Denver Street Parking Rules: Sweeping, Permits, and Hydrants

Denver street parking rules cap continuous parking in one spot on any public street at 72 hours, charge for metered spaces during posted hours, restrict parking on street sweeping days, enforce two-hour limits in residential permit zones, and require set clearances from hydrants, crosswalks, and intersections. Most violations run $35, street sweeping tickets jump to $50, and vehicles can be towed when they block emergency access or sit too long.

The 72-Hour Limit Applies Everywhere

Under Denver Revised Municipal Code Section 54-465, no vehicle may remain in the same spot on a public street for more than 72 consecutive hours.¹ This rule holds citywide whether or not extra signage is posted. The clock starts when the vehicle is first observed and runs continuously.

Nudging the car a few feet does not reset it. Enforcement uses license plate tracking to tell a real move from a shuffle. The fine for overstaying is $35, and a vehicle left long enough can be classified as abandoned and towed.²

Recreational vehicles up to 22 feet long have to move at least 700 feet from the original spot each 72-hour cycle. Crossing the street doesn’t count.¹

Meters, and When They’re Free

Denver uses pay-by-plate metering. You enter your license plate at a kiosk and officers verify payment electronically; rates and time limits are posted at each block.³ An expired meter or overtime violation is a $35 ticket.²

Metered spaces are free every Sunday and on 11 designated city holidays:³

New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Presidents’ Day
Cesar Chavez Day
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

Free meters don’t suspend other posted restrictions. No-parking zones, time limits on non-metered signs, and street sweeping still apply on those days, so read the signage on the block before walking away.

Street Sweeping Days

Denver’s residential street sweeping runs April through November.⁴ Red-and-white signs at the curb show the day and hours your block is swept. The schedule often differs by direction of travel, so check both sides of the street.

A ticket for parking in the sweeper’s path is $50, and the city may tow rather than ticket.² You can look up your block and sign up for email or text reminders through a Denvergov account.⁴

Residential Permit Zones

Some neighborhoods are Residential Parking Permit (RPP) zones. Without a valid permit, you’re generally limited to two hours during the posted enforcement hours, and officers use plate tracking to catch non-residents who overstay.

Residents inside an RPP area can buy a permit that exempts them from those time limits on their designated block. The administrative fee is $20, and the program also offers guest permits and temporary vehicle-specific permits for people moving in from out of state while they update their registration.⁵

How Far to Keep Clear of Hydrants, Crosswalks, and Intersections

Denver Revised Municipal Code Section 54-458 sets clearances you have to maintain. Each violation is a $35 ticket, and vehicles blocking emergency access are often towed on the spot.² The required distances:¹

Fire hydrants: at least 10 feet
Crosswalks and stop signs: at least 20 feet
Traffic signals and flashing beacons: at least 30 feet on the approach side
Driveways and alleys: at least 5 feet, and no parking inside public alleys

The 20-foot rule near crosswalks and stop signs catches drivers off guard on narrow residential streets. Give yourself extra room when in doubt.

Parking With a Disability Placard

A valid disability placard or plate gets you up to four hours at a metered space without paying, or the full posted meter time if that’s longer. After four hours, the vehicle has to move at least 100 feet from that space. At non-metered time-limited spaces, you also get up to four hours even where the posted limit is shorter.⁶

The placard does not override every rule. You still cannot park where all vehicles are prohibited, in zones reserved for special vehicles, in rush-hour no-parking lanes, or during street sweeping, and the 72-hour limit still applies.⁶

Paying or Disputing a Ticket

You can pay a Denver parking citation online with Visa, MasterCard, or Discover, by phone, or by mail.⁷ After 120 days a default judgment is entered for the fine plus accumulated late fees.⁸

To contest a ticket, you have 20 calendar days from the date of issuance to schedule a Final Hearing in Denver County Court. Scheduling has to be done in person at 1437 Bannock Street, Room 140, weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. If the judicial officer upholds the ticket, or if you don’t appear, you owe the fine plus $26 in court costs, due immediately. Non-payment can land your vehicle on Denver’s immobilization (boot) list.⁸

Miss the 20-day window but the ticket is under 120 days old? You can file a general motion with Denver County Court for review. Past 120 days, your only route is a motion to set aside the default judgment.⁸

If Your Car Is Towed

Check Denver’s Tow Tracker at search.autoreturn.com first, searching by license plate, VIN, or make and model. You can also call the Denver Police non-emergency line at (720) 913-2000 and press 0 for the operator; if the car was relocated rather than impounded, they can tell you where.⁹

Retrieving a vehicle from the city impound lot means paying the towing fee plus a daily storage charge for every day it’s held. Those fees stack up fast, so pick the car up as soon as you can.⁹

1
City and County of Denver. Parking Ordinances
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City and County of Denver. Denver Parking Fine Schedule
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City and County of Denver. Street Parking
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City and County of Denver. Street Sweeping Schedules and Alerts
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City and County of Denver. Residential Parking Permit Program
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City and County of Denver. Accessible Parking in Denver – FAQs
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City and County of Denver. Pay a Parking Ticket
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Denver County Court. Parking
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City and County of Denver. Tow Tracker