Fort Collins, CO Parking Rules: Preferential Parking Districts (2026)

Article V of Chapter 24, Sections 24-171 through 24-177, creates the Residential Parking Permit Zone Program within a specific mapped Residential Parking Permit Management Area east and northeast of downtown. Section 24-172 states the purpose is to reduce unnecessary vehicle travel, noise, pollution and hazardous traffic, protect residents' access to their property, and preserve the residential character and property values of the neighborhood. Under Section 24-173, the City Manager can start the process on a public-interest finding or after receiving a petition from at least ten adult residents of a neighborhood inside the management area, then studies factors like how many parked vehicles belong to nonresidents and how occupied the spaces are during working hours.

Section 24-174 requires a property-owner vote before a zone is established: only property owners within the proposed zone may vote, each owner gets one vote regardless of how many parcels they own, at least half of all owners must vote or the zone fails, and at least half of those voting must favor the zone, though the vote result is advisory and not binding on the City Manager. 5; permitted vehicles are exempt from the zone's posted time limits. Section 24-176(f) allows service providers working in the zone to get temporary permits at no cost, and Section 24-176(g) makes it unlawful to misrepresent eligibility or submit false information on a permit application.