Burlington, NC Parking Rules: Preferential Parking Districts (2026)

Section 36-146 creates Burlington's residential parking permit program so residents of a restricted no-parking area can still get on-street parking near their own homes. The city council designates a controlled residential parking area only after the traffic commission and engineering department confirm it covers at least five continuous block faces abutted mainly by residentially zoned property, or is a contiguous expansion of an existing district, and only after residents from at least seventy percent of the living units in each block sign a petition presented to the traffic commission.

Once designated, residents get one free decal per vehicle they principally operate; the police department verifies the address using a current vehicle registration, utility bill, notarized landlord affidavit, lease or driver's license, and records the vehicle's license number on the decal. Replacement decals cost a fee set by the city council, decals cannot transfer between vehicles, and each resident receives two annual guest passes with no replacement for lost ones. Permits run on the city's fiscal year, expiring every June 30. Signs mark the restricted no-parking hours, typically 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on school days in session.

Displaying a decal on a vehicle with a different license number than the one recorded, or falsely claiming eligibility, violates the Code, and the police department can revoke a violator's permit and require it be surrendered to the revenue collector.