In an effort to reduce housing costs and facilitate new housing projects, the Virginia General Assembly recently passed House Bill 888, new legislation aimed at reducing minimum parking requirements imposed by local governments as part of a broader push to address housing affordability in the Commonwealth.
Overview of Virginia HB 888 Parking Minimum Changes
HB 888 imposes several requirements on local governments related to minimum off-street parking requirements for new developments. Most significantly, it prohibits localities from imposing minimum parking requirements within one half-mile of qualifying transit (Metrorail and certain local bus service stations, generally). In those areas, localities may not require more than:
- 0.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit for multifamily or mixed-use residential development and
- 1 parking space per dwelling unit for one-family and two-family dwellings or townhouses
The law prohibits localities from imposing requirements beyond these limits as a condition of development approval or adopting or enforcing zoning ordinances that exceed these thresholds.
In addition, the law requires localities with a population greater than 20,000 to establish an administrative process allowing developers to obtain a reduction of at least 20% in minimum off-street parking requirements for residential, multifamily, or mixed-use projects not near transit.
Importantly, the statute includes a carve-out for localities with a population over 600,000, which currently applies only to Fairfax County, allowing such jurisdictions to impose higher parking minimums near locally managed bus stops, provided that the locality offers a process allowing applicants to apply for a reduction.
Effective Date and Expected Zoning Updates
Governor Abigail Spanberger signed the bill in April, and it will take effect on July 1, 2026. We can expect localities subject to the new legislation to introduce zoning ordinance amendments in the near term to address these changes.
If you have questions about Virginia’s parking minimums, contact the author or anyone on Venable’s Land Use and Zoning team.