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Salt Lake County, UT Parking Rules: Preferential Parking Districts (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
County Code §11.26.010
Petition threshold
51% of area addresses
Study application fee
$25.00
Permit fee
$10.00 (up to 2 per address)
Unpermitted parking
Infraction
Fraud/counterfeiting
Class B misdemeanor
Applies to
Unincorporated county residential areas

Summary

Salt Lake County Code §11.26.010 lets residents in the unincorporated county petition the county council to designate their neighborhood a permit-only, on-street parking area, reserving curb space for people who live or own property there. Fifty-one percent of the area's addresses must sign the petition before the county council will hold a hearing.

City-specific rules exist: Salt Lake City, and Sandy have their own preferential parking districts rules that differ from Salt Lake County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

The county council of Salt Lake County has determined that certain residential areas in the unincorporated portions of Salt Lake County suffer from undue pressures for street parking by persons who do not own residences nor live within said areas. ... It is the intent of the county council of Salt Lake County to establish designated areas within the unincorporated area of Salt Lake County that are set aside as areas wherein on-street parking is permitted only of vehicles owned or controlled by residents living within the designated areas.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 49).

Full Breakdown

010 is to relieve "undue pressures for street parking by persