VERO BEACH — Parking tickets in Vero Beach now cost twice as much as before the first increase in the city’s fine schedule since 2011.
The City Council voted 4-0 on Sept. 22 to double most penalties. Council member Linda Moore was absent. The new amounts took effect Oct. 1.
Overtime parking and parking over a line rise from $20 to $40. Fines for a fire lane, blocking a fire hydrant, parking in an emergency-vehicle tow-away zone, improper parking that blocks traffic, and other parking violations rise from $30 to $60.
Two amounts did not change. A handicapped-space violation stays at $200, and interfering with overtime parking enforcement stays at $100.
Parking in the city is still free. Time limits are not. Downtown and beachside spots are limited to three hours. Ocean Drive is limited to two hours. If you stay past the limit, the ticket is now $40.
Vero Beach Police asked for the increase in an August letter to the council, saying higher fines would encourage drivers to follow the rules and help keep spaces turning over. Lt. Brian Kerensky said the catch-all “other” category covers parking in a space not meant for the vehicle and parking the wrong way, facing traffic. He said growth has given drivers more reason to hold a spot longer than they should.
The city collected $124,530 in parking fines from July 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026, according to city records.
Mayor John Cotugno said the council picked the timing on purpose.
“I think we did it at the opportune time,” Cotugno said. “Some of those courtesies that you paid, especially from a fee standpoint, we had to readdress.”
He left open the idea of permits and other longer-term parking fixes, saying that they “possibly should come up for discussion.”
The Vero Beach Police Department posted the new schedule Sunday and told drivers to check it before the change.
New Vero Beach parking fines
- Overtime parking: $40 (was $20)
- Parking over a line: $40 (was $20)
- Fire lane: $60 (was $30)
- Blocking a fire hydrant: $60 (was $30)
- Emergency-vehicle tow-away zone: $60 (was $30)
- Improper parking that obstructs traffic: $60 (was $30)
- Other parking violations: $60 (was $30)
- Handicapped space: $200 (unchanged)
- Interfering with overtime enforcement: $100 (unchanged)