JUST LIKE MAMMOTH
Mono County is nearly tripling its parking fines to match the Town of Mammoth Lakes, just a year after reintroducing citations – and only weeks after Mammoth hiked rates even higher in resort areas.
A little over a year ago, the Board authorized the Sheriff’s Office to create a parking citation system for the first time in more than a decade. Launched in February 2025, the program allowed deputies to issue citations throughout the county.
Under the initial structure, most fines were $37, with parking in a handicap zone carrying the top fee of $285. These rates were slightly below Mammoth Lakes’ pre-2023 fines, which generally started at $45.
Since then, Mammoth Lakes raised its standard parking fines to $110, with higher penalties for certain violations: $550 for parking in a handicapped zone, $220 for parking in a snow removal area, and $150 for parking at a fire hydrant.
Last month, the town tripled fines in resort areas to discourage illegal parking in highly congested zones.
“We’re not asking for that, we don’t have that need right now,” Mono County Sheriff Ingrid Braun said. “But we do have parking issues, especially around June Lake on busy weekends, where people are parking on Hwy 158 and North Shore Drive.”
Under the new county structure, fines will match Mammoth Lakes’ $110 base rate, with the same higher fees for handicapped zones, fire hydrants, and snow removal areas. Nine additional violations, such as missing license plates or interfering with traffic, will also carry $110 fines.
Part of the change is administrative: agencies are required to standardize fines under the California Vehicle Code. But Sheriff Ingrid Braun also hopes higher fees will curb illegal parking.
“A $37 parking ticket is a small price to pay to be able to ski at June Mountain,” she said.
However, data suggests that even higher fines may not fully deter offenders. When Mammoth increased its fines in 2023, it saw no reduction in violations.
But even if the hikes don’t fully stop offenders, the increase could help the county financially.
The parking citation program currently costs about $600 a month to enforce, and only ran in the green for two months last year.
“I think if we were able to up our parking citation fees to match those of the town, this program would start to pay for itself and maybe even make a little money,” Braun suggested.
