By Jim Carchidi
September 28, 2026
Paid parking in Orlando is about to change as new fee structures and cashless transitions approved earlier this year will take effect on Thursday, Oct. 1.
Why increase fees?
The City of Orlando operates more than 10 parking garages and 1,200 paid on-street parking spots across the city. On-street parking areas include:
- SoDo Main Street District and Orlando Health Campus
- South Eola neighborhood - east of Rosalind Avenue and south of Colonial Drive
- Downtown core - Colonial Drive to Anderson Street and Garland Avenue to Rosalind Avenue
- Creative Village
Orlando’s parking division is a self-financed entity with no tax dollar contributions. City commissioners voted in June to raise parking fees for the first time since 2009. The additional revenue is meant to pay for parking garage maintenance and upgrades, including real-time technology for tracking available spaces.
Higher on-street fees are also expected to improve parking availability during peak demand hours by increasing turnover and incentivizing the use of lots and garages for extended parking needs.
Digital payments only
Cash and digital payments have been accepted by Orlando parking meters since 2015 but starting Thursday, payment will fully transition to digital. Payments will continue through the ParkMobile app, and a a pay by text option can be accessed via a phone number on street parking signage.
City garages and lots will accept mobile payments, credit and debit cards.
Street parking rates
Beginning Thursday, on-street rates that have started at $1 per hour will rise to $2 per hour for the first two hours. After two hours, the fee will increase to $3 per hour for up to 6 hours. On-street parking enforcement times will begin at 8 a.m. and run until 8 p.m. Street parking will remain free of charge on Sundays and city holidays.
On-street parking added by the two-way redesign of Magnolia Avenue is included in the change. A total of 92 spaces were created between South and Livingston streets, bringing the total number of Magnolia Avenue spaces to 103.
Garage and lot parking rates
Hourly off-street parking at city-owned facilities will start at $2 per hour for the first four hours. The fee would then increase to $3 per hour for the 5th, 6th, and 7th hours. The daily maximum would also increase from $15 to $20. Monthly parking and event parking would also rise up to $10 above current rates.
Violations
Fees for standard parking violations will increase from $27 to $32, and from $37 to $57 for severe violations that risk safety. Boot fees will increase from $100 to $120 and late payment penalties will increase from $15 to $20. However, penalties will go into effect after 21 days instead of 14 days.
Long onto orlando.gov/Parking-Transportation for more information.
Sponsor: The Orlando Real is sponsored by the Pozek Group — the #1 real estate team in Orlando and the Official Real Estate Team of the Orlando Magic.
About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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