The Parking Authority of River City, or PARC, is Louisville's public parking body. It operates 15 garages and four lots in and around Louisville's downtown — that’s between York Street, I-65, and 10th Street — and oversees other parking rules and regulations around Derby City.

We've rounded up the need-to-know details on PARC services, rules, and more.

Parking services

If you spend a lot of time downtown, there's a good chance you park in a PARC lot a lot. Parking in one of them entitles you to certain services, including:

Jump starts
Lock out service
Air compressor service
Escorts to your vehicle

To use any of these services, call 587-PARK. Pro tip: Save the number in your phone for the next time you're at a concert downtown.

Residential Parking Permit Program

Since 2006, PARC has operated an on-street parking permit program for residents of Old Louisville and Butchertown. Residents in these neighborhoods can apply for a street parking permit.

If you live near a PARC garage, you can get a monthly garage pass at a reduced rate.

Meters

You won't find any meter maids in Louisville — sorry, Rita. PARC's meter system runs on change + credit cards, depending on the meter. Metered parking is enforced Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. That's right — metered parking is free after 6 p.m., and all day on Sundays. Metered parking is also free on the following holidays:

New Year's Day (Jan. 1)
Martin Luther King Day (third Monday in January)
Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
Juneteenth (June 19)
Independence Day (July 4)
Labor Day (first Monday in September)
Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November)
Christmas Day (Dec. 25)

If a meter is broken, that doesn't mean you can park it for free. Parking spots with broken meters are considered out of use. You can report a broken meter online or by calling 587-PARC.

Electric vehicle charging

Electric vehicles, or EVs, can be charged at 11 of PARC's 15 garages. EV charging is free with your parking pass, but each station has a three-hour limit on continuous charging. See the full list of PARC charging stations. Bonus: There are a total of 257 EV charging stations around Derby City.