Residential Permit Parking in San Diego

In a residential permit parking area, street parking during the posted hours is limited to cars with a valid permit or a valid disabled placard; other cars get a citation. The program rests on California Vehicle Code section 22507 and Municipal Code sections 86.2001 to 86.2016. The City's residential permit page lists five areas, enforced all year except City holidays:

• Which blocks. Each area covers specific blocks, not a whole neighborhood. The City posts a PDF map for each area on its residential parking maps page, and the signs on the block show the hours that apply there.
• Renew on time. Permits run for the area's permit year and must be renewed every year. You can apply for the new year one month before the old permit expires, and the City says residents who apply too late are responsible for any tickets in the meantime.
• No reserved spot. A permit does not reserve a space in front of your home (section 86.2011), and permit holders still have to follow meters, time limits, street sweeping and other rules set outside the permit program.

• Fees. $11.50 a year per permit; $9 for each two-week temporary permit (available all year to residents, non-resident owners and commercial tenants); $11.50 to replace a lost or stolen permit or one left on a sold car. Fees are non-refundable, and unpaid parking tickets must be cleared first.
• Decals and visitor placards. A vehicle decal is tied to one license plate and goes on the driver's side of the rear bumper or outside rear window. An optional visitor placard hangs on the dashboard; the City says it is valid only on the same block as the address printed on it, except in Area F.
• How many. Up to four per address: four decals, or three decals and one visitor placard. Area E has its own Council-set mix (up to five decals in total, or up to two visitor placards). Non-resident property owners and commercial properties get one permit per address, counted in the total.
• Documents. If your registration or license does not show the address, upload two proofs with your name and the address: a current utility bill, a lease signed by both landlord and tenant, or a deed, tax bill or closing statement. A newly bought car can use the purchase contract until the DMV registration arrives.
• Where to apply. Through the City's online permit application. Permits are no longer issued at the counter; paper applications are allowed when needed but take five to seven business days and are processed after online ones.

Lending or copying permits is not allowed: section 86.2014 makes it a violation to give false information on an application or let your permit be used on another car, and a misdemeanor to sell or transfer a visitor permit or use a counterfeit one. The City can revoke the permit of anyone who breaks these rules (section 86.2015).

Parking enforcement in permit areas is handled by the San Diego Police Department. The City's enforcement page gives two ways to report illegal parking in your neighborhood:

• Online. The Get It Done parking violation report. Give the block, the plate and the time, and note that the block is a posted permit area.
• By phone. The police non-emergency line, 619-531-2000.

Report only during the hours on the sign; outside them anyone may park there. The City's citation fine list shows $75.50 for a residential permit area violation. A car that has not moved for days is a separate issue: see our abandoned vehicles guide. A car blocking your driveway is covered in our illegal parking guide.

The City's Establishing a Permit District page and Municipal Code sections 86.2005 and 86.2006 describe the steps:

1. Call Traffic Engineering Operations at 619-533-3126 and ask for an eligibility review of the area.
2. If the area may qualify, the City sends a petition. Residents of at least 50 percent of the proposed area must sign, one signature per address; property managers and non-resident owners cannot sign.
3. Once the petition is verified, the City studies the parking: the share of non-resident cars, how long they stay and how many cars use the street. The code asks for the study within 90 days of a petition unless the Council sets otherwise.
4. If the study supports a district, residents are notified of a public hearing, and the request goes to the City Council and the Mayor.

The City says the whole process can take up to 18 months. The program is meant for blocks filled by all-day commuter parking from a nearby facility or institution; streets crowded mainly by residents' own cars are not candidates, and the City suggests other options such as short-term time limits for them. Since a July 2025 code change (section 86.2005), an area can also be considered when new City parking rules push cars onto residential streets, for example a new meter zone within a quarter mile, a new time-limit zone nearby or a large loss of street spaces. Time limits and other new signs are requested through the Traffic Service Request form; see our traffic safety requests guide.

Searches for a "Balboa Park resident parking permit" usually mean the Balboa Park lot program, which is separate from residential permit districts. Under it, verified City residents register online (a one-time $5 fee) to park free in the park's general lots and at a discount in the premium lots. The City's Balboa Park parking page (updated August 27, 2026) says the City Council approved a settlement to remove paid parking in Balboa Park effective January 1, 2027, and that paid parking stays in effect through the end of 2026. Check that page for refunds and the latest dates.