Sacramento offering free metered parking on the grid. Here’s what rules to follow

Depending on the time of day, you won’t have to worry about feeding the parking meters situated on Sacramento’s central grid.

All parking meters in both midtown and downtown will be shutoff after 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and all day on the weekends now through Christmas. The city of Sacramento’s Free Holiday Parking Program is a continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic, plus an effort to entice shoppers to support local businesses throughout the holidays.

Remember: The rule applies to the roughly 4,000 metered parking spaces on the street; however, motorists must obey other parking restrictions like street cleaning times, as well as time and color zones.

Before leaving your parked car, be sure to check the meter’s screen to confirm if it’s free or if you are required to pay. If you don’t appropriately pay a parking meter on the grid anytime before 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, you could come back to find your car with a parking ticket fining you for as much as $50.

The city of Sacramento will also shut off its metered parking on New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday (Jan. 16) and President’s Day (Feb. 20).

For a complete list of 2023 holidays in which parking meters will be shut off, visit the city’s website.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our California Utility Team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email utilityteam@sacbee.com.