Brookline prohibits overnight parking on any street between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. The town runs a permit program for residents without off-street parking, and it covers 325 spaces in total.
Those 325 spaces mean parking in Brookline isn't something to sort out after you move. It should change which listings you consider in the first place.
The rule, and the permit that partly solves it
The rule: no vehicle may park on any Brookline street for longer than one hour between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., any day of the week. This is a standing rule, not a winter or snow-emergency measure.
The permit: the town rents 325 spaces across 11 town-owned lots plus the Courtyard Marriott Hotel to residents without off-street parking.
Cost: $300 per quarter, or $100 per month.
Hours with a sticker: 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m., Monday through Saturday, and all day on Sundays and holidays.
To apply: bring your vehicle registration showing a current Brookline address, your driver's license, and a pro-rated fee to the Transportation Division, Brookline Town Hall, 333 Washington Street, 4th floor.
Waitlist: the lots have one. Call 617-730-2177.
Note what the permit does and doesn't do. It gets you a space in a designated lot overnight. It does not let you park on the street, and it does not cover the daytime.
What 325 spaces actually means
325 overnight spaces for a town of more than 60,000 people is a small allocation, and a wait is normal. This is not a program designed to absorb everyone who owns a car and rents an apartment without a driveway.
We're not going to tell you how long the wait is, because that changes and we haven't verified a current figure. Call the Transportation Division at 617-730-2177 and ask — they'll tell you, and it's worth knowing before you sign a lease rather than after.
Treat a town permit as a possibility, not a plan. If your housing decision depends on having somewhere to put a car overnight, the reliable version of that is a unit that comes with a space.
If your apartment doesn't come with a space
| Option | What it involves | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Town overnight permit | Apply in person at Town Hall with registration, license and fee | 325 spaces town-wide, with a waitlist. Call 617-730-2177 for current status |
| Courtyard Marriott monthly | A separate application from the town lots | Worth asking about independently, since it's not part of the same queue |
| Private driveway or garage | Renting an unused space from a homeowner, often via a parking marketplace | Availability varies a lot by neighborhood and it's a private arrangement, so read what you're signing |
| A unit that includes parking | Filter for it when you search | The only fully reliable option, and it's worth real money in Brookline |
| Go without a car | Brookline is served by the Green Line C and D branches, with the B and E reachable from the town's edges | Genuinely viable in much of the town — see the easiest Boston neighborhoods to own a car in for where a car helps and where it's a liability |
Availability in every row changes. Confirm current terms rather than planning around what's written here.
Daytime is a separate program
The overnight permit and the daytime permit are two different programs, and holding one doesn't give you the other. This trips people up regularly.
Brookline runs a separate resident daytime permit scheme with its own rules and eligibility. We haven't published its cost or terms here because we haven't verified current figures, and getting this wrong would be worse than not covering it. If you'll need to leave a car parked during the day, check the daytime program with the Town of Brookline directly.
What to ask before you sign
Parking is the question to raise on the first call about a listing, not after you've decided you want the apartment.
- Does the unit come with a space? And is it deeded, assigned, or first-come?
- Is it included in the rent, or billed separately? In Brookline a space carries real value, and landlords often list it as its own line item.
- If there's no space, has the current tenant been using a town permit? Useful signal about what's realistically available in that area.
- Is there a driveway, and who else uses it? Shared driveways in two- and three-family houses are common and the arrangement matters.
If parking is a requirement rather than a preference, filter for it from the start. Spot Easy can show you Brookline apartments with parking, and a unit page lists the number of spaces and the monthly cost where the agent has provided them, with no broker fee on partner units.
For the wider picture on renting here, including costs, the Green Line branches and how the neighborhoods differ, see our guide to living in Brookline. If you're weighing Brookline against Cambridge, note that Cambridge runs its own separate system, covered in Cambridge rental parking permits. And if you're still deciding whether to bring a car at all, what to know about bringing a car to Boston is the place to start.
Where this stops being general advice
This page describes the town's published program as of August 2026. Two things it can't tell you:
- Whether a space is available in a given lot right now, or how long the current wait is. Call the Transportation Division.
- Whether a specific apartment includes parking. Ask the landlord or agent before you tour.
Fees, space counts and program terms are the town's to change. Confirm current details with the Town of Brookline before relying on anything here.
Frequently asked questions
Can you park on the street overnight in Brookline?
No. Parking is prohibited on any Brookline street for more than an hour between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., every day of the week.
How much is a Brookline resident overnight parking permit?
$300 per quarter, or $100 per month.
How many overnight parking spaces does Brookline have?
325, across 11 town-owned lots plus the Courtyard Marriott Hotel.
When can I use an overnight permit space?
From 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and all day on Sundays and holidays.
How do I apply?
In person at the Transportation Division, Brookline Town Hall, 333 Washington Street, 4th floor. Bring your vehicle registration showing a Brookline address, your driver's license and a pro-rated fee.
Is there a waiting list?
Yes. Call 617-730-2177 for current status.
Is the daytime permit the same thing?
No. Resident daytime permit parking is a separate program with its own rules. Check with the town.
Should I rule out apartments without parking?
If you own a car and can't rely on getting a permit, an included space is the only fully reliable option. It's worth treating as a filter rather than a bonus.
Sources
The overnight parking prohibition, the 325-space allocation across 11 town lots and the Courtyard Marriott, the quarterly and monthly fees, the permitted hours, the application requirements and the waitlist number are all as published by the Town of Brookline, checked August 2026.
We have deliberately not published waitlist lengths, per-lot availability, daytime permit terms, or ticket and towing amounts, because we could not verify current figures for any of them.
Program terms change. Confirm with the Town of Brookline's Transportation Division before making a decision that depends on them.