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Home » Parking Services » Street Parking & Pay Stations

Street Parking & Pay Stations

Locations & Information

On-street pay station and meter parking is available throughout the downtown, University Hill and Boulder Junction areas. Most downtown, University Hill and Boulder Junction pay stations have a three-hour parking maximum. Longer-term pay stations and meters (4 and 10 hours) are located at 8th and Pearl streets, and on 13th and 14th streets between Canyon and Arapahoe avenues.

Pay Station/Meter Rates & Hours

  •  $1.25 per hour
  • 25¢⁄12min · 50¢⁄24min · 75¢⁄36min · $1.00⁄48min
  • Enforced: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. / Monday - Saturday
  • Saturdays: No maximum
  • Sundays and city holidays: Free

Note: No overtime parking tickets will be issued within five minutes of valid receipt expiration time.

**NEW PARKING PAY STATIONS SPRING 2021!**
Changes include "pay by license plate" and no more printed paper receipts to place on vehicle dashboard

Older parking pay stations around Boulder are being replaced with new pay stations offer a “pay by license plate” parking system, offering customers an enhanced user experience, while helping the city meet sustainability goals. Drivers enter a vehicle's license plate numbers into the easy-to-use, solar powered pay stations and complete the transaction (or continue to use mobile parking apps like ParkMobile or WayToPark). No paper receipt is printed and there is no need to go back to the vehicle and place a receipt on the dashboard (and no paper waste either). License plate recognition (LPR) technology is used for parking management and enforcement, which is more efficient and increases parking turnover and access to on-street parking spaces. The new touch screen pay by plate pay stations accept payment in coin, credit or debit card (including Downtown Boulder Partnership Gift Cards), with a 9.7” full color touch display that is accessible by Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Touch screen display walks users through the transaction process.

The steps to purchase parking time using the pay stations are: (1) Press the start button, (2) Enter your license plate # and amount of parking time you wish to purchase , (3) Pay with a credit card, Downtown Boulder gift card or coins, (4) Confirm selection with the green arrow.

View New Parking Pay Stations Purchase Instructions PDF

Meter Feeding

Meter feeding is prohibited: Vehicles parked at a meter for longer than the maximum time posted on the meter—even if the meter still has time on it—will receive a ticket. This practice encourages turnover of parking spaces for customers, clients and visitors to downtown.

Broken Pay Stations or Meters

  • If a  pay station  is not functioning properly, pay at the nearest pay station. 
  • If a meter is not functioning properly, the meter display will flash "Failed" or "Out of Order." 
    • Other malfunctions include meter not registering coins deposited or displaying time correctly.
    • The maximum time limit on the meter is enforced even if the display is not functioning.
    • We do not recommend that you park at a broken or malfunctioning meter because the problem may correct itself and the meter may begin functioning.

Please call 303-413-7300 or go to Inquire Boulder to report a "Broken Parking Meter or Pay Station".