Residential Permit Parking (RPP)

Residential permit parking (RPP) is enforced under Sacramento City Code chapter 10.48 and provides residents and their visitors exemptions from parking meter payments and posted time restrictions. 

  • Residents must apply for residential permits and renew them during the permit area's renewal period. The required documentation and an application must be submitted every permit renewal cycle, which occurs every two years. 

  • Renewal dates are based on permit area and not date the permit was acquired.

  • Submission of a new application is required for new vehicles added to a residence or when moving to a new residence within an established RPP. 

Vehicles with valid residential permits may park up to 72 hours at the same space on the street. Parking on the street beyond 72 hours is a violation of the California Vehicle Code.

All parking citations must be cleared prior to applying for a Virtual Vehicle permit or Visitor permit.

Residential permit cost

At the present time, residential permits are free of charge to residents. 

There is s $25 replacement fee for Visitor Permit placards that are lost or damaged.

Look for the signs

Residential permit areas are denoted on posted parking signs with a single, large-font letter at the bottom of the sign and followed by the word, "permit". 

If the front of your property is on the same side of the street where these residential permit signs are posted, then your property address is part of a Residential Permit Parking area. It is possible to see RPP on only one side of a block and not the other. 

The renewal cycle is every two years and is based on permit area, not the date the permit was acquired.

Image of green residential permit parking signage for K permit area open_in_full

Example of a residential permit sign for K Area

Parking in an RPP area

Any vehicle may park in an RPP area without a permit as long as meter fees are paid or vehicles are parked within any posted time limit. The only exception are in areas posted with,"No Parking Any Time Except With _Permit", which indicates a strict permit-only parking area. 

Enforcement hours for meters and time limits vary by location. Parking spaces with time limits have posted signs reflecting both the time limit and hours when time limits are enforced.  Metered locations have hours of enforcement and rates on the meter screens. 

Residents: Any vehicle(s) that require parking on the street beyond a posted time limit, or for free at a meter, will require a residential permit. Without a permit, drivers are required to pay the meter or park within the posted time limit.

Visitors to residential permit areas: Visitors must pay the meter or park within posted time limits unless they obtain a Visitor Permit or Temporary Permit from the resident they are visiting to receive an exemption from meter payments or time limits.

Valid Disabled Person placard: Any driver, resident or visitor, with a vehicle displaying a valid DP placard or license plate is exempt from permit requirements and may park up to 72 hours in the same space on the street without a residential permit.

Moving residences or new vehicles

Residents must apply for a new permit regardless of whether the new address is within the same permit letter area, the same residential complex, or if a new vehicle was purchased. 

Selling, duplicating, receiving any monetary compensation, transferring residential permits, or continuing to use a permit registered to a former residence is a violation of Sacramento City Code 10.48.150 and may result in revocation of the resident's permit and their eligibity to apply for a new permit until the area's next two-year cycle occurs. 

Why a new application is required

  • New vehicles: Virtual Vehicle permits utilize the vehicle's license plate as a credential. Submission of the new vehicle's valid DMV reflecting the permit address and a current proof of residency to show the resident still lives the permit address are required to issue a permit to the new vehicle. If the new vehicle won't use a Virtual Vehicle permit and will only use a Visitor placard, then a new permit won't be necessary if that Visitor placard doesn't need to be used for any other vehicles. 

  • Moving to new residence within same permit area or complex: Residential permits are registered to the specific permit address to ensure only residents living that specific address are utilizing the permits. When moving to a new residence, the permit registered to the old address cannot continue to be used, regardless if the move is to a new address within the same permit letter area or residential complex. Also, when moving, the permit registered to the old address must be voided to allow the new resident the ability to apply for a permit. This process allows resident to also apply for permits at their new residence because the permits of the former resident of their new home will also be voided. 

  • Moving to a new residence that doesn't require a residential permit:  If you move to a new residence that does not require a residential permit, you must notify the Revenue Divsion so your permits may be voided. Using a residential permit to park in an area you no longer reside, or allowing others who don't reside at the former address to use the permit, are violations of the Residential Permit Parking program and may result in a parking citaiton and revocation of the permit.  

Moving vehicles to other spaces

Vehicles parked at posted time limits must move at lease one city block away from the original location to avoid a parking citation for violation of Sacramento City Code 10.36.100.  Moving a vehicle across the street from the orginal parking space will still subject the vehicle to a parking citation because the vehicle has not moved off the block. 

Request RPP for your street

Property owners may request a review of their side of the block to add, modify, or annex to an existing RPP area. Review of the block may include a traffic investigation to determine feasibility of the request. There may also be a vote necessary by the property owners before the final request is brought to the Sacramento City Council for approval. 

Changes to parking regulations on any side of block may only be requested by the property owners for that side of the blockface.  This includes changes to non-RPP regulations such as time limits and meters. 

Please email ParkingCSR@cityofsacramento.org to request petition information. 

Checking permit application status

Permits (new or renewals) are processed in the order received.

Applying in-person: New and renewal permit requests made in-person at the Revenue Division will be processed during the visit for immediate permit issuance.

Online applications: Please ensure a confirmation page appears after clicking "Submit". Documents may be uploaded to the online application. 

For physical permits, such as Visitor Placards, please allow 2-3 weeks for processing and transit time the U.S. Mail. For Virtual permits, please allow two weeks for processing and programming of your license plate into the system. 

Renewal permit issuance: Acceptance of renewal applications and issuance of permits may only occur during the renewal expiration month. If mailing renewal requests, please consider mailing time to ensure requests are received by the Revenue Division in time for processing and delivery. 

Due to the large volume of permits to process, please only contact the Revenue Division to inquire about permit status if permits have not arrived in time for the new permit period. There is a grace period allowed after each permit expiration date before enforcement resumes to allow for mail delivery delays. 

Check permit status

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