How much do you tip a valet?

Plan on $2–$5 cash when they bring the car. At a hotel or in a large city, $5–$10 is the usual band.

Do you tip valet when you drop off or when you pick up?

When they return the car. You can leave a little at drop-off if they will not be the same person; the retrieval is the custom.

Tip each retrieval, not a single checkout line. If you never use the car, you owe nothing.

No. The parking fee is for the stall. The cash is for the person who ran the car. If the ticket says gratuity included, that is the exception.

$2–$5 when they bring the car

In the US, $2–$5 cash when the valet hands you the keys. Hotels and high-cost cities sit at $5–$10.

Tip the person who returns the car, each time — not one lump on the room bill.

US customHow we got this rangeReviewed 2026-08-14

Band	What to bring
Typical	$2–$5 per retrieval at a restaurant or ordinary hotel. $5 is the usual hotel default.
Generous	$8–$10 in New York, San Francisco, or at a luxury desk, or when they managed a storm and a long wait.
Skip	$0 when the valet fee says gratuity included, or the house forbids cash.

At a hotel, tip each time they bring the car, not once at checkout. At a restaurant, it is one handoff.

If the ticket already includes gratuity, the honest extra is $0 unless they went well beyond parking the car.

A tip is for the retrieval, not a waiver. If they damaged the car and shrugged, $0 is honest.

Tipping valet is customary when someone parks and returns the car. These ranges are US custom, not a wage survey.

In New York, San Francisco, Boston, and similar markets, $5 is the floor and $8–$10 is typical at hotels.

In much of Europe a billed valet is not a tipped job. In Japan, do not tip. Follow local practice.

How much do you tip a valet?: Plan on $2–$5 cash when they bring the car. At a hotel or in a large city, $5–$10 is the usual band.
Do you tip valet when you drop off or when you pick up?: When they return the car. You can leave a little at drop-off if they will not be the same person; the retrieval is the custom.
Do you tip valet every day of a hotel stay?: Tip each retrieval, not a single checkout line. If you never use the car, you owe nothing.
Is valet parking itself the tip?: No. The parking fee is for the stall. The cash is for the person who ran the car. If the ticket says gratuity included, that is the exception.