Ticket Costs
An overtime citation in a non-metered zone is $25, rising to $35 if not paid promptly. Overtime meter parking carries the same fine structure.3City and County of Denver. Denver Parking Citation Fine Schedule
If a citation goes unpaid for more than 120 days, Denver County Court enters a default judgment against you for the fine plus any accumulated late fees. At that point, your vehicle can be placed on the immobilization list. Getting a boot removed means paying every outstanding fine, fee, and surcharge before you drive anywhere.4Denver County Court. Parking
Disputing a Ticket
You have 20 calendar days from the date of issuance to dispute a citation. To do it, you schedule a Final Hearing in person at Denver County Court, 1437 Bannock Street, Room 140, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Denver has no online dispute option; online services are limited to paying tickets.
At the hearing, a judicial officer reviews the city’s evidence and your defense. If the officer finds the ticket valid, or if you don’t appear, judgment is entered for the fine plus $26 in court costs, due immediately. Between 21 and 120 days, you can still file a general motion, though the process is harder and the outcome less predictable. After 120 days, a default judgment is already on the books, and you’d need to file a motion showing good cause for the delay.4Denver County Court. Parking
Who Gets Extra Time
Two groups aren’t bound by the standard two-hour cap in the same way. If you live on a block in a Residential Parking Permit zone and hold a valid RPP, your vehicle is exempt from the posted time limit within your assigned zone only. Park in a different RPP zone across town and the two-hour clock applies to you like any other driver. Denver issues a Vehicle Specific Parking Permit tied to one license plate for $20 a year, and a Flex Parking Permit hangtag for guests, caregivers, or service providers at $25 a year, with one flex permit active per address. Each account also receives one guest permit. Both permits renew annually.5City and County of Denver. Residential Parking Permit Program
Vehicles displaying a valid disability placard or accessible license plate get up to four hours in any on-street zone normally restricted to two hours or less. The placard must be visible on the rearview mirror while parked. Once those four hours expire, the vehicle must move at least 100 feet, the same distance rule everyone else follows.6City and County of Denver. Accessible Parking Sign Program This is an extension of the posted limit, not an exemption from it.
Days the Rules Pause
Denver does not enforce parking meters or time-limit zones on Sundays. You can park all day without feeding a meter or watching the two-hour clock. The same suspension applies on New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.1City and County of Denver. Street Parking
Safety-related rules do not pause. Blocking fire hydrants, parking in no-parking zones, and obstructing loading areas will still draw a ticket regardless of the day. Street sweeping is also its own schedule from April through November, with a $50 fine and possible tow if you’re parked in a sweeping zone during posted hours. And even on streets with no posted time limit, leaving a vehicle in the same spot for more than 72 consecutive hours is a $25 violation, and the car can be flagged for towing.3City and County of Denver. Denver Parking Citation Fine Schedule