Dallas to Deploy “Barnacles” on Vehicles with Unpaid Parking Tickets
Dallas will start implementing windshield "barnacles" on vehicles with multiple unpaid parking tickets from August 24th onwards, as an alternative to immediate towing.
Dallas Fort Worth, TX, August 18, 2026 —
Dallas is set to introduce a new enforcement measure for vehicles accumulating multiple unpaid parking tickets. Beginning August 24th, the city will begin affixing “barnacles” to the windshields of non-compliant vehicles.
This new strategy is being implemented as an alternative to the immediate towing of vehicles that have accrued a significant number of outstanding parking citations. The windshield barnacle is a device designed to immobilize a vehicle, preventing it from being driven until the outstanding tickets are resolved.
The city has not provided specific details regarding the threshold for the number of unpaid tickets that will trigger the application of a barnacle. Information on the exact process for removing the device after payment of fines, or potential additional fees associated with its application and removal, was also not immediately available.
This approach aims to address the issue of persistent non-payment of parking tickets while potentially offering a less costly and logistically simpler solution for the city compared to widespread towing operations. Further details on the program are expected to be released by the city of Dallas as the implementation date approaches.
Story summarized from the original created by Joseph.Rowe@fox.com (Joseph Rowe) on www.fox4news.com, see more information here.
