Parking for Employees & Employers
July 1, 2026: The new daily parking rate is $25.69 per day in both California Avenue and University Avenue parking districts.
Off-street parking for employees
Convenient Parking at California Avenue and University Avenue Garages & Lots
Convenient parking is offered to employees and employers throughout the California Avenue and University Avenue Business Districts.
- Various permits types (3-month, 6-month, and annual) are available for purchase at specific periods of the year.
- Permits in California Avenue are valid anywhere in the district's surface lots and garages.
- Permits in University Avenue are location specific. Select garages in University Avenue are only available to Downtown Parking Assessment District businesses, while all other Downtown lots and garages are available to any businesses within the Downtown. To see if your business or employer is within the district boundaries, please view the Downtown Parking Assessment District map(PDF, 193KB).
- Parking permits are $750.00/year (+fees) for California Avenue permits and $1,037.00/year (+fees) for University Avenue permits, or $25.69/day in either district.
Reduced Price Permits are also available in select locations and require proof of income (two recent paystubs or W2). The gross annual income eligibility threshold is $111,000 or $26.68 per hour.
For University Ave permits, visit Revenue Collections on the ground floor of City Hall or call (650) 329-2317 for more information including hours of operation and to purchase a permit.
For California Ave permits, visit the getapermit.net Permit Portal and create or sign into your account. California Ave Permits are processed and shipped by USPS, and we recommend ordering your permits in advance to avoid shipping delays.
On-street parking for employees
Downtown, Evergreen Park-Mayfield, and Southgate RPP Parking Districts
Select Palo Alto Residential Preferential Parking (RPP) Program requires all passenger vehicles to have a permit to park on the street for more than 2 hours between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5/6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
If you are employed in one of the following districts, and interested in an on-street employee RPP permit (Jan-Jun or Jul-Dec), purchase via the getapermit.net Permit Portal
- Downtown
- Evergreen Park-Mayfield
- Southgate
MAY UPDATE: Permit Extension and System Transition (2026-27)
The City of Palo Alto is currently transitioning to a new permit management vendor for the upcoming renewal (Jul-Dec) cycle. We appreciate your patience as we move to this new system to better serve the community.
Phased Implementation
The City of Palo Alto is transitioning to getaPERMIT.net as our new permit management vendor. Because we are migrating to an entirely new platform, your previous login credentials, account details, order history, and vehicle data will not be transferred. Consequently, all users must create a new account within the new portal to maintain their parking privileges.
Permits for the new cycle will begin on Monday, July 6, 2026 at 8 a.m. We strongly encourage all users register their accounts in advance. Proactive registration ensures a streamlined ordering process and prevents delays caused by high volumes of account approval requests during the peak sale period.
To set up your account, visit https://paloalto.getapermit.net
Registration Guidelines:
- New Account: Register new account using a valid email address you check regularly.
- Required Documents: You will need to upload digital copies of the following to determine eligibility:
- DMV Registration: The vehicle must be actively registered with the DMV to confirm ownership and verify the plate number.
- Reduced-Price Permit Modifications: The gross annual income eligibility threshold has increased to $111,000 or $53.36 per hour.
- To qualify, please provide one of the following forms of income documentation: last two paystubs or the most recent W-2.
- Employer Accounts are no longer available. All employee accounts can now order multiple permits without restrictions.
Contact Information
Maps
The RPP program spans over multiple neighborhoods in Palo Alto including Downtown, Evergreen Park-Mayfield, Southgate, and Old Palo Alto.
RPP Permit Pricing, Account Limits, and Other Details
Acronyms
- Downtown RPP – DT
- Evergreen Park-Mayfield RPP – EPM
- Southgate RPP – SG
- Old Palo Alto RPP – OPA
Permit Pricing and Terms *Does not include fees
| Permit Type |
Term |
Rate / Permit |
| DT Employee / Employer Digital |
Jan. - June & July - Dec. |
$604.00 |
| DT Employee / Employer (reduced) Digital |
Jan. - June & July - Dec. |
$153.00 |
| EPM Employee / Employer Digital |
Jan. - June & July - Dec. |
$433.50 |
| EPM Employee / Employer (reduced) Digital |
Jan. - June & July - Dec. |
$110.00 |
| SG Employee / Employer Digital |
Jan. - June & July - Dec. |
$433.50 |
| SG Employee / Employer (reduced) Digital |
Jan. - June & July - Dec. |
$110.00 |
District / Zone Limits
| District / Zone |
Permits / Zone |
| DT Zone 1 |
60 |
| DT Zone 2 |
90 |
| DT Zone 3 |
50 |
| DT Zone 4 |
50 |
| DT Zone 5 |
100 |
| DT Zone 6 |
80 |
| DT Zone 7 |
100 |
| DT Zone 8 |
50 |
| EPM Zone A-D |
50 |
| SG Zone S |
30 |
Learn more about the RPP program