Moving in Boston in Winter: Snow Emergencies, Permits and Parking

What a snow emergency means for your moving truck

When the City of Boston declares a snow emergency, parking is banned on major roads and snow emergency arteries. Cars left on a posted artery can be ticketed and towed. The list includes streets like Commonwealth Avenue, Tremont Street, Boylston Street, Washington Street and Massachusetts Avenue, plus parkways such as the Jamaicaway, the Riverway and Morton Street. The city's map is only a guide: the posted signs on your block are what count.

The most important rule for a mover: a Boston moving truck permit does not override snow emergency parking rules. If your reserved curb is on an artery and a snow emergency is declared for that day, the permit does not hold the space. Before you pick a winter date, check whether either address is on a posted snow emergency street, and think about a backup spot on a side street or in a driveway.

Get the moving permit early in winter

Boston's Office of the Parking Clerk runs the moving truck permit program. According to the city, an online application has to be for a move date at least 15 days and no more than 8 weeks away. An in-person application can be for a date at least 3 days away. Once you have the signs, post them and put flyers on parked cars at the address at least 48 hours before the move.

In winter, that 48-hour window matters. Snowbanks can bury a sign, and a storm can push the move to another day. Apply early, keep the permit paperwork handy, and if your date changes, ask the city what to do about the signs. Our Boston moving permit guide covers the rest of the process, plus Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline.

Where your own car goes during a snow emergency

If you have a car and the truck needs your curb, plan for the car too. During a declared snow emergency, some Boston garages and lots offer discounted parking for residents. According to the city, you can start parking there two hours before the snow emergency begins, and you must move your car within two hours after the city lifts the ban, or the regular rate applies. You need a City of Boston resident parking permit or proof that you live in Boston, and some garages take only residents of certain neighborhoods, so check the city's current list for your area before moving day.

Space savers and moving day

After a storm, you will see chairs and cones holding dug-out spots. The City of Boston says you have 48 hours to use a space saver after the city ends a snow emergency, and after that it must come off the street. Space savers are banned in the South End and Bay Village.

For a move, this means two things. Do not count on a space saver to hold room for the truck: it is not a permit. And if you are moving out of a spot you dug out, take your space saver with you or throw it away so it does not end up in someone else's fight.

Clear the path: Boston's sidewalk rules

Boston asks property owners to clear sidewalks and curb ramps within three hours after the snow stops, or within three hours after sunrise if it snowed overnight. The cleared path should be at least 42 inches wide. Do not shovel or push snow into the street. The city lists fines of $50 for residential buildings with 16 or fewer units, $100 for larger residential buildings and $200 for commercial properties, and each day counts as a new violation.

On moving day, a clear path is about safety, not only fines. Before the crew arrives:

• Shovel and salt the front steps, the walk and the path from the door to where the truck will stand, at both addresses if you can.
• Clear a spot at the curb, not just the sidewalk, so the ramp has a flat place to land.
• Ask your landlord or condo office who clears the building entrance and the back stairs.
• Put a mat or old towels inside the door for wet boots. Our crew brings blankets and pads for your furniture, and a dry entry helps protect your floors.

Winter moving checklist

• Pick your date with a backup in mind. Watch the forecast from about a week out. If a storm is coming, call us early and we will look at the forecast and the streets with you.
• Sign up for City of Boston alerts so you know right away when a snow emergency is declared.
• Keep the heat and power on at the old place until everything is out, and set up utilities at the new place before you arrive, so pipes don't freeze and the crew can see what they're doing.
• Pack a warm-up bag: hats, gloves, phone chargers, medications, a kettle, and a set of sheets for the first night.
• Give electronics time to warm up. After a cold ride, let TVs and computers come to room temperature before you plug them in.
• Move plants in your car, wrapped, rather than in a cold truck.
• Leave items you won't move off your quote. Mark them on our moving checklist so you only pay for what moves.

Moving outside Boston this winter?

Each city and town sets its own winter parking rules. Some have overnight bans for the whole season, others only during declared emergencies. Check the town's website for both addresses. For examples, see our Quincy movers page, which covers Quincy's snow emergency arteries and resident-permit streets, and our Medford movers page, where parking during a snow emergency switches to one side of the street.

Get a written price for your winter move

Tell us both addresses and your date, and we'll send a written price. Rates start from $129/hr for 2 movers and a truck, $169/hr for 3 movers and $199/hr for 4, with a 3-hour minimum that includes travel time. Blankets, pads, dollies, straps, tools, and furniture disassembly and reassembly are included. See our local moving rates or see how our pricing works in the Boston moving cost guide. See all Boston neighborhoods we move.