Anaheim, CA Parking Rules: Preferential Parking Districts (2026)

Anaheim's residential permit parking program runs under the authority of California Vehicle Code Section 22507, which lets cities restrict street parking to permit holders. Section 14.32.450.010 designates every public residential street in the city as eligible for inclusion in a district, but a district is not automatically permit-only: under .020, the Director of Public Works or a designee only creates one after a petition and survey process in which at least seventy-five percent of eligible residents affirmatively vote for permit-only parking, following the City's Residential Permit Parking Guidelines.

Once a district exists, permits are issued per residence based on bedroom count under .0401: two or fewer bedrooms earn one permit, three to four bedrooms earn two, and five or more bedrooms earn three, with three permits as the per-residence cap. An applicant must show residency and current vehicle registration at the address, plus insufficient on-site parking, and pay the Council-set permit fee. A permit can be transferred to a replacement vehicle once every twelve months, and a residence can request up to one hundred one-day guest permits per year, with more allowed for extraordinary events at the Director's discretion. Permits run for up to two years or until the resident moves or the district is dissolved, whichever comes first.

The section separately bans selling, renting, or leasing a permit, or buying one, and bans moving trash and recycling bins to grab a parking space in a permit district. No permit is ever issued for a tractor, trailer, recreational vehicle, or other towable trailer under subsection .100, so those vehicles cannot use the residential permit system to park long-term on a restricted street.