Albuquerque, NM Parking Rules: Preferential Parking Districts (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- ROA 1994 § 8-5-1-4(B)
- Who approves
- Mayor proposes; City Council must approve
- Public input
- At least one community meeting required
- Pilot option
- DMD may create pilot permit areas
- Fine for violation
- $30 under § 8-1-3-99(B)(1)
- Cost recovery
- Residents may be charged program costs
Summary
Albuquerque lets the Mayor create residential parking permit districts on streets where on-street parking is scarce, issuing permits only to area residents. Before any district takes effect the city must hold at least one public meeting, and the City Council must approve the Mayor's executive communication, so a permit area cannot appear overnight.
(B) (1) The Mayor, or Mayor's designee, may establish residential permit parking areas and issue permits to residents of the area subject to regulations established by the Mayor or Mayor's designee that, at a minimum, consider the following: (a) The demand for on-street parking on the affected streets relative to the parking availability, and parking needs of the residents; (b) The relative value of on-street parking for non-area residents to allow access to community amenities and resources balanced against any significant impacts on the area residents that may justify the need for parking limitations or restrictions; and (c) Economic Development, and support for community commerce. (2) At least one community meeting shall be held for area residents and members of the general public to voice concerns and considerations about a proposed residential parking by permit area; and (3) The Mayor shall submit an executive communication to the City Council for its approval of each instance of the establishment of a new residential parking by permit area designation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-95: Current through Ordinance 2026-010, passed 4-6-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 8-5-1-4 covers stopping, standing, or parking prohibited within certain hours by signs, and subsection (B) is the mechanism the city uses to carve out residential permit parking. The Mayor or the Mayor's designee sets the district's rules, but the code requires those rules to weigh three factors at a minimum: the demand for on-street parking on the affected streets against actual availability and resident need; the value of that on-street parking to non-resident visitors seeking access to nearby community amenities and businesses, weighed against the impact on residents; and support for economic development and community commerce.
The process is not purely administrative. Subsection (B)(2) requires at least one community meeting where area residents and the general public can raise concerns about a proposed district before it is created. Subsection (B)(3) then requires the Mayor to submit an executive communication to the City Council, and the district only becomes effective once the Council approves that communication, a legislative check placed on top of the Mayor's administrative authority. Subsection (C) additionally lets permit parking be created on a pilot basis, or by the Department of Municipal Development, to resolve special circumstances affecting an area, giving the city a faster tool short of a full permanent district.
Once a district exists, the underlying prohibition in subsection (A) means no one may stop, stand, or park during the posted hours without a valid permit, and subsection (B)(4) lets the city require residents, entities, or events that trigger the need for a permit area to help cover its direct and indirect costs.
Violations & Fines
Parking without a valid permit during the posted hours in a permit district is enforced the same as any other signed parking restriction under § 8-5-1-4(A): a fine set by the Traffic Code schedule at § 8-1-3-99(B)(1), which lists a $30 fine specifically for § 8-5-1-4. Repeat violations can also trigger towing under the city's separate vehicle-removal authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a neighborhood get a residential parking permit district in Albuquerque?
Can I park in a permit district without a permit?
Who pays for a residential parking permit program?
Can the city create a temporary permit parking area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albuquerque
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