Minimum parking requirements

AN ACT Relating to minimum parking requirements; amending RCW 1
36.70A.620; adding a new section to chapter 35.21 RCW; adding a new 2
section to chapter 35A.21 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 36.01 3
RCW; and creating new sections. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that predetermined 6
on-site parking requirements needlessly drive up the cost of 7
development, particularly housing; discourage walking and multimodal 8
transit usage; and encourage excessive reliance of automobiles with 9
attendant impacts on human health and greenhouse gas emissions. The 10
legislature further finds that the amount of parking that a project 11
actually needs should be determined on a case-by-case basis by permit 12
applicants sensitive to actual market conditions rather than a one-13
size-fits-all regulation.14
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 35.21 15
RCW to read as follows: 16
(1) A city may not require more than 0.5 parking space per 17
residential dwelling unit. 18
(2) A city may not require more than one parking space per 1,000 19
feet of commercial space. 20
H-0441.1
HOUSE BILL 1299
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Peterson, Fitzgibbon, Berry, Street, Simmons,
Reed, Macri, Ramel, Nance, and Doglio
Read first time 01/15/25. Referred to Committee on Local Government.
p. 1 HB 1299
(3) A city may not require any minimum parking requirements for:1
(a) Existing buildings undergoing change of use, including vacant 2
buildings; 3
(b) Residences under 1,200 square feet; 4
(c) Commercial spaces under 5,000 square feet; 5
(d) Affordable housing; 6
(e) Senior housing; 7
(f) Housing for people with disabilities; 8
(g) Facilities that serve alcohol; 9
(h) Child care facilities; 10
(i) Commercial spaces in mixed-use projects. 11
(4) For purposes of this section, "affordable housing" has the 12
same meaning as in RCW 36.70A.030. 13
(5) This section does not apply to accessible parking spaces in 14
compliance with the Americans with disabilities act.15
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 35A.21 16
RCW to read as follows: 17
(1) A code city may not require more than one parking space per 18
residential dwelling unit. 19
(2) A code city may not require more than one parking space per 20
1,000 feet of commercial space. 21
(3) A code city may not require any minimum parking requirements 22
for: 23
(a) Existing buildings undergoing change of use, including vacant 24
buildings; 25
(b) Residences under 1,200 square feet; 26
(c) Commercial spaces under 5,000 square feet;27
(d) Affordable housing; 28
(e) Senior housing; 29
(f) Housing for people with disabilities; 30
(g) Facilities that serve alcohol; 31
(h) Child care facilities; 32
(i) Commercial spaces in mixed-use projects. 33
(4) For purposes of this section, "affordable housing" has the 34
same meaning as in RCW 36.70A.030. 35
(5) This section does not apply to accessible parking spaces in 36
compliance with the Americans with disabilities act.37
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NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 36.01 1
RCW to read as follows: 2
(1) A county may not require more than 0.5 parking space per 3
residential dwelling unit. 4
(2) A county may not require more than one parking space per 5
1,000 feet of commercial space. 6
(3) A county may not require any minimum parking requirements 7
for: 8
(a) Existing buildings undergoing change of use, including vacant 9
buildings; 10
(b) Residences under 1,200 square feet; 11
(c) Commercial spaces under 5,000 square feet;12
(d) Affordable housing; 13
(e) Senior housing; 14
(f) Housing for people with disabilities; 15
(g) Facilities that serve alcohol; 16
(h) Child care facilities; 17
(i) Commercial spaces in mixed-use projects. 18
(4) For purposes of this section, "affordable housing" has the 19
same meaning as in RCW 36.70A.030. 20
(5) This section does not apply to accessible parking spaces in 21
compliance with the Americans with disabilities act.22
Sec. 5. RCW 36.70A.620 and 2020 c 173 s 3 are each amended to 23
read as follows: 24
In counties and cities planning under RCW 36.70A.040, minimum 25
residential parking requirements mandated by municipal zoning 26
ordinances for housing units constructed after July 1, 2019, are 27
subject to the following ((requirements)): 28
(((1) For housing units that are affordable to very low-income or 29
extremely low-income individuals and that are located within one-30
quarter mile of a transit stop that receives transit service at least 31
two times per hour for twelve or more hours per day, minimum 32
residential parking requirements may be no greater than one parking 33
space per bedroom or .75 space per unit. A city may require a 34
developer to record a covenant that prohibits the rental of a unit 35
subject to this parking restriction for any purpose other than 36
providing for housing for very low-income or extremely low-income 37
individuals. The covenant must address price restrictions and 38
household income limits and policies if the property is converted to 39
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a use other than for low-income housing. A city may establish a 1
requirement for the provision of more than one parking space per 2
bedroom or .75 space per unit if the jurisdiction has determined a 3
particular housing unit to be in an area with a lack of access to 4
street parking capacity, physical space impediments, or other reasons 5
supported by evidence that would make on-street parking infeasible 6
for the unit. 7
(2) For housing units that are specifically for seniors or people 8
with disabilities, that are located within one-quarter mile of a 9
transit stop that receives transit service at least four times per 10
hour for twelve or more hours per day, a city may not impose minimum 11
residential parking requirements for the residents of such housing 12
units, subject to the exceptions provided in this subsection. A city 13
may establish parking requirements for staff and visitors of such 14
housing units. A city may establish a requirement for the provision 15
of one or more parking space per bedroom if the jurisdiction has 16
determined a particular housing unit to be in an area with a lack of 17
access to street parking capacity, physical space impediments, or 18
other reasons supported by evidence that would make on-street parking 19
infeasible for the unit. A city may require a developer to record a 20
covenant that prohibits the rental of a unit subject to this parking 21
restriction for any purpose other than providing for housing for 22
seniors or people with disabilities.23
(3) For market rate multifamily housing units that are located 24
within one-quarter mile of a transit stop that receives transit 25
service from at least one route that provides service at least four 26
times per hour for twelve or more hours per day, minimum residential 27
parking requirements may be no greater than one parking space per 28
bedroom or .75 space per unit. A city or county may establish a 29
requirement for the provision of more than one parking space per 30
bedroom or .75 space per unit if the jurisdiction has determined a 31
particular housing unit to be in an area with a lack of access to 32
street parking capacity, physical space impediments, or other reasons 33
supported by evidence that would make on-street parking infeasible 34
for the unit )) Cities with a population of at least 10,000 that are 35
within a county with a population density exceeding 100 people per 36
square mile may not require off-street parking as a condition of 37
permitting development of multifamily, middle housing, or accessory 38
dwelling units that are located within one-half mile walking distance 39
of transit service. For the purposes of this section, transit service 40
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means at least one route that provides service at least four times 1
per hour for 12 or more hours per day. Nothing in this section 2
precludes a city from adopting maximum parking limits or requiring 3
frontage improvements to provide on-street parking.4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. This act may be known and cited as the 5
parking reform and modernization act.6
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