Sponsored

Woman holding a phone and yellow umbrella next to a ParkMobile zone 2858 sign showing Pay to Park 8 AM to 6 PM — New parking enforcement is coming to Birmingham—here’s what you need to know about what’s changing + what’s not. (Jacob Blankenship / Bham Now)

Heard about Birmingham’s new Park Smart campaign and wondering what it actually means for you? We went straight to the City of Birmingham’s Department of Transportation to get answers about what’s changing and what’s staying the same. The short version: if you’re already following the rules, you won’t notice a thing.

Here’s what you need to know to get out and enjoy summer in Birmingham with peace of mind.

Birmingham parking rules aren’t changing—enforcement is

This is the big one. Parking enforcement hours are still 8am–6pm. The price is still $1 an hour. What is changing is how the city tracks and follows up on violations.

“The rules of parking are not changing. We are really just trying to focus on enforcing the rules that are already there.”
Paige Ishmael, City of Birmingham’s Department of Transportation

New parking enforcement technology rolling out this fall will allow the city to interface with the public in ways it hasn’t been able to before, including sending notification letters for unpaid tickets.

Here’s the new timeline drivers need to know:

All parking violations have 30 days to be paid without additional fees or penalties
30 days unpaid: You’ll receive a letter in the mail notifying you of the outstanding ticket.
70 days unpaid: A second letter arrives, and your ticket goes to collections.

The city’s advice? Click here to check for any outstanding tickets and pay them before the new system kicks in.

You can now handle tickets entirely online

Parking 100 Birmingham parking tickets: Updates, deadlines + how to pay online — Scan, pay + manage tickets all in one place. (Jacob Blankenship / Bham Now)

No more trips to municipal court. The new system will let you:

Pay your ticket online + check for outstanding tickets.
Protest a ticket online with photos of your vehicle, the violation location + ticket details available to review.
Scan a QR code on your ticket to pay instantly.
Call or text to pay if you’d prefer not to link your card online.

“So really, we want people to know nothing is changing with the consumer experience, as long as you pay attention to the signs and pay to park when you park.”
Paige Ishmael, City of Birmingham’s Department of Transportation

Safety violations can now result in towing—not just a ticket

This is where things get more serious. The city is cracking down on the most dangerous parking behaviors, and a ticket won’t always be the only consequence.

The three most common safety violations according to the Department of Transportation:

Blocking a crosswalk or accessibility ramp
Blocking a fire hydrant
Parking in an alleyway

Parking on the sidewalk is also a violation—not just a safety hazard, but a financial burden on the city, since brick and concrete sidewalks aren’t built to handle vehicle weight.

4 tips for parking in Downtown Birmingham

parking 4 Birmingham parking tickets: Updates, deadlines + how to pay online — If you’re exploring in Birmingham, just be mindful of how long your car is parked. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

If you think there’s no parking downtown, you’re not alone…but you’re not exactly correct, either.

Part of the problem is that downtown workers sometimes park in front of restaurants and businesses all day—spots meant for customers—when they likely have access to residential decks. That turnover matters for local businesses.

A few tips for parking smarter downtown:

City-managed on-street spots always start with the zone number 2.
Birmingham Parking Authority (BPA) decks are the city’s best long-term public parking option—no predatory towing.
Private surface lots are not city-managed. If you’re towed from one, the city can’t track your vehicle—those lots operate under private management companies.
Look for red standardized signs at private lot entrances—a city ordinance passed two years ago now requires permits and consistent signage at all commercial and non-commercial lots.