Can Uber Drivers Park at Commercial Meters in NYC?

Under the normal rules, no. NYC DOT says Commercial Metered Parking "offers curbside space for commercial vehicles," marked by "Metered Parking - Commercial Vehicles Only" signs (NYC DOT Loading Zones). For-hire vehicles are not included (that is why the City needed a law to create a pilot for them), and the Department of Finance fines "standing of a non-commercial vehicle in a commercial metered zone" $115 (code 31). A new City law, Local Law 24 of 2026, orders DOT to run a one-year pilot letting for-hire vehicles park at commercial meters, but as of October 12, 2026 we could not confirm when or where it applies.

The rule today

DOT describes the normal spaces: "Parking at these spaces is time limited and metered. Drivers must pay for parking via the ParkNYC app or at the nearest parking meter." The $115 fine for code 31 is the same in Manhattan at or below 96th Street and in all other areas (NYC DOF violation codes). Parking tickets go to the vehicle's registered owner.

What Local Law 24 of 2026 says

The bill was Int. 1000 of 2024. The City Council passed the amended version, Int. 1000-A, on December 18, 2025. The Mayor returned it unsigned on January 20, 2026, and it became Local Law 24 of 2026 (text of the law). It tells DOT to:

1. Run a pilot that lets for-hire vehicles park in commercial parking meter areas, "whether attended or not", but never without first paying for the time, and never for more than 3 hours unless a sign says otherwise.
2. Start it no later than 180 days after the law took effect.
3. Run it for 1 year. DOT may extend it once, by 180 days, by rule.
4. Report on it within a year: effects on deliveries, enforcement, how FHVs and trucks used the spaces, and FHV drivers' "health, safety, and well-being".

The law expires one year after that report. It uses the same definition of "for-hire vehicle" as the City's Administrative Code, so it is not limited to app cars.

The original bill and the debate

The bill as first introduced was different. Manhattan Community Board 1 described it as allowing FHVs "to park or stand in commercial parking meter areas for up to thirty minutes, four times per day" (CB1 resolution). That version did not become law.

For the bill: the CB1 resolution itself notes that FHV drivers had raised concerns about the lack of access to restrooms while driving.

Against: CB1 voted 33 to 3 on December 18, 2025 to oppose it. It said commercial parking in its district is mostly metered and needed for deliveries. It reported that on September 15, DOT testified the bill "would displace delivery vehicles' access to the curb and increase the potential for these vehicles to double park," and that DOT said it was "working with TLC to expand the number of relief stand locations." CB1 asked that FHV companies help pay for restrooms near new relief stands.

Status as of October 12, 2026

Watch DOT's website and press releases, and TLC's industry notices. If DOT publishes signs or a map for the pilot, follow them exactly.

What to do next

• Need a break today? Use a relief stand, where DOT lets drivers "park and leave their vehicles for up to one hour" (NYC DOT), on stands signed for FHVs. See can Uber drivers use taxi relief stands and the relief stand guide.
• Taxi drivers: you can't use a taxi stand as a parking spot either; see can I leave my cab at a taxi stand.
• Never double-park for a break: can I double park to pick up a passenger.
• Driving your own car for Uber? Can I use my personal car for Uber in NYC. Overnight parking: can I park my TLC car on the street overnight. Definitions: relief stand. More on the places hub.