Iowa City Approves Barnacle Devices for Unpaid Tickets

The Iowa City Council voted 7-0 to use wheel-clamp-style barnacle devices on vehicles with at least $150 in unpaid parking tickets instead of towing.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Trucks

A black barnacle device with suction cups mounted on a car windshield, with a softly blurred brick-lined street behind it. — The Iowa City Council voted 7-0 to use barnacle devices on vehicles with at least $150 in unpaid parking tickets instead of towing them. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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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, which are stretched across a vehicle's windshield and block the driver's view, for cars with at least $150 in outstanding parking tickets. The devices are presented as an alternative to towing vehicles with unpaid citations.

Why it matters

Towing takes significant manpower and can cost vehicle owners hundreds of dollars in fees. The city projects the barnacles will reduce owner recovery fees by about $180 per vehicle and save more than $300,000 annually in towing and storage costs.

The city will spend about $15,400 annually on four devices at $3,600 each, plus a $1,000 software fee, with removal costing $50 and a temporary $300 deposit held on the payment method. In fiscal year 2025, towing involved 810 vehicles, and the barnacle system is projected to cut recovery costs by 80% compared with towing.

The players

Iowa City Council

The governing body of Iowa City that voted to approve the use of barnacle devices for vehicles with unpaid parking tickets.

University of Iowa

The public university in Iowa City that piloted four barnacle devices before expanding the system to all campus parking facilities in 2025.

The details

A barnacle attaches to a windshield with suction cups and blocks the driver's view. Motorists can pay 24/7 through a QR code, a website, by phone, or in person at the parking office, and the owner receives a code to release the device and returns it to a drop box.

Fiscal year 2025: 810 vehicles were towed, 1,023 vehicles were missed, and 71 left before towing.
2025: The University of Iowa expanded barnacle devices to all campus parking facilities with a $100 barnacle fee.
November 4, 2026: The Iowa City Council voted 7-0 to approve barnacle devices.

Roadmap

The city's approval extends a model the University of Iowa tested on campus, moving barnacle enforcement from private lots to public streets. It reflects a broader municipal shift away from towing as the default response to chronic unpaid parking citations.

Drivers with at least $150 in unpaid parking tickets could find a barnacle on their windshield instead of their car being towed, and must pay the $50 removal fee plus the outstanding balance to have it released. Owners can settle the balance 24/7 by QR code, website, phone, or in person at the parking office.

The takeaway

The device shifts the cost of enforcement from city towing and storage to the individual driver, so keeping parking tickets paid is the most direct way to avoid a barnacle. Residents with outstanding citations should check their balances before the devices are deployed.