Sacramento residential parking permit backlog is resolved, city says
A backlog of Sacramento residential parking permits that left even rule-following residents vulnerable to parking tickets has been resolved, according to a city spokesperson.
The city was experiencing a “high volume of residential parking permit applications,” which “contributed to longer processing times,” spokesperson Gabby Miller said in an early May email.
Miller confirmed Wednesday that staff had processed all of the applications.
The backlog left residents who had applied for a permit vulnerable because parking enforcement officers could not verify permit renewal statuses in the field. As a result, a displayed expired permit was enough to trigger a ticket, Miller said, regardless of application status.
Earlier this month, the Sacramento City Council approved a fee hike for parking without a permit in a residential permit area, increasing the fine from $40 to $60. The increase, along with hundreds of other fee increases, was approved to help close a $66 million budget gap.
Anyone engaged in the renewal process could contest any tickets received during the delay.
To provide in-person support during the backlog, the city hosted residential permit program clinics on the mornings of May 1 and May 15.
Rules of applications, renewals
To receive a permit, residents must submit initial applications and renewal applications every two years within a permit area, according to the Sacramento city website.
The required documents for both types of applications are a valid photo ID or California driver’s license and proof of residency. A valid California DMV registration is required for a virtual permit.
Documentation may vary for specialized permits, such as those issued to college students or active-duty military personnel.
All parking citations must be cleared before applying for a virtual vehicle permit or visitor permit.
Residents living within an established residential parking permit area must submit applications for their vehicles.
