Bellevue officials say they are closing a loophole in the city’s parking rules with one little tweak to regulations. But it will force drivers to move around a bit more every day.

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Bellevue’s parking regulations previously stated that drivers have to move their cars every 24 hours. The recent tweak: Drivers have to move their cars every 24 hours to a different block. And no, you can’t simply park your car across the street — drivers must move their cars at least one block away.

Failure to move your car to a whole new block will get you a $42 parking ticket (previously $40 before the new rule). A vehicle could also be impounded for sticking around too long. The new requirement goes into effect Dec. 26.

According to Bellevue’s website:

Previously, vehicles could avoid ticketing by moving only a few inches. The new ordinance clarifies that vehicles must move to a different street block every 24 hours. Example: If you park on the street in front of your home and leave for an extended time, your vehicle must be moved to a different street block at least once every 24 hours.

Parking in the same spot, or block, for more than 24 hours in Bellevue is considered storing “a vehicle in the same place on the street for an extended period.”

Bellevue’s parking restrictions are a bit more strict than Seattle’s, where vehicles must be moved every 72 hours. And if police don’t notice cars parked too long, neighbors just might.

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