Frequently Asked Questions

The Residential Parking Zones or RPZ are the residential neighborhoods immediately adjacent to the campus of Central Washington University. You are required to display a city-issued permit to park on the street in these zones during the day.

Bring a proof of residency, i.e. copy of a lease, ID, or mail addressed to an address within one of the RPZ zones to the payment desk at City Hall. You will also need to have vehicle information for any vehicle receiving a permit. There is no cost for these permits.

There are several ways in which you can pay a parking citation. Cash or check payments may be made at the Police Department weekdays between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. Credit card payments may be made either at City Hall, or by telephone at (509) 962-7207. Payment may also be made via the internet using Remit Online. There is a non-refundable fee for this site. Payment can also be made by mail (do not send cash) to:
Ellensburg Police Department
100 North Pearl St.
Ellensburg, WA 98926

In order to avoid a late fee of $25 all payments must be made (or postmarked if mailed) within 15 days from the date of issuance.

Within the City of Ellensburg vehicles are required to move every 24 hours. When we receive a complaint, or notice a vehicle that obviously hasn’t moved in a while, we chalk the tires and place a “We have checked this vehicle” notice on the windshield.

In order to keep the streets clear of abandoned vehicles, a vehicle may be impounded 24 hours after it has been tagged. We try to alert any owners prior to this and can allow short extensions for extenuating circumstances.

No, however for businesses that offer services that may take longer than two-hours there are monthly permits available. These permits may only be used by patrons of a business, not the proprietors or employees. Additionally, there is a map, which shows many locations near the downtown core which are designated as all-day parking.

If you would like to request a hearing to explain the circumstances or to contest a parking citation you need to check the appropriate box on the reverse side of the citation and complete the personal information section.

Responses need to be received (or postmarked if mailed) within 15 days from the date of issuance. Requests received after that time will not be honored and will have an additional $25 late fee added to the original fine.