Residential parking permits in Palo Alto

Palo Alto is a job center and many people who work here drive in from other cities. For years many of them parked on residential streets near downtown, California Avenue and Stanford, sometimes for the whole day. The city's answer is the Residential Preferential Parking program, known as RPP. On covered blocks, cars without a permit can stay only two hours on weekdays. Residents buy permits to park longer and some districts also sell a limited number of permits to people who work nearby.

This page explains the program as the city publishes it. Fees, hours and rules change, so we link to the official page for each item. For visitor parking, garages and parking around town in general, see our companion guide to parking in Palo Alto.

How the program works

In an RPP district, posted signs set a time limit for vehicles without a permit, usually two hours on weekdays. After that a car must leave the district. The city's FAQ says a driver cannot simply move to another block in the same district to reset the clock. Parking longer than two hours without a permit can result in a citation.

• Hours: Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. depending on the district. Weekends and city holidays are not enforced.
• Where permits work: A resident permit is valid on any block with posted RPP restrictions in the program area and in employee parking zones.
• Where they do not: Permits are not valid in city garages or lots, downtown color zones or other time-restricted spaces such as loading zones.
• Enforcement: The city contracts with LAZ for enforcement. Most permits are now digital and tied to a license plate.

The program's stated purpose is to restore and protect quality of life in residential neighborhoods. It does not guarantee anyone a space in front of their house.

The six districts

The city's parking for residents page lists six districts in operation. Only some blocks in each neighborhood are covered, so check the district map before assuming your street is in or out.

For the 2026 to 2027 permit year the city said permits for Downtown, Evergreen Park-Mayfield, Southgate and Old Palo Alto went on sale Monday, July 6, 2026. It gave no separate date for College Terrace or Crescent Park. Each of those districts has its own page on the city site with its rules.

Buying a resident permit

Resident permits run from July 1 to June 30. The Downtown and Old Palo Alto pages list the annual resident permit at $62 per permit plus service fees. The price is prorated if you buy after January 1. Those two districts also cap how many each home can buy. Downtown allows up to six annual permits and 50 daily permits per dwelling unit each year. Old Palo Alto allows five annual permits and 50 daily permits. The other districts publish their own limits.

Permits are sold online through the city's permit portal at paloalto.getapermit.net. The steps on the city's Downtown permit page are typical:

1. Gather documents. You need proof that you live at or own the address and a current DMV registration for each vehicle.
2. Create an account in the resident's name at the permit address.
3. Choose the permit type for your district, either a virtual permit tied to a plate or a hangtag.
4. Upload documents and pay. Your receipt works as a temporary permit for 10 days.
5. Display the hangtag when it arrives. Hang it from the rearview mirror or leave it face up on the dashboard where it can be read from outside.

Phone help is available from Parking Program Support at (650) 329-2520 or transportation@paloalto.gov from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The city also offers in-person appointments at City Hall, 250 Hamilton Avenue. Questions about your portal account go to support@getapermit.net.

Changing cars

Digital permits belong to one vehicle and cannot be moved to another. Updating your registration on the account does not move the permit automatically. The city's RPP FAQ says to email the permit vendor with your account number and the new registration.

Guests, caregivers and contractors

Short visits need nothing. Anyone may park on an RPP block for up to two hours without a permit. For longer stays:

• Daily permits. Residents can buy one-day permits for visitors. Each is valid only on its date and expires at 11:59 p.m. They are nonrefundable.
• Hangtags for regular visitors. An annual hangtag may be used by the resident or by a nanny, babysitter, caregiver, household employee or other regular visitor.
• Moving trucks and work crews. Commercial moving trucks that need a curb reservation go through Development Services at (650) 329-2496. Crews that need to occupy the street may need an encroachment permit from Public Works.

Permits for people who work here

Employees of nearby businesses can buy permits to park in certain residential zones in the Downtown, Evergreen Park-Mayfield and Southgate districts. The supply is limited by zone and a permit does not guarantee a space. On the city's downtown employee parking page, the city explains that:

• Employees buy a zone-specific permit and may choose any zone with space, not only the one nearest work.
• Daily scratcher permits cost $25 each, up to four per month. The zone is assigned at random.
• Fees for longer permits are set in the city's Municipal Fee Schedule.
• Permits are sold online only. In-person help is at Revenue Collections on the ground floor of City Hall.

Lower-wage workers can get reduced-price permits. The RPP FAQ sets the income limit at $50,000 a year or less, adjusted for inflation. Buyers must show two consecutive pay stubs at each purchase. When the city announced its current employee permit structure in December 2021, it described the reduction as 75 percent off. Confirm the current discount before you buy.

Employee permits can be refunded at a prorated amount starting 30 days before they expire. Daily permits and reduced-price permits are not refundable.

Downtown and California Avenue garages

Residential permits do not work in public garages and lots, which have their own rules. The city's visitor parking pages, which were marked as being updated in October 2026, give these basics:

• On-street spaces and surface lots in the business districts allow two hours of free parking.
• Most garages allow three hours free, except in areas reserved for permit holders.
• A day permit costs $25.70 and is valid only on its date.

Downtown garages include the Civic Center Garage, the Ramona/University Garage, the Bryant/Lytton Garage, the High/Alma North and South garages, the 800 High Street Garage and the Webster/Cowper Garage. In the California Avenue district the main structure is the 350 Sherman Avenue garage, also known as Lot 7. Day permits are valid at Bryant/Lytton, Cowper/Webster, High/Alma South, level A of the Civic Center Garage and 350 Sherman.

Workers at downtown businesses that are part of the commercial assessment district can buy longer-term garage permits. Call (650) 329-2317 for rates and availability.

Citations and enforcement

If you get a ticket and want to contest it or pay it, call Revenue Collections at 650-329-2252, the number on the city's Pay Parking Citation page. Our parking tickets guide explains how to pay or appeal. Abandoned vehicles can be reported to Police Parking Enforcement at (650) 329-2258. Remember that RPP is a weekday program. On Saturdays and Sundays, RPP limits do not apply, though other posted rules such as street sweeping or no-parking zones still do.

Neighborhoods outside the six districts sometimes ask the city to study a new one. The city does not describe that process on its main resident parking page, so contact the Office of Transportation at transportation@paloalto.gov if your block is affected by commuter parking.

Frequently asked questions