wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 5184 > Engrossed Substitute

SB 5184 - Minimum parking requirements

Source

Section 1

The legislature finds that predetermined on-site parking requirements needlessly drive up the cost of development, particularly housing; discourage walking and multimodal transit usage; and encourage excessive reliance of automobiles with attendant impacts on human health and greenhouse gas emissions. The legislature further finds that the amount of parking that a project actually needs should be determined on a case-by-case basis by permit applicants sensitive to actual market conditions rather than a one-size-fits-all regulation.

Section 2

  1. A city may not require more than 0.5 parking space per residential dwelling unit.

  2. A city may not require more than one parking space per 1,000 square feet of commercial space.

  3. A city may not require any minimum parking requirements for:

    1. Existing buildings undergoing change of use, including vacant buildings;

    2. Residences under 1,200 square feet;

    3. Commercial spaces under 5,000 square feet;

    4. Affordable housing;

    5. Senior housing;

    6. Housing for people with disabilities;

    7. Facilities that serve alcohol;

    8. Child care facilities;

      1. Commercial spaces in mixed-use projects.

  4. For purposes of this section, "affordable housing" has the same meaning as in RCW 36.70A.030.

  5. This section does not apply to accessible parking spaces in compliance with the Americans with disabilities act.

  6. The provisions of this section do not apply:

    1. To cities with a population of 20,000 or less, as determined by the population estimate of the office of financial management under RCW 43.62.030;

    2. If a city submits to the department of commerce an empirical study prepared by a credentialed transportation or land use planning expert that clearly demonstrates, and the department finds and certifies, that the application of the parking limitations of this section will be significantly less safe for vehicle drivers or passengers, pedestrians, or bicyclists than the city's current parking requirements; or

    3. To portions of cities within a one-mile radius of a commercial airport in Washington with at least 9,000,000 annual enplanements.

Section 3

  1. A code city may not require more than 0.5 parking space per residential dwelling unit.

  2. A code city may not require more than one parking space per 1,000 square feet of commercial space.

  3. A code city may not require any minimum parking requirements for:

    1. Existing buildings undergoing change of use, including vacant buildings;

    2. Residences under 1,200 square feet;

    3. Commercial spaces under 5,000 square feet;

    4. Affordable housing;

    5. Senior housing;

    6. Housing for people with disabilities;

    7. Facilities that serve alcohol;

    8. Child care facilities;

      1. Commercial spaces in mixed-use projects.

  4. For purposes of this section, "affordable housing" has the same meaning as in RCW 36.70A.030.

  5. This section does not apply to accessible parking spaces in compliance with the Americans with disabilities act.

  6. The provisions of this section do not apply:

    1. To code cities with a population of 20,000 or less, as determined by the population estimate of the office of financial management under RCW 43.62.030;

    2. If a code city submits to the department of commerce an empirical study prepared by a credentialed transportation or land use planning expert that clearly demonstrates, and the department finds and certifies, that the application of the parking limitations of this section will be significantly less safe for vehicle drivers or passengers, pedestrians, or bicyclists than the code city's current parking requirements; or

    3. To portions of code cities within a one-mile radius of a commercial airport in Washington with at least 9,000,000 annual enplanements.

Section 4

  1. A county may not require more than 0.5 parking space per residential dwelling unit.

  2. A county may not require more than one parking space per 1,000 square feet of commercial space.

  3. A county may not require any minimum parking requirements for:

    1. Existing buildings undergoing change of use, including vacant buildings;

    2. Residences under 1,200 square feet;

    3. Commercial spaces under 5,000 square feet;

    4. Affordable housing;

    5. Senior housing;

    6. Housing for people with disabilities;

    7. Facilities that serve alcohol;

    8. Child care facilities;

      1. Commercial spaces in mixed-use projects.

  4. For purposes of this section, "affordable housing" has the same meaning as in RCW 36.70A.030.

  5. This section does not apply to accessible parking spaces in compliance with the Americans with disabilities act.

  6. The provisions of this section do not apply:

    1. If a county submits to the department of commerce an empirical study prepared by a credentialed transportation or land use planning expert that clearly demonstrates, and the department finds and certifies, that the application of the parking limitations of this section will be significantly less safe for vehicle drivers or passengers, pedestrians, or bicyclists than the county's current parking requirements; or

    2. To portions of counties within a one-mile radius of a commercial airport in Washington with at least 9,000,000 annual enplanements.

  7. A county may require off-street parking if the county's roads are not developed to the standards for streets and roads adopted by the cities within that county.

Section 5

The state building code council shall research and, if necessary, adopt by rule updated accessible parking space requirements in the state building code promulgated under this chapter to align with current research on disability rates among drivers.

Section 6

Section 7

This act may be known and cited as the parking reform and modernization act.

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