Zipcar recently added a very enviable perk for its members when they rent vehicles in the District. Thanks to a new agreement between the District government and the rental-car company, Zipcar drivers can stop anywhere they want without having to pay for parking.
The District Department of Transportation recently offered car-sharing services like Zipcar the ability to buy permits exempting their vehicles from many parking restrictions, including meters and residential neighborhood restrictions. For about $300 per vehicle, Zipcar’s cars are now outfitted with stickers that allow drivers to freely park in any legal curbside spot. Zipcar has about 850 cars in DC.
But before Zipcar users from all over Washington try to park wherever they please, it’s important to point out that the arrangement only covers Zipcar vehicles with DC license plates. Members who pick up cars registered in Virginia and Maryland and drive into the District will still have to feed the meters. And Zipcar’s own internal parking policies are still intact—while parking is a free-for-all during a rental, cars still have to be returned to their designated spaces.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
No More Feeding the Meter for Zipcar Members in DC
Users of the car-sharing service can park just about anywhere they want.
Zipcar recently added a very enviable perk for its members when they rent vehicles in the District. Thanks to a new agreement between the District government and the rental-car company, Zipcar drivers can stop anywhere they want without having to pay for parking.
The District Department of Transportation recently offered car-sharing services like Zipcar the ability to buy permits exempting their vehicles from many parking restrictions, including meters and residential neighborhood restrictions. For about $300 per vehicle, Zipcar’s cars are now outfitted with stickers that allow drivers to freely park in any legal curbside spot. Zipcar has about 850 cars in DC.
But before Zipcar users from all over Washington try to park wherever they please, it’s important to point out that the arrangement only covers Zipcar vehicles with DC license plates. Members who pick up cars registered in Virginia and Maryland and drive into the District will still have to feed the meters. And Zipcar’s own internal parking policies are still intact—while parking is a free-for-all during a rental, cars still have to be returned to their designated spaces.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Rock Creek Isn’t Safe to Swim In. RFK Jr. Did It Anyway.
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2025
Meet the Duck Whisperer of DC
Humorless Scolds Fret About Trump’s Free Plane From Qatar, RFK Jr. Swam in Rock Creek, and We’ve Got 20 New Restaurants for You to Get Excited About
The Devastating Story of Washington’s Peeping-Tom Rabbi
Washingtonian Magazine
May Issue: 52 Perfect Saturdays
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
DC Might Be Getting a Watergate Museum
DC-Area Universities Are Offering Trump Classes This Fall
Viral DC-Area Food Truck Flavor Hive Has It in the Bag
Slugging Makes a Comeback for DC Area Commuters
More from News & Politics
The Pandas Are Flirting, Trump Demands Investigation Into Springsteen, and We Found the Best Bar Snack in Clarendon
A Vending Machine for DC Books Has Arrived in Western Market
A Non-Speaking Autistic Artist’s Paintings Are Getting a DC Gallery Show
Kristi Noem Wants a New Plane and a Reality Show, Kennedy Center Staff Plans to Unionize, and Trump’s Birthday Parade Could Cost $45 Million
Ed Martin Asks Judge to Investigate Lawyer Investigating Him, RFK Jr. Couldn’t Identify Office Named for His Aunt, and We Found Some Terrific Dominican Food
Federal Agents Arrest 189 in DC Immigration Crackdown
Five New Galleries Are Opening at DC’s National Air and Space Museum in July
DOGE’s Geniuses Are Bad at Math, Ed Martin’s New Job Is to “Shame” People, and the Commanders Will Play in Spain