Alexandria, VA Parking Rules: Overnight Parking (2026)
Key Facts
- Restricted hours
- midnight to 6:00 a.m.
- Minimum district size
- 200 on-street spaces
- Petition threshold
- 66-2/3% of abutting occupants
- Survey threshold to qualify
- 25%+ unregistered vehicles
- Zoning requirement
- 100% residential
Summary
City Code § 5-8-82 lets Alexandria post 'restricted overnight parking district' signs banning any vehicle not registered with the city, and without a guest or visitor permit, from parking on that block between midnight and 6:00 a.m. Districts must be entirely residential and cannot overlap an existing permit parking district.
(a) Prohibited parking. It shall be unlawful for any person to park a motor vehicle within any block face which is posted with one or more restricted overnight parking district signs contrary to any of the conditions set forth on the sign, unless the vehicle is registered with the city pursuant to section 3-2-229 of this code, or the vehicle has been issued a guest or visitor permit pursuant to this section. (b) Parking restrictions. Restricted overnight parking district signs shall prohibit parking by motor vehicles which are not registered with the city pursuant to section 3-2-229 of this code, unless the vehicle has been issued a guest or visitor permit pursuant to this section, during the posted overnight hours between 12 midnight and 6:00 a.m. the following morning.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 156 | Zoning: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
unless the vehicle is registered with the city under § 3-2-229 or holds a guest or visitor permit. Establishing a district requires: the area be zoned entirely residential; no overlap with an existing residential permit parking district; a minimum of 200 on-street spaces; and a petition signed by at least 66 and two-thirds percent of occupants of the abutting residential properties, filed with the city manager. Once a qualifying petition is filed, the city manager surveys on-street parking on a weeknight (not Friday, Saturday or Sunday) during the restricted hours; if at least 25 percent of parked vehicles are not city-registered, the petition goes to the traffic and parking board for a public hearing and recommendation.
The city manager then decides whether to establish the district, weighing off-street parking availability, congestion, geography, spillover effects on surrounding areas, and other relevant factors. Section 5-8-82(d) directs the city manager to provide convenient issuance of guest and visitor permits for use inside a restricted overnight district. Section 5-8-82(e) applies the rest of Article F's establishment, procedure, penalty and enforcement provisions to overnight districts.
Violations & Fines
Parking an unregistered, unpermitted vehicle in a posted restricted overnight parking district between midnight and 6:00 a.m. is unlawful under § 5-8-82(a) and results in a parking citation. Because § 5-8-82(e) incorporates the rest of Article F, misuse of a guest or visitor permit, such as displaying it on the wrong vehicle or after it no longer qualifies, triggers the $250 fine set by § 5-8-80 and voids the permit immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park overnight on an Alexandria street without a permit?
How does a neighborhood get a restricted overnight parking district in Alexandria?
What vehicles are exempt from Alexandria's overnight parking restrictions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alexandria
How Alexandria compares: Cities with the Strictest Overnight Parking Rules·Compare Alexandria to another location·View the Virginia parking rules overview
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