Independence Day, February 24, fell this year on a weekday, and the holiday did not override working-day parking fee tariffs, it turned out.

This is not the result of a new amendment put in since 2023, i.e., the last year Independence Day fell on a weekday; a regulation in effect since 2013 stipulates that parking fees apply according to the day of the week, with no exceptions for national holidays.

Arno Tuisk, head of the legal department at Tallinn's Transport Department (TLT), said: "Since the end of January 2013, a regulation has been in effect stating that paid parking times are linked to the day of the week, and not to national holidays."

This would therefore apply to other state holidays, such as Restoration of Independence Day, August 20 — this year on a Wednesday.

The regulation is publicly available on the City of Tallinn's website and on the State Gazette (Riigi Teataja) site.

Many drivers were last Monday, however, caught off guard.

One driver expressed their frustration on social media, noting: "At first, I was really confused, thinking I must have parked in a restricted area or done something else wrong."

"Then I saw that other cars also had fines under their windshield wipers," they wrote, adding with a touch of irony that they "thank the city government for the holiday gift."

The fines issued across all paid parking areas in Tallinn on February 24 amounted to €6,928.

"Since public holidays are separately defined in the Public Holidays and Commemorative Days Act and are not equated with Sundays, parking regulations apply according to the day of the week," Tuisk added.

Another thing to watch out for is that free parking does not apply wholesale on weekends, "but only to Sundays, in the city center zone."

"Every driver has a responsibility to familiarize themselves with the rules and follow them," he added.

In 2024, Tallinn collected €5,642,853 in parking fees (i.e., from drivers who had paid for a parking space), while a total of €957,435 in parking fines were issued.

Parking areas in central Tallinn are denoted by signage that includes information on how to pay, generally done via a smartphone — this can include sending a text message on opening and closing a parking time.

Paid parking zones extend considerably further out from the center than they had in the past; more information is here.

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