Contra Costa County, CA Parking Rules: Preferential Parking Districts (2026)
Key Facts
- Legal basis
- Veh. Code SS22507, 22507.2; Ord. Code Ch. 46-10
- Petition threshold
- Half of adult residents, half of units
- Permit fee
- $10 first vehicle, $5 each additional
- Permit cap
- 4 per address, more if justified
- Non-permit limit
- 4 hours max during posted times
- Appeal window
- 10 days, $10 fee, to Board of Supervisors
Summary
Contra Costa County lets residents of unincorporated neighborhoods petition the public works director for a preferential (permit) parking district under Chapter 46-10 when nonresident long-term parking crowds their streets. Once the Board of Supervisors designates an area by resolution, only vehicles displaying a $10 first-vehicle county permit may park there past the posted time limit; everyone else is capped at four hours.
46-10.202 - Intent, purpose and authority. This chapter sets forth procedures, pursuant to Vehicle Code Sections 22507 and 22507.2, for the establishment of permit-parking areas within the unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County in order to alleviate, in certain areas and neighborhoods, motor vehicle congestion caused by long-term parking by nonresidents of those areas and neighborhoods. In order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of residents and merchants of areas and neighborhoods affected by long-term parking and to protect and promote the integrity of these areas and neighborhoods, it is necessary to establish the procedures herein. 46-10.1402 - Violation. (a) Parking. No person shall stand or park a motor vehicle without a current permit properly displayed, on a street within the permit-parking area for more than four hours during the effective times and days of the permit parking system.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Ordinance Code: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 46-10 of the county's Ordinance Code, adopted by Ordinance 81-69 under Vehicle Code Sections 22507 and 22507.2, authorizes preferential (permit) parking districts on unincorporated county streets to fight congestion from nonresident long-term parkers. To start one, at least half of the adult residents representing at least half of the residential units on a street must sign a petition to the public works director, who studies factors like how much on-street parking nonresidents versus residents occupy and whether off-street parking can absorb resident vehicles (Sections 46-10.604, 46-10.606, 46-10.802). The director reports findings and a recommended boundary and time restriction to the Board of Supervisors, which may designate the area by resolution with or without a hearing (Sections 46-10.804, 46-10.806).
Once designated, the director issues permits to residents, capped at four per address unless more than four licensed drivers with four registered vehicles live there, for a $10 fee for the first vehicle and $5 for each additional vehicle, nonrefundable and valid for the calendar year unless the designating resolution says otherwise (Sections 46-10.1002, 46-10.1004, 46-10.1008). Permits must be displayed on the dashboard, visible through the windshield or rear window, or as a decal on the left rear bumper (Section 46-10.1010). Emergency, delivery, utility and disabled-placarded vehicles are exempt, and the first ten days after notice signs go up carry no restrictions (Sections 46-10.1602 through 46-10.1608). A denied or revoked permit can be appealed to the Board of Supervisors within ten days for a $10 fee (Section 46-10.1802).
Violations & Fines
Parking more than four hours in a permit area without a properly displayed current permit violates Section 46-10.1402(a). The same section bans furnishing false residency information, using a permit on a vehicle other than the one it was issued for, counterfeiting a permit, or knowingly displaying a fake one to dodge the time limit; aiding another person to do any of these is also independently punishable once the area's notice signs have been up.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a neighborhood get a preferential parking district in unincorporated Contra Costa County?
How much does a resident parking permit cost?
Can I park without a permit in a preferential parking area?
What happens if my permit is denied or revoked?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Contra Costa County
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