Parking Services FAQs

If you live in a preferential parking area and you are having a party you may purchase one day hang tags to distribute to your guests. If you expect 40 vehicles or more you may request a Special Event Preferential Parking Exemption for a fee of $22. The following is the process to obtain your Special Event Preferential Parking Exemption:

• Please contact the Parking Office with your request for a Special Event Preferential Parking Exemption.
• The Parking Office will review your information and provide you with a confirmation number. A confirmation number is required for your exemption to be valid.
• Please contact the Parking Office at (626) 744-7665 with any questions.
• The fee to process a Special Event preferential parking exemption is $22.

On-street parking is a public resource, but it has long been realized that it is not an unlimited one. Accordingly, the state enacted legislation many years ago that enables cities and counties to manage on-street parking through the use of time limits, prohibitions and the use of parking meters (see California Vehicle Code Division 11 Chapter 9).

A ban on overnight parking on City streets in Pasadena was first enacted in 1921 and amended in 1948 to the current time period (2:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M.) In 1971, the ban was further amended to allow for overnight permits. The City Council reviewed the ban in 1991 and 1998, but made no changes. The reasons for supporting the ban over the years include; facilitating street sweeping, identifying abandoned vehicles, crime detection, encouraging off-street parking and discouraging long-term on-street parking.

Residents without temporary or permanent parking may apply for annual daytime or overnight on-street parking permits that allow them to park during those hours. All residents and/or visitors may also obtain overnight on-street parking permits for their vehicle or for a guest vehicle at any of the four conveniently located kiosks (TOPEKs) or online (TOPEO). Please visit https://pasadena.permitinfo.net.

In Pasadena, time limits are used to manage on-street parking in two general types of areas. In residential areas adjacent to commercial areas, parking time limits are used to discourage long-term parking by employees of the businesses in the commercial areas. The City allows a provision for daytime permits to residents in these time-limited areas who need to park on-street near their homes during the hours the time limits are in effect. In commercial areas, generally by petition of the business/property owners, time limits are used to encourage the turnover of parking spaces to provide short-term parking for visitors to the commercial areas.

The reason for this is found in the way the Pasadena Municipal Code regulates time-limited parking on a block by block basis. Chapter 10.08.070 B states the following:
“A vehicle shall be deemed to have been parked or left standing when such vehicle has not been moved more than 1 block under its own power from its original stopped, parked or standing position.“ A block is defined (consistent with the California Streets and Highways Code) as the segment of a street between adjacent intersections or between an intersection and the terminus of the street or the City boundary. This definition was adopted by the City Council in recognition of the abuse of on-street parking by long-term parkers who would move their vehicles to new spaces within the same block to avoid being cited for being in one location for longer than the time limit.

Temporary daytime parking exemptions may be purchased at the four (4) conveniently located kiosks, throughout the City (TODPEK). Temporary daytime parking exemptions are valid in residential, business, and commercial areas. A temporary daytime parking exemption is valid from 6:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. and exempts vehicles from the day-time restrictions only. Daytime exemptions are not valid in metered spaces. You must obey all other posted and applicable restrictions. Temporary daytime parking exemptions may only be purchased for same day use on the day requested or one day prior after 6:00 pm.

Temporary daytime parking exemptions may be purchased in advance and in bulk from the Parking Office located at 221 E. Walnut St., Suite 199.

Temporary daytime parking exemptions may only be purchased for same day use on the day requested or one day prior after 6:00 pm. For large gathering, you may purchase temporary daytime parking exemptions in advance and in bulk from the Parking Office located at 221 E. Walnut St., Suite 199.

Motorcycles cannot park on a sidewalk. Motorcycles are considered vehicles by the California Vehicle Code and are subject to the same rules and regulations of any car.

A Motorcycle may share a parking space with another vehicle within a single metered space but you do so at your own risk. If sharing the space with another vehicle, the motorcycle must be fully parked within the parking T’s, the rear tire or fender must touch the curb, and the meter must be paid. If you share the space with another vehicle, you will be subject to citation if the meter expires while you are parked in the space.
Motorcycles are required to purchase and display their receipt when parked at a pay and display, multi-space meter.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your permit is visible to the parking enforcement officer. You may purchase a motorcycle permit lock as any parking citations issued due to permit not being visible to the officer at the time of citation will not be dismissed.

You may apply for an overnight parking permit online, by mail or in person. Please note: you must provide more vehicle registrations than available parking spaces on the property and all vehicles must be currently registered to the address for which the permit is being applied for.

For more information, please visit
http://www.cityofpasadena.net/transportation/parking-info/buy-parking-permit/house-front/#annual-overnight.

Online:  https://pasadena.citationinfo.com/CitationSearch.aspx

Pay by Phone: To pay over the telephone by credit card, please call the Parking Citation Section at (800) 989-2058. Please be sure to have your credit card, parking ticket and vehicle license plate information available when placing your call.

