Parking problems in residential neighborhoods are a frequent source of resident complaints to the city. The Garland City Council has approved a program for administrative enforcement of parking ordinances throughout the city.
In the past, parking tickets were treated like traffic tickets – they were criminal charges (Class C misdemeanors). The criminal fines for most parking violations were between $80 and $200, and required that a person receiving the ticket attend a scheduled court hearing if they wanted to contest the ticket.
Because of the severe penalties and difficult enforcement procedures, few criminal parking tickets were issued over the years. Administrative enforcement will make enforcement easier for the City, make contesting parking tickets easier and less formal than a traditional court appearance for those charged with an offense, and make the fines civil
in nature, meaning they will no longer be criminal offenses.
Under the ordinance adopted by the City Council, the fines will be greatly reduced. A 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. Finally, during the first six months of the administrative enforcement program, Officers of the Garland City Marshal’s Office will only issue a warning unless the vehicle has received a prior warning or the vehicle is parked in such a manner that it creates an immediate safety issue for other vehicles.
IMPORTANT – You will NOT receive an email notification to pay your parking ticket. All violation notices will be sent by regular mail and posted on the vehicle.
Below is a partial list of the most common parking violations that will be enforced through the administrative enforcement program. Here is a complete list of parking violations that will be enforced by the City Marshals. Click on the “Violation Examples” tab for illustrations of some items listed below.
- No parking zones – The city has adopted an ordinance that time limit or prohibit parking in certain areas (see the complete list of restricted parking zones).
- No parking on an unimproved surface.
- No parking of certain oversized and commercial-type vehicles in residential areas – See “Oversized Vehicles” tab for examples and details.
- No parking on a sidewalk.
- No double parking.
- No parking in an intersection or within 20 feet of a crosswalk.
- No parking in such a way that a driveway is blocked.
- No parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant.
- No parking with 30 feet of an intersection control device.
- No parking within an alley so as to interfere with the movement of traffic.
Information provided by city of Garland.