Parking Code Update

The City is committed to a transparent and inclusive engagement process.

Additional briefings and community engagement opportunities will be added as the project progresses.

Tentative Schedule for future City Council meetings:

The following schedule is tentative and subject to change as the City Council considers the Off-Street Parking Code Update and the Planning Commission’s recommendation. Please check the City Council meeting agendas for the latest information.

What is happening?

The City of Tacoma is updating its off-street parking regulations to comply with new Washington State laws and to ensure local parking rules align with Tacoma’s adopted plans and community goals, including housing affordability, walkability, climate action, and multimodal transportation. Recent state legislation significantly limits when and how cities may require off-street parking. As a result, Tacoma is required to update its parking regulations.

On October 7, 2026, the Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council adopt amendments that would eliminate minimum off-street parking requirements citywide. The Commission forwarded its recommendation and supporting findings to the City Council for consideration. See the Planning Commission Findings of Fact and Recommendations Report.

This is a draft proposal and has not been adopted. The City Council may modify, retain, or remove elements of the draft during its review and adoption process.

Why is this happening?

In recent years, the Washington State Legislature adopted several new laws, including SB 5184 (2025), HB 1183 (2025), and HB 1491 (2025), that significantly limit how cities can require off-street parking. These laws are intended to:

• Reduce housing and development costs
• Support increased housing production
• Encourage walking, biking, and transit use
• Reduce vehicle dependence, greenhouse gas emissions, and excessive pavement

Tacoma is updating its regulations to comply with these requirements while supporting local planning goals.

Does this Parking Code Update affect street (on-street) parking regulations?

No. This Parking Code Update focuses only on off-street parking for new development and redevelopment, such as parking located on private property, in lots, or in garages. It does not change how street parking is regulated.

On-street parking is managed by the City’s Public Works Department. For more information about on-street parking, please visit On-Street Parking webpage.

What is being considered?

Early in the policy development process, two approaches were evaluated for updating Tacoma’s off-street parking regulations.

Option A: State Mandate Compliance (Minimum Update)
This option would update Tacoma’s parking code only to the extent needed to meet state law. This includes reducing or eliminating minimum parking requirements for specific uses such as:

• Affordable housing
• Senior housing
• Small housing/commercial units
• Childcare facilities
• Development near frequent transit
• Housing added inside existing buildings
• Change of use from nonresidential to residential or a change of use for a commercial use
• Certain commercial spaces
• Certain residential projects

Under this approach, minimum parking requirements would remain in place for all other uses not directly affected by state law.

Option B: Broader Citywide Parking Reform
This option would eliminate minimum off-street parking requirements citywide for all development.

Parking would still be allowed, but the City would no longer establish minimum parking ratios for any use or zoning district.

Planning Commission Recommendation
After reviewing both options, the Planning Commission voted on October 7, 2026, to recommend that the City Council adopt Option B, which would eliminate minimum off-street parking requirements citywide. The Commission also recommended related amendments to Title 13 to remove references to minimum parking standards. This recommendation goes beyond the minimum changes required by state law.

The City Council will make the final decision and may adopt the Planning Commission’s recommendation, modify the proposal, or choose a different approach, including limiting changes to those needed to comply with state law. The Council has not yet made its final decision.

What is included in the draft code?

The Draft Parking Code Update includes:

• Elimination of minimum off-street parking requirements citywide, as recommended by the Planning Commission. The City Council has not yet adopted this approach.
• Continued allowance for voluntary provision of parking based on market demand, site conditions, and project needs
• Standards for parking design, access, landscaping, and safety
• Changes to local accessible parking provisions in Title 13, with reliance on applicable Building Code and state and federal accessibility requirements, as described below.

ADA Accessibility Requirements
Under the amendments recommended by the Planning Commission, the City’s separate local accessible parking requirements in Title 13 would be removed. Accessible parking would instead be regulated through the Building Code and other applicable state and federal accessibility requirements when off-street parking is provided.

Under the Building Code provisions considered in the proposal, accessible parking quantities are based on the amount of parking provided. When a development provides no general off-street parking, those quantity requirements would not require an accessible parking space. This differs from Tacoma’s existing Title 13 provisions, which require accessible parking in certain circumstances even when no general off-street parking is provided.

The Planning Commission identified this as an accessibility gap and recommended that the City Council request that the Washington State Legislature consider amendments to the State Building Code to establish accessible parking requirements for developments that do not provide general off-street parking.

Applicable state and federal accessibility requirements remain in effect. The City Council may modify the proposed code changes before taking final action.

Who would be impacted?

The update may affect:

• Residents, including renters and homeowners
• Businesses and property owners
• Developers and builders
• Some zoning districts and uses are already exempt from minimum parking requirements and may see little or no change.

What is the timeline?

The City must update its parking regulations to comply with state law by January 27, 2027. The Planning Commission has recommended amendments to the City Council, and Council review and adoption are anticipated between November 2026 and January 2027.

• Scoping & assessment: December 2025 – March 2026
• Code development: March – June 2026
• Draft code review & Planning Commission recommendation: July – October 2026
• City Council review & adoption: November 2026 – January 2027
• Public engagement December 2025 – January 2027

What has already happened?

• The Parking Code Update was introduced to the Planning Commission in December 2025.
• Staff presented Washington State law requirements and initial policy approaches
• Two policy options were evaluated (State Mandate Compliance and Citywide Parking Reform)
• On October 7, 2026, the Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council adopt amendments eliminating minimum off-street parking requirements citywide. The recommendation has been forwarded to the Council.

What is already decided and what has not yet been decided:

• Tacoma is required to update its parking code to comply with Washington State law by January 27, 2027
• The Planning Commission has recommended citywide elimination of minimum off-street parking requirements, but the City Council has not made a final decision.
• Under the Planning Commission’s recommendation, off-street parking would continue to be allowed, but minimum parking ratios would no longer be required. The final policy approach remains subject to City Council action.
• The Planning Commission has also recommended changes to local accessible parking requirements in Title 13. The City Council has not yet decided whether to adopt those changes.

What type of input are we looking for?

The City is looking for input on:

• How parking requirements affect housing affordability, businesses, and neighborhoods
• Experiences with parking availability and demand
• Potential benefits or concerns related to eliminating parking minimums
• Alternative strategies to manage parking demand, such as shared parking, permit programs, or better transit access

Public feedback will help inform specific code changes.

Are there costs/impacts?

There is no direct fee associated with the code update itself.

Potential impacts may include:

• Reduced development costs due to elimination of minimum parking requirements
• Greater flexibility in site design and building form
• Changes in how parking is provided in new development
• Reduced impervious surface area, supporting stormwater management, tree canopy, and urban design goals

The Planning Commission considered potential impacts related to housing and development costs, neighborhood parking, accessibility, business access, and transportation. Actual outcomes would vary depending on site, project, market, and financing conditions. The City Council may consider these impacts during its review of the proposal.

How can I share my input?

• Review project updates, draft Parking Code Update, and related materials on this webpage
• Review the City Council agenda and public hearing information for opportunities to provide testimony or submit comments on the proposed amendments. A public hearing is proposed for December 1, 2026, subject to Council approval of the hearing-date resolution.

Your input will help shape how Tacoma updates its parking regulations to meet state law and community needs.

What are some myths versus facts?

Myth: The City is banning parking.
Fact: The City is not proposing to ban parking. The update removes minimum requirements but continues to allow parking to be provided.

Myth: New buildings won’t provide any parking at all.
Fact: Removing minimum parking requirements does not mean parking won’t be provided. Many developments continue to include parking based on market demand, financing requirements, tenant needs, and site constraints. The change would give flexibility, not eliminate parking.

Myth: ADA parking requirements are going away.
Fact: Applicable state and federal accessibility requirements remain in effect. Under the amendments recommended by the Planning Commission, accessible parking would generally be regulated through the Building Code and applicable accessibility requirements when off-street parking is provided. The City Council may modify the proposed approach.

Myth: The City is doing this voluntarily.
Fact: Tacoma is required by state law to update its parking code by January 27, 2027. State law does not require the City to eliminate minimum off-street parking requirements citywide. The Planning Commission has recommended this broader approach, but the City Council will make the final decision.

Myth: Parking requirements are the best way to prevent traffic and congestion.
Fact: Research and state legislative findings show that excessive parking requirements can increase development costs, encourage more driving, and reduce walkability. Parking supply alone does not manage traffic. Access to transit, walking, biking, and land use patterns also play a major role.

Myth: This only benefits developers.
Fact: Reducing mandatory parking requirements may provide more flexibility for housing, businesses, and site design and may reduce development costs or free land for other uses. The extent of these benefits would depend on site, project, market, and financing conditions, and specific cost savings or housing outcomes are not guaranteed.