New Braunfels City Council approves exemptions to downtown paid parking

New Braunfels City Council has officially approved exemptions to its paid-parking program, allowing drivers with disabled license plates or placards to park for free downtown, following a second and final reading at its regular meeting Nov. 24.

The update

Under Texas Transportation Code Section 681, vehicles displaying a valid disabled license plate or placard will not be charged parking fees at parking meters, as previously reported by Community Impact. The exemption, recommended by city staff, aligns with state law and community feedback.

New Braunfels does not use parking meters, but staff determined the legislative intent of the statute is clear—individuals with disabilities should not be required to pay for public parking. Disabled veteran plates are not automatically eligible unless paired with an appropriate placard, agenda documents state.

The exemption went into effect immediately after being approved by the City Council. Drivers with disabled plates and placards will not be required to register their parking session, according to the city.

How we got here

The city launched its paid, on-street parking system downtown in July, replacing the former free, two-hour time-limited model. The new system is designed to better manage high-demand parking areas and is administered by Interstate Parking, as previously reported by Community Impact.

Something to know

ParkNBTX Ambassadors—the staff overseeing downtown parking—will receive training to identify eligible placards. Photos of potentially fraudulent placards may be collected to assist enforcement, and the New Braunfels Police Department may be notified if misuse is suspected.