Car Lockout in Worcester, MA

When a lockout becomes a tow

In Worcester, the street you are parked on can matter as much as the car. Two sets of winter rules apply.

• Declared bans. Chapter 13, § 43 of the city's Revised Ordinances sets the winter parking ban. When the city declares one, cars must stay off the even-numbered side of most streets and off both sides of the arterial streets the ordinance lists.
• The seasonal overnight ban. From December 1 through April 30, no parking is allowed between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., on one side or both, along emergency arteries, WRTA bus routes and other streets the city treats as critical to traffic.

A car left in violation is ticketed and towed at the owner's expense. If your keys are locked inside a car on one of these streets, get the lockout handled before the ban takes effect: once the car is towed, it has to be retrieved before anyone can work on it. The city's Winter Parking Ban Viewer map shows the rules for each street. This is general information, not legal advice.

Cold, heat and who is inside

Call 911 first if a child or a pet is inside, in any season. A closed car left in summer sun can turn dangerously hot, and in a Worcester winter one with the engine off gives up its warmth.

If the engine is running with the keys inside, look for snow packed around the tailpipe, because exhaust can collect in and around the car. Wait somewhere warm instead of beside it on the street.

Location details to send

1. The street and nearest cross street, and which side of the street the car is on.
2. Whether a ban has been declared, and whether the street is a bus route or a posted arterial.
3. For a garage or lot, its name, the level and the space number.
4. The year, make and model, and whether the keys are visible inside.
5. Whether the engine is running.

If the keys are lost rather than locked inside, see car key replacement. The statewide car lockout page and the Worcester overview cover the rest.