Parking Questions

Sacramento City Code 10.36.100 (On-street stopping, standing or parking time limited) states: “When authorized signs have been placed by the parking manager giving notice thereof, no person shall stop, stand or park any vehicle in a business district or on street designated by resolutions during the days and hours indicated on such signs for a period of time longer than specified on such signs. (Prior code § 25.07.109)”

Posted time limits are intended to prevent a vehicle from parking on the same street for more than a specific amount of time during the posted restricted hours. This allows other vehicles an opportunity to park on that street. The only exception to this code is when the vehicle is parked in a Residential Parking Permit (RPP) area and displaying a valid Residential Permit.

Citations for violation of this code are issued when a vehicle parks on the street, longer than the posted time limit during the posted restriction hours.

For example, a 2-hour time limit on a street where the restriction hours are in effect between 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., means that a vehicle may not park on that street for more than two hours between 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. To avoid a citation, the vehicle must be moved completely off that street. However, since moving completely off a street is a very restrictive application of the Code, vehicles are permitted to be re-parked at least one city block away from the original parking space. The act of re-parking a vehicle a few spaces away, across the street and/or returning to the same block, does not create a new parking session.

To obtain the parking citation issuance number, you may call the Revenue Division Customer Service line at (916) 808-8500 (Revenue Phone Hours). You will be asked to verify the name on the vehicle’s registration, vehicle license plate number and VIN.

See a photo of the vehicle in violation, pay for, or contest a citation with our online parking services.

Citations may be paid for online, by telephone, by mail or in-person at the Revenue Division. Learn more about how to pay your citation.

All citations must be paid within 21 calendar days from the issue date on the citation or a penalty will be assessed. If you want to contest your parking citation, please learn about the contest process.

Call the Parking Services complaint/help desk at (916) 264-5011.

First, view photos of the vehicle online. Our aim is to take photos of and post all violations, but there may be exceptions due to conditions that may prohibit camera functions. You may contest online or complete a citation contest form, attach any supporting evidence and mail or bring in-person all paperwork within 21 days of the citation issue date to the Revenue Division. Learn more about the contest process or call (916) 808-8500 for more information.

Call 311 or use the 311 mobile app. Please provide address and street name, vehicle description (color, make, and model) and license or meter number.

Vehicles with five or more unpaid parking citations are subject to booting.

Vehicles with a Boot for over 72 hours are towed if the vehicle owner does not make arrangement to clear the unpaid parking citations.

Drivers of booted vehicles must call (916) 808-7201 to speak to a representative.

The boot will be released upon full payment of all citations owed, with an additional $100 Boot Removal Fee. If full payment cannot be paid, a payment plan will be set up which will require payment equal to 25% of the total amount of citation fees owed with an additional $100 Boot Removal Fee and $30 Payment Plan fee.

Yes, posting fees are applied to each meter reservation invoice to pay for the staffing required to post and remove signage for each reservation.

If vehicles are parked in the posted locations, you may contact the Sacramento City 311 at (916) 264-5011 and request a Parking Enforcement Officer to be dispatched to your location. Sacramento City 311 agents are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, Parking Enforcement dispatch is limited to specific enforcement times.

If a parking citation is issued, you have the right to contact a towing company for the removal of the vehicle. Please note that all regulatory signs must be posted 72 hours prior to the reservation effective date to prevent other vehicles from parking in your location. If signs were not posted within 72 hours, then vehicles parked in the reserved spaces cannot be towed as sufficient notice was not made to prohibit parking.

Once payment is received by the Parking Services Division either via fax, mail or at the Revenue Customer Service office, the Meter Coordinator will contact you about when the placards will be ready at the Revenue Customer Service office.

You may ask the customer service rep at the counter to contact the Meter Reservation Coordinator to inquire about your order, or you may choose to email MeterCSR@cityofsacramento.org. or call (916) 264-5011.

The “start date” and “end date” on the invoice are for internal office use to assist in notifying the Meter Shop when signs must be posted and removed. The actual reservation effective dates are located on the bottom left hand corner of the invoice.

You may call the Sacramento City 311 at (916) 264-5011 to leave a message for the Meter Coordinator or you may email the Meter Coordinator directly at MeterCSR@cityofsacramento.org.

All Change Orders and cancellations may be submitted online using our Parking Meter Reservation Change Order form. Changes and cancellations may also be emailed to MeterCSR@cityofsacramento.org. Verbal changes or requests cannot be accepted.

Parking Services has teamed with Parkmobile to offer a service that allows you to use a mobile app, a web browser, or a phone call to pay for parking at selected meters and parking lot locations in Sacramento.

In summary, Parkmobile enables quick, easy payment for parking sessions, stores transaction history, and provides session expiration reminders. In detail:

• Easy to register and use (account setup and management available through the app, online, and over the phone).
• Optional 15-minute expiration notifications.
• Saves time.
• Extend your parking session on-the-go (where permitted).
• Ability to view and print parking history.
• Save "Favorite" and Recently Used zones.
• Add up to 5 license plate numbers and 5 users to your profile.