In Person: You may pay with cash, check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and most ATM cards at the Parking Citation Section.

Parking Office
100 N. Garfield Avenue, Room N106
Pasadena, CA 91101
Map and Directions >>
(626) 744-7665

Office Hours
Monday – Friday from 7:30am – 5:15pm. Closed Weekends and Holidays.
Walk ins accepted.  Appointments can be made at
https://egov1.cityofpasadena.net/apps/dotapptweb/DotAppointment.aspx

Pay by Mail: By mail, payment must be made by check, money order or credit card. Please make your check payable to The City of Pasadena. Checks and money orders payable by banks outside of the United States are not accepted as well as two-party checks. Please do not mail cash.

There are three ways to contest a citation:
• Online, by visiting www.cityofpasadena.net/transportation/citations and selecting "Parking Citations".
• By mail, but sending your statement and any supporting documentation to:
Pasadena Parking Office
100 N. Garfield Ave, Room N106
Pasadena, CA 91101
• By submitting a written request in person at the address above

Online Processing Citation Center

The registered owner of the vehicle must bring their valid Driver’s License and must pay all associated fees, including past due parking citations to obtain a release form from the Parking Office. This can only be processed in person in the Parking Office. Only the owner or person with a valid rental agreement can do so.

Yes. Only the owner or person with a valid rental agreement can do so.

The registered owner of the vehicle must bring their valid Driver’s License and must pay all associated fees, including past due parking citations to obtain a release form from the Parking Office. This can only be processed in person in the Parking Office. Only the owner or person with a valid rental agreement can do so.

Please contact the impound lot for tow and storage fees.

Vehicle Release Fees:

• Abandoned/Abated Vehicles - $170.00
• Impounded Vehicles - $150.

AB503 – Unpaid Parking Citation Payment Plan.  As set forth in CVC 40220, effective July 1, 2018, the City of Pasadena will allow payment plan options for people with multiple unpaid parking tickets who can provide proof of indigency.  For more information, please visit https://pasadena.citationinfo.com/CitationSearch.aspx

AB503 – Unpaid Parking Citation Payment Plan.  As set forth in CVC 40220, effective July 1, 2018, the City of Pasadena will allow payment plan options for people with multiple unpaid parking tickets who can provide proof of indigency.  For more information, please visit https://pasadena.citationinfo.com/CitationSearch.aspx

If you were the registered owner at the time the ticket was issued, then you are responsible for the ticket. When you sell a vehicle, you are responsible for notifying the DMV that the vehicle is no longer in your possession, and for providing the DMV with the name and address of the new owner. If you continue to receive parking tickets for this vehicle, it is likely because the DMV still has your name on record as the legal owner. You must go to the DMV and fill out a Release of Liability. Once you have done so, you must also fill out a Declaration of Non-Ownership form, submit the documentation as listed on the form, and send it to the Parking Division at the following address:

City of Pasadena
221 E Walnut St Suite 199
Pasadena, CA 91101

You will find a Declaration of Non-Ownership on the back of each notice sent to you through the mail.

An administrative hearing can be requested online https://pasadena.citationinfo.com/CitationSearch.aspx , by mail or in person. The citation must be paid in full on or before the “due date” on the notice. The hearing request box must be checked on the notice.

Administrative Hearing Payment Waivers are available for citizens whose financial situation qualifies them as a very low-income household. This waiver does NOT cancel your fine. It simply allows you to attend a Hearing without first paying the fine required by state law. If your ticket is found to be valid, you still must pay the fines. You will be required to provide detailed income information as part of your payment waiver request. The Parking Division will consider all forms of income, while determining your eligibility for the waiver. If you would like to request a waiver, please complete the request below.

Administrative Hearing Bail Waiver

Yes, per the California Vehicle Code, your vehicle may be towed if you have five (5) or more unpaid parking tickets issued to your license plate.

Yes, with a valid Disabled Person Placard you are able to park at a meter with no charge or time limit, as long as the individual the placard was issued to is in the vehicle when it is being parked.

Once you have a valid DP placard, DP plates, or DV plates, you may park:
• In parking spaces with the International Symbol of Access (wheelchair symbol).
• Next to a blue curb authorized for persons with disabilities parking.
• Next to a green curb (green curbs indicate limited time parking) for as long as you wish. There is no time limit with a DP placard, DP license plates, or DV license plates.
• In an on-street metered parking space at no charge.
• In an area that indicates it requires a resident or merchant permit.

You must obey the posted signage, regardless if the street sweeper has passed already. Your vehicle will be cited if you park prior to the end of the posted time.

No. You cannot appeal your parking ticket if you do not do so within 21 days from the date your parking ticket was issued or 14 days from the date of your notice of delinquent parking. The time allowed to contest your parking ticket is specified in the California Vehicle Code. There are no exceptions unless one of the following conditions exists: your vehicle was stolen at the time the parking ticket was issued or the owner of the vehicle is deceased.