Iowa City Approves Barnacles Instead of Towing

Vehicles with at least $150 in unpaid parking tickets can now be fitted with a windshield barnacle.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Trucks

Iowa City Approves Barnacles Instead of Towing

Live Poll

Do you support your city using windshield-locking devices to collect unpaid parking tickets?

The Iowa City Council voted 7-0 to approve barnacle devices, a wheel-clamp-style alternative to towing, for vehicles carrying at least $150 in unpaid parking tickets. The city is spending about $15,400 a year on four devices.

Why it matters

Towing takes a lot of staff time and can cost a vehicle owner hundreds of dollars in fees, so the city is turning to a cheaper option. City figures say the devices cut owner recovery fees by about $180 and could save the city more than $300,000 a year in towing and storage costs.

The council approved the devices for vehicles with at least $150 in outstanding parking tickets, with the city spending about $15,400 annually on four units at $3,600 each plus a $1,000 software fee. Removal carries a $50 fee, and a temporary $300 deposit is held on the payment method until the device is returned.

The players

Iowa City Council

The elected body of Iowa City that sets local parking and enforcement policy, which approved the barnacle program by a 7-0 vote.

University of Iowa

The public university in Iowa City that piloted four barnacle devices and expanded them to all campus parking facilities in 2025.

The details

A barnacle is stretched across a vehicle's windshield, where suction cups hold it in place and it blocks the driver's view. To release it, the owner pays through a 24/7 QR code, website, phone line, or the parking office, then receives a code to unlock the device and returns it to a drop box. The University of Iowa piloted four devices and expanded them to all campus parking facilities in 2025 with a $100 barnacle fee.

Fiscal year 2025: 810 vehicles were towed, 1,023 missed, and 71 left before towing.
2025: The University of Iowa expanded barnacle devices to all campus parking facilities.
November 4, 2026: The Iowa City Council voted 7-0 to approve barnacle devices.

The Home Front

Iowa City is following the University of Iowa's 2025 campus pilot, which expanded barnacle devices to every campus lot. The city's move applies the same tool to street parking and citations, shifting enforcement away from towing as the default.

If you own a vehicle with unpaid Iowa City parking tickets, check your balance before the devices are deployed, since the program applies once a vehicle reaches $150 in outstanding citations. Keep your payment method current, because a temporary $300 deposit is held until the device is returned.

The takeaway

Clearing parking tickets early avoids both the $50 removal fee and a temporary $300 deposit hold once a barnacle is attached. Keep a record of any payments you make, since the release code and drop-box return are part of getting the device off your vehicle.