Parkmobile is a third-party vendor that incurs cost for processing the mobile payments. To cover the cost of the service, a small convenience fee of 35¢ will be added to the parking tariff for each parking transaction. In certain locations, this fee is waived.

Once you have an account, you have several options for using Parkmobile within Sacramento:

• The mobile app (available for many devices, at the appropriate app store or http://us.parkmobile.com/members/members-mobile-apps/)
• Using a web browser on a mobile device or regular computer to visit https://parkmobile.io/
• Calling (916) SAC-PARK (722-7275) from any phone

If the location where you are parking shows a Parkmobile “QR code,” you can scan the code with your mobile device to obtain the app. If you scan the code by using the app, it will recognize the zone and start a parking session for that location.

Some phones also can read “NFC” (for “Near Field Communication”) tags. If your mobile device is so equipped and the meter or lot decal has such a tag, you can hold your device near the tag to have it activate the app and start a parking session.

You can use the Parkmobile app on your mobile device, use a web browser to connect to https://parkmobile.io/, or make a phone call to (916) SAC-PARK (722-7275). You will need the following pieces of information: your cell phone number, email address, vehicle license number, and credit card information. The setup process should take no more than a couple of minutes, and there is no cost to create an account.

Contact Parkmobile Support at 877-PARK-HLP (877-727-5457) for assistance.

Parkmobile is available both on-street (at meters) and in selected off-street parking lots. Look for the green Parkmobile decals or signs (similar to the one on the right) where you are parking.

If you are parking at an on-street meter, the parkmobile decal will be affixed to the side of the meter that faces the traffic.

If you are parking in a lot operated or managed by the City of Sacramento, you will see signs posted throughout the lot, as well as display decals on the parking lot payment machines.

The zone number is printed on every Parkmobile sign and/or decal. If you see a Parkmobile logo, you'll see a zone number.

If you are parked in a lot, the app’s Zone Map will tell you the location. If you are unsure, or you are parked at a meter on-street, we recommend you call the City operator at 311. You will be asked for the PKGS number on the display on the front of the meter.

Once you have confirmed the transaction, you cannot go back and change it. If you complete a parking session in error, immediately complete a parking session with the correct zone or space number, then call Parkmobile Support at 877-PARK-HLP (877-727-5457) to have the initial transaction reversed.

Unfortunately, no. Just like any other payment at a meter or pay station, once paid, the time remains on the meter. Upon moving to another location, you will need to pay for a new session.

The payment process itself will tell you when the payment has been completed. Additionally, you may choose to be sent a text message and/or when the payment process has completed.

Parkmobile is integrated with the smart parking meters for on-street parking in Sacramento. The meter will not reflect the payment, however confirmation will reflect on your Parkmobile app to be assured that your payment was recorded and verified. Should a parking citation be issued as a result of a Parkmobile payment that did not update immediately, customers may contest the citation online.

Yes, if the parking meter has time on it when you park your vehicle, Parkmobile will allow you to pay for additional time, not to exceed the maximum time for the location, using the application. The Parkmobile payment for the additional time will update on the meter display approximately 10 minutes prior to the meter’s expiration. The existing time on the meter will NOT reflect on the application on your phone, but it will show on the meter, up to the maximum time allowed on the meter. It is important to manage the amount of time you purchase if time is currently on the meter. If you are not careful, an overpayment at the meter may occur. It is highly recommended to avoid purchasing more time that would be allowed at the meter because refunds cannot be issued for overpayment.

Those instructions apply only to payments made directly at the pay station machine. Payments for a parking lot completed through Parkmobile, will automatically update a computer or handheld device used by Parking Enforcement Officers.

Cards with logos from American Express, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover are accepted by Parkmobile.

Enforcement officers use the license plate number to check payment information in most of the City’s off-street parking lots. If you change vehicles, remember to update the license plate information on your account. The Parkmobile system will accommodate up to five license plates per account.

You can log into your account at any time to review all transactions, print parking transactions, or export the data to another format.

Log into your account (through the app or on the web) and go to Settings, then choose the “Notifications” area. You can select the notifications you wish to receive. Please note that you will only receive a notification that your parking session will end if you made a payment through Parkmobile. It is not possible to get a notification if you paid the meter directly.

If you use the mobile app, a reminder can be set to alert you 15 minutes before the session will expire.

The delivery of text messages is dependent on mobile carrier’s network. Parkmobile sends the text message to your carrier’s gateway, who in turn, relays it to your phone. Delayed deliveries or missed deliveries can occur if your phone is in an area that doesn’t have sufficient cell coverage or if the carrier is experiencing heavy traffic. If you are experiencing communication difficulties frequently, we recommend that you contact your wireless carrier.

You can use any phone to call 916-SAC-PARK, or use any web browser to connect to https://us.parkmobile.com. Simply enter your cell number and password, and then follow the prompts to begin or extend a parking session.

Most likely, you have exceeded the maximum parking time for the meter or parking lot space. The same time restrictions apply to mobile payments as with payments made at meters.

If the meter has a green Parkmobile decal with a zone number on it, then you still can use Parkmobile to pay. If the meter has not yet been set up for Parkmobile payment, then you will need to use the payment method the meter currently is accepting. (For failing meters: please note that the meter automatically informs the Parking Meter Shop of any malfunctions and a technician will be dispatched at the first available opportunity.)

If the pay-and-display station is located in an off-street lot and there is a green Parkmobile sign or decal visible within the lot, then you are able to use Parkmobile in that lot.

Payments for on-street pay-and-display stations are not currently supported through Parkmobile, although the City is investigating how it can offer this capability in the future.

Yes! However, please note that if you are making a phone call to start a parking session, you must dial the Sacramento-specific number of 916-SAC-PARK. If you use the other city’s number, Parkmobile will record your parking session in that city, not in Sacramento.

PayByPhone will no longer process parking payments for the City of Sacramento effective March 21, 2016. However, other cities and parking operators use PayByPhone services and you may still use your account in those other locations.

Fortunately, your payment through Parkmobile will be shown in your account history, which you can review. Please confirm that you paid for the correct zone (and space number, if in a lot). In the very unlikely event that you received a citation even though your payment was made for the correct zone and space, you may contest the citation. Ensure that all information or evidence is provided in the citation contest process. When the citation contest is reviewed, information submitted will be reviewed carefully to determine if the citation was issued in error.

Please pay immediately upon parking. Payment should be completed as rapidly as you would if you were to pay the meter directly. All transactions are registered to the Parking Enforcement system in "real time," which means that actual time of payment will be reflected. Payments made after a citation is issued will not void the citation.

Please contact Parkmobile Support at 877-PARK-HLP (877-727-5457) for assistance.

Pursuant to Sacramento City Code 10.48.150 permit holders may not park more than 3 city blocks from the permit address.

Copies of documentation are accepted. For documentation showing proof of residency, please submit all pages of the utility bill.

Other acceptable proof of residency includes copies of a current bank statement (account number and balances may be redacted), current phone bill (landline or cell phone), current cable bill or insurance declaration page. Property owners may submit a current property tax statement that reflects the same name and address as the current DMV registration. Statements sent to local post office boxes are acceptable only if the proper proof of address is reflected on the statement or bill. Documentation submitted will be returned back to the applicant as no copies are kept on file at our office.

A current proof of residency is any acceptable form of documentation which is less than 45 days old.

Once you are able to secure the proper documentation required for a Vehicle or Visitor Permit, you must visit the Revenue Division with those documents to receive the permit. If you wish to mail the documents in, please include the application for a Vehicle or Visitor Permit and be aware that it may take up to three weeks to receive a permit in the mail. However, if you visit the Revenue Division, you will get the permit immediately. It is the resident's responsibility to allow sufficient time prior to the expiration of the Temporary Permit to secure the Vehicle or Visitor Permit. If an extension of time is needed on the Temporary Permit, please visit the Revenue Division with documentation required for a Temporary Permit to request the extension. Please note that all requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Replacement fees for lost or stolen permits are $25.00 per permit.

Residential Permit areas are designated by posted signs (typically time zone signs) which have the additional wording, "Except with __ Permit" posted near the bottom of the sign. Permit areas are designated by letters (example: D Permit, F Permit, C Permit).

Vehicles without a permit may park on a street within a permit area up to the time limit posted for that street.

Depending on the type of permit you need to renew, you will need to submit all the required documentation either by mail, fax or in-person to the Revenue Division. The process to renew is the same as the process to sign up for a new permit. Instructions are on the application.

The expiration month and year for your area are indicated on the face of the permit or you can check the renewal schedule. It is the resident's responsibility to renew the permit before the expiration date.

Residents may choose to visit the Revenue Division to obtain the renewal permit. Renewal permits are not available for pick up or mailing until after the first day of the expiration month. For example if the permit expires March 31, the renewal permit will be available for mailing or pick- up after March 1st.

A grace period is the time from when the permit expires to when Parking Enforcement begins citing vehicles. There is a 10 calendar day grace period after each permit expiration date.

Mailed or faxed permit requests may take up to three business weeks to process. If mailing a renewal, permits will not be mailed until after the 1st day of the expiration month, regardless of when the renewal was mailed in. Permits are processed in the order received. If you wish to check on the status of your renewal, please call (916) 264-5011.

If you believe that a vehicle is falsely using a permit to park in a permit area to be near a workplace or educational institution, please call 311 (916) 264-5011 outside the city) after hours to report permit abuse.

Please note the time the vehicle is parked and/or leaves each day as Parking Enforcement officers are only allowed to cite a commuter in the act of parking or leaving.

• Vehicle Permit: Adheres to driver's side rear bumper of vehicle. For use by residents of permit address only. Motorcycles must adhere sticker to left, front fork of vehicle.
• Visitor Permit: Placard that must be displayed on driver's side dashboard, not covering VIN number. May be used by guests or residents of permit address.
• Temporary Permit: Placard that must be displayed on driver's side dashboard, not covering VIN number. Use depends on resident's need for permit.