Miami Beach residents who park on city streets can now avoid getting towed for minor violations, as long as they register with the city's Parking Department.

The "End Resident Tows" program, which took effect July 1, gives registered residents up to three parking citations with courtesy text-message warnings each calendar quarter before their vehicle can be towed on a fourth violation. The City of Miami Beach promoted the program on Thursday, Aug. 6, reminding residents who haven't signed up to register.

The Miami Beach City Commission unanimously approved the reform on May 21. Commissioner Alex Fernandez championed the measure.

Fernandez said residents' most common frustration is coming home late at night, circling the block for parking, finally finding a space and then waking up to find their car towed for a minor infraction. "This reform puts an end to unnecessary towing and gives our residents the courtesy notice, benefit of the doubt and peace of mind they deserve," he said in the city's May announcement.

What the program does

Under the old rules, a resident's car could be towed after a single non-safety parking violation. Now, registered residents get three chances per quarter, each accompanied by a text alert, before towing kicks in on a fourth offense.

There's a catch: residents who leave an illegally parked vehicle in place for more than 24 hours after receiving a citation will still be subject to towing, following a text warning.

Immediate towing remains in effect for serious safety violations including blocking fire hydrants, disabled spaces, sidewalks, driveways, bike lanes, emergency access areas and freight loading zones. Even for those violations, registered residents will now receive a text notification giving them a chance to correct the issue.

How to register

Enrollment is open indefinitely. Residents can sign up online at register.miamibeachparking.com or visit the Miami Beach Customer Service Center at 1755 Meridian Ave., first floor, with a photo ID, vehicle registration and proof of Miami Beach residence such as a utility bill.

Those who already hold residential parking permits or residential parking discounts are automatically enrolled for text warnings.

Residents are responsible for keeping their mobile number and vehicle information current, which they can update at parking.miamibeachfl.gov/portal or at the Customer Service Center.

By the numbers

The city's May press release stated that through that point in 2026, more than 1,181 resident vehicles had been towed in Miami Beach. Under the reform framework, over 62% of those tows likely could have been avoided.

The program builds on the city's earlier "Text Before Tow" initiative, which gave registered residents a 15-minute warning before a tow for non-safety violations. More than 85% of vehicles that received those notifications avoided towing by correcting the issue.

As a companion measure, the Commission also set universal hours for all freight and commercial loading zones citywide: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday, with increased fines for violations.

Residents who are towed despite the new protections remain eligible for a discounted tow rate of $150, with storage rates applying only after the first 24 hours and the administrative fee waived.