Parking FAQ

Parking revenue goes into the parking enterprise fund which pays for parking-specific infrastructure, like the parking deck, parking lots, and kiosks and services including the operation and maintenance of convenient, clean, safe, and affordable parking to residents and visitors.

On-street metered parking, paid parking in City lots, and free time-limited parking is enforced Monday - Saturday from 9 AM - 7 PM. The parking deck is pay-to-park and enforced 24-7-365.

On Main Street and the avenues between Church and King - $0.50 per 15 minutes.
The parking deck and City interior parking lots - $0.75 per 30 minutes.

Parking for less than 30 minutes in on-street metered parking is free. This grace period allows quick stops downtown. If visitors exceed 30 minutes, the full parking session amount will be charged. Parking fees are charged in fifteen minute increments.

During paid parking hours, all owners or operators parking a vehicle in a parking space within an on-street metered parking zone for more than 30 minutes per park will be required to pay for the entire parking period at the City-adopted rate for the paid parking zone.

As an example, if a car is parked for 25 consecutive minutes in a parking space, no payment will be owed. As a second example, if a car is parked for 45 minutes in a parking space, payment will be owed for the entire 45 minutes of parking ($1.50).

Quick reference:
$0.50 / 15 minutes
Parking 30 minutes or less = no meter fee
Parking 31 minutes = $1.50

Parking for less than 1 hour in the parking deck is free. This grace period allows quick stops downtown. If visitors exceed one hour in the deck, the full parking duration amount will be charged. Parking fees are charged in thirty minute increments.

Those parking in the parking deck for more than one hour per park will be required to pay for the entire parking period. As an example, if a car is parked for 45 consecutive minutes within the parking deck, no payment will be owed. If, however, a car is parked for 75 consecutive minutes within the parking deck, payment will be owed for the entire 75 minutes ($2.25).

Quick reference:
$0.75 / 30 minutes
Parking 1 hour or less = No charge
Parking 61 minutes: $2.25

Parking for less than 1 hour in a city-owned interior parking lot is free. This grace period allows quick stops downtown. If visitors exceed one hour in an interior lot, the full parking duration amount will be charged. Parking fees are charged in one-hour increments.

Those parking in an interior parking lot for more than one hour per park will be required to pay for the entire parking period. As an example, if a car is parked for 45 consecutive minutes within the lot, no payment will be owed. If, however, a car is parked for 75 consecutive minutes within the lot, payment will be owed for the entire 75 minutes ($2.25).

Quick reference:
$0.75 / 30 minutes
Parking 1 hour or less = No charge
Parking 61 minutes: $2.25

Parking in a paid parking zone on-street or in an interior surface lot during paid parking hours without checking in is not allowed. Parking enforcement services read license plates to determine who has and has not paid for parking. If you have not checked in on the app or a kiosk (EVEN if you will only park during the free grace period) the plate reader will flag your vehicle as avoiding payment and you will be subject to ticketing.

There is a limit of one free parking period per vehicle per five hours. As an example, if a car is parked in an on-street paid parking zone at 10 am for 15 minutes, there will be no fee owed for that parking session. If, however, the same car leaves and comes back to park in the same on-street parking zone at 1 pm for 20 minutes, the 20-minute parking session must be paid for because it takes place within 5 hours of the first parking session in the same on-street parking zone.

New parking sessions reset in the deck and parking lots at 4 am.

As an example, a car enters the parking deck at 3 pm on a Monday and exits the deck at 10 am the following morning on Tuesday. They would be charged a total of $16 when they leave the deck ($10 as the maximum-per-parking session fee for the nine hours they parked before 4 am on Tuesday, and $6 for the four hours parked after 4 am on Tuesday).

Each on-street parking session will be limited to a 5-hour maximum. Users can start an additional parking session after their first five-hour session is complete, but there is a 30-minute period that a vehicle must wait before starting a new on-street parking session. There is no waiting period if the vehicle moves to a separate zone such as a parking lot or the parking deck.

Parking citations may be paid online using the City’s online portal.

If you are unable to pay your parking citation online, you may pay in-person at the City’s Customer Service window any Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM (except City Holidays.) The payment window is in City Hall at 160 6th Avenue East. Customer Service staff are NOT able to process requests for citation review. Please use the online portal for all requests for citation review.

We recommend parking citations are paid as soon as possible. Tickets must be paid within 30 days of receipt, or a $50 penalty will be added. If a ticket is not paid within 60 days, an additional $100 penalty will be added. View the City’s Ordinance for additional information on parking citations.

Any person receiving a parking citation may request an informal review within 5 days of getting a citation by submitting a Request to Review online or by mailing or delivering a Request to Review form to the Hendersonville Police Department. If you are unable to use the online portal, you may also pick up a form at the City’s Customer Service window any Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM (except City Holidays.) The payment window is in City Hall at 160 6th Avenue East. Customer Service staff are NOT able to process requests for citation review, but they can accept paper requests and provide them to Parking Services.

The Hendersonville Police Department will tow vehicles for a variety of reasons like parking in a no-parking zone or parking in a prohibited spot (blocking a driveway, too close to a fire hydrant, in a fire lane). People with habitual violations (6 or more parking tickets in a 6-month period or 3 outstanding, unpaid parking tickets) will be towed. If you remain parked in violation of the ordinance for more than 24-hours, you are also subject to towing. Additional information can be found in the City's Code of ordinances.

Visit the parking permit page to see where your monthly permit allows you to park.

Parking spaces owned by the City of Hendersonville are not assigned to individual users. The Parking Deck, Spruce, Maple and Azalea lots contain a mix of monthly permits and hourly guests. Apple and Maple Annex lots are reserved for permit owners 24/7/365 and Dogwood is reserved for permit owners Monday – Saturday with free parking available to the public on Sundays.

Yes. Everyone parking in metered on-street spaces and in the paid lots and deck is required to pay for parking during enforcement hours. No time limits are in effect for handicapped parking as outlined in NC General Statute.

Vehicles displaying a valid NC or other state-issued disability license plate or disability placard may park in spaces designated for people with disabilities. The vehicle should be driven by or be transporting the person whose name appears on the license plate registration certificate or placard certificate. The placard must be clearly visible – either hanging from the rearview mirror or lying face-up on the dashboard.

Handicapped spaces have the same paid parking rates and hours as neighboring spaces. Visit the parking map for information on rates and enforcement hours. 

Tips to avoid receiving a parking citation are available on the Parking Enforcement webpage with additional information in the City’s Ordinance.

Hendersonville Police Department’s Parking Services Team enforce parking primarily in the downtown area. Hendersonville Police Officers also enforce parking regulations throughout the City.

The need for additional parking infrastructure has been discussed for many years with multiple parking studies and stakeholder outreach activities completed over the last few decades. A key aspect in the growing community of Hendersonville is the parking management triangle: you can only have two out of three of the following – convenient parking, available parking and free parking. To create additional parking infrastructure and provide convenient and available parking, premium downtown parking spaces are metered and/or permitted. The individuals using the parking spaces, instead of Hendersonville taxpayers, provide the funding to create and maintain parking decks, kiosks, parking lots, and parking services staff.