Fines for parking tickets and related late fees in the City of Cambridge went into effective July 1, 2007.  Although a few fines were increased in 2005, no significant changes have been made since 1982.

Parking fines are as follows:

Parking ticket: $20
Public safety violations: $30
Parking without a resident permit: $30

Blocking a fire hydrant: $55
Parking in a fire lane: $50

Late fees are as follows:

First penalty for failing to pay within 21 days: $10

Second penalty: $5, $10, $15 or $20 depending on class of violation.

Third penalty: collected when a license or registration is put on hold at the Registry of Motor Vehicles: $40

The reasons for these increases are:

• These new revenues go to the Parking Fund. Programs funded by the Parking Fund reduce the need to use property taxes.
• Prior to this increase, the cost of a ticket was often lower than the cost to park in a garage.
• The costs of programs funded by the Parking Fund have increased without comparable increases in the Fund.
• With the more serious violations, such as blocking a fire hydrant or parking in a fire line, fined at a higher level, people are made aware of which violations are the most serious.