Do You Tip a Parking Attendant?
$0–5 per visit
No tip is needed at a lot where you park the car yourself and just pay. When an attendant parks or brings your car, $1–2 is common, and valet service is usually $2–5. If you use the same garage every day, a holiday tip of $20 or more for the regular attendants is customary.
Tip$2.00
Within the usual $0–$5 per visit.
How much to tip, situation by situation
| Situation | Typical tip |
|---|---|
| Self-park, pay at booth | No tip |
| Attendant parks or retrieves your car | $1–2 |
| Valet service | $2–5 |
| Regular monthly garage | $20–50 at the holidays |
| Help in bad weather or with bags | +$2 |
Worth knowing
- For full valet service, see our valet guide; the same rules apply to hotel valets.
Working it out by hand? See how to calculate a tip. Travelling? Customs differ abroad: tipping by country.
Questions people ask
Do you tip parking garage attendants?
Only if they handle your car. At a garage you use daily, a holiday tip is the usual thank-you.
Do I tip a parking attendant when I drop off or pick up?
Tip at pick-up, when the car comes back to you.