On average, Richmond drivers receive about $460,000 in parking tickets each month, according to city parking ticket data obtained by The Richmonder.

The city issued those tickets with the help of SP Plus Corp., which has a five-year contract with the city to issue citations (police officers are also allowed to write tickets). SP Plus is working on a five-year, $28 million contract to perform those services. The contract runs through December 2026, according to city spokesperson Michael Hinkle. 

To understand the scale of parking enforcement, The Richmonder analyzed parking ticket data from 2015 through 2023 – the latest and most complete data available. 

Here’s a closer look at how much Richmonders paid, or didn't, in fines and citations.

Richmonders may not always be proper parkers, but they’re generally honest about paying up. People who illegally parked on city streets paid nearly 93% of all tickets the city issued.

Pre-pandemic levels haven't yet been reached

However, despite increased fees and Saturday enforcement, Richmond’s parking violation revenue still took a double-digit dip – 14% – from 2019 to 2023, as the city has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels, potentially a reflection of some downtown offices continuing hybrid and remote work.

Revenues will likely increase in the coming year, as the city prepares to increase the standard parking violation from $25 to $30 in July (up from a $20 fee implemented in 2019). 

The city gave out more tickets in October, fewer in December 

On average, the city hands out the most citations during two months: March and October.

On the other hand, Richmond distributed fewer tickets in December, when most employees are off for the holidays or working from home.

Richmonders worked hard to get their towed cars back

The city towed a total of 17,479 vehicles within the 8-year period, a median of 1,970 vehicles per year. In order to get them back, Richmonders collectively paid nearly $5 million. 

Violators have to pay $120 if their car is towed, an increase from the $105 charge in 2023.

Richmonders fought back on some tickets

Parking ticket recipients contested a total of 46,405 tickets from 2015 to 2023, many of them coming from 2018 with 7,054. The city voided over 25,000 tickets during that time period, the most coming from 2019.

Surprisingly, 2021 had the lowest amount of voided and contested tickets, despite the pandemic lows of 2020. 

In total, offenders paid $42.9 million in parking tickets over the 8-year period.

Contact Reporter Victoria A. Ifatusin at vifatusin@richmonder.org