$2 to $5 per retrieval at a restaurant or ordinary hotel. $5 is the usual hotel default.
$8 to $10 in New York, San Francisco, or at a luxury desk, or when they managed a storm and a long wait.
$0 when the valet fee says gratuity included, or the house forbids cash.
Hotel stay vs one dinner
At a hotel, tip each time they bring the car, not once at checkout. At a restaurant, it is one handoff.
Prepaid valet
If the ticket already includes gratuity, the honest extra is $0 unless they went well beyond parking the car.
They dented it
A tip is for the retrieval, not a waiver. If they damaged the car and shrugged, $0 is honest.
United States (default)
Tipping valet is customary when someone parks and returns the car. These ranges are US custom, not a wage survey.
High-cost cities
In New York, San Francisco, Boston, and similar markets, $5 is the floor and $8 to $10 is typical at hotels.
Outside the US
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 to $5 cash when they bring the car. At a hotel or in a large city, $5 to $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.