FAQs

The Residential Parking Program is all about making sure residents have access to parking near their homes. In neighborhoods where parking is limited due to visitors or nearby businesses, the program helps manage space, reduce overcrowding, and keep traffic flowing smoothly.

By setting time restrictions, we can increase parking availability for residents, limit non-resident parking, and create a better balance for everyone in the community.

For more Residential Parking Program info click here: monterey.gov Parking Page

If your street is impacted by non-resident vehicles and you’d like to see a Residential Parking Program in your neighborhood, the first step is starting a petition!

Here’s how it works:

✅ Gather Support: A majority of households on your block (50% + 1) need to sign a petition requesting the program.

✅ Parking Study: Once the petition is submitted, the Parking Division will conduct a study to see if at least 70% of parking spaces on your street are regularly occupied.

If your block meets the requirements, you’ll be on your way to residential parking!

📄 Ready to get started? Download the Petition Here

 🔍 Want more detailed info? Learn More

Come say hi at the Parking office located at 340 Tyler Street, Monterey. M-F 8am-4:30pm (closed 12p-1p until April 1st) 

Here, you can register with us and receive decal permit stickers for each car registered in your name, along with two paper guest passes for your visitors!

What to bring with you:

✅ Proof of residency (lease/rental agreement, utility bill, or property tax bill)
✅ Valid photo identification
✅ Valid vehicle registration for each registered vehicle — the vehicle must be registered to the resident obtaining the permit

We are excited to introduce a modernized residential parking permit program soon! Designed to provide our residents with more convenience and flexibility, the new online platform makes it simple for residents to manage their permits from home, eliminating the need for in-person office visits and saving valuable time. 

Explore all 18 Residential Parking Program Zones in Monterey: See map of residential permit zones.

Interested in Starting the Program in Your Neighborhood?
Get started by submitting a petition:
Download the Petition Form

ALPR (Automated License Plate Recognition) is the future of parking—welcome to a world of simple, smart, and seamless possibilities!

We already use this technology in our parking garages to make life easier for permit holders. With cameras at the entry gates, our system reads your license plate and automatically opens the gate—because your plate is linked to your permit.

Now, we want to bring this same smart technology to Residential Parking Permits! That would mean no more stickers on cars, no more paper permits, and no more trips to the office to register. Instead, you can manage everything online with a virtual permit.

A virtual permit means your license plate IS your permit. Our enforcement team uses cameras and scanners to verify your permit status—no need to display anything on your car. That means:

✅ No more peeling off old decals
✅ No more lost permit fees
✅ No more trips to the office to register
✅ Self-managed online—easy and convenient!
✅ A faster, easier, and greener way to park! 

So how does that work? 

Your license plate is your permit—no decals, no paper, nothing to display.

Our enforcement team uses cameras on scooters and handheld scanners to scan license plates and instantly verify permit status. That means:

✅ No more peeling off old decals
✅ No more lost permit fees
✅ No more trips to the office to register
✅ Self-managed online—easy and convenient!
✅ A faster, easier, and greener way to park!

Welcome to the future of parking possibilities—simple, smart, and seamless!

However, we are exploring the possibility of introducing a nominal fee in the future to help support and sustain the program. Any updates regarding fees will be communicated in advance.