Frequently Asked Questions

Winthrop Resident Parking stickers and Visitor Placards may be obtained by mail or online via applications available. Resident parking stickers are $5. Visitor placards cost $10 each. You can pay for your purchase with a VISA, Mastercard, or Discover credit or debit card or via ACH. Fees are waived for residents age 65 or older and for residents holding a valid handicapped parking placard or license plate issued by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles

Information about the Winthrop parking rules and regulations can be obtained from the Town of Winthrop website, including the Winthrop Resident Parking Ordinance (PDF). The site also contains additional information concerning parking stickers or placards.

Residential parking stickers and placards may be used in any area designated by the town council for residential parking. Areas may be designated for residential parking in any area regardless of zoning. The residential parking sticker program will be in effect town-wide from one a.m. to five a.m., Monday through Sunday, including holidays.

A valid parking permit is required to park on all town streets and municipal lots between the hours of 1 am and 5 am, every day. The DCR may implement their own restrictions on Winthrop Shore Drive independently of the town, and in accordance with their own state regulations. Please refer to their signage and regulations for that roadway.

Resident stickers and placards are valid for the calendar year listed thereon.

A Visitor placard can be used for up to three consecutive nights. However, there is also a limit to non-consecutive use as well. The ordinance states that a Visitor Placard can't be used on the same vehicle for more than three consecutive nights, or in repeated non-consecutive use as deemed by the enforcement officers. After discussions with the Town Manager, Town Council, and Parking Department, the Chief of Police has informed all officers that "repeated non-consecutive use" will be defined as more than three nights in a fourteen day period. Additionally, a vehicle with a visitor placard cannot be parked without moving for more than twenty-four hours.

No. A visitor placard cannot be used on a vehicle owned or operated by a Winthrop resident. You would need to apply for a temporary placard by providing a copy of the rental agreement and paperwork from the repair shop to the Tax Collector's office and completing an application. The time period for the temporary placard will vary depending on the time the vehicle is being repaired.

When Town Hall is closed, a Temporary Placard may be obtained from the Winthrop Police Department. This placard will be issued for an appropriate period of time to allow the motorist to go to Town Hall and obtain a permit.

Passenger vehicles with a valid Massachusetts registration are eligible for a resident sticker. Taxi cabs, livery vehicles, a vehicle with a commercial registration, a bus or camper over twenty-five feet in length, vehicle with a dealer or repair plate, and a trailer not attached to a vehicle with a parking sticker are all ineligible for a resident sticker. Additionally, these prohibited vehicles may not use a visitor's placard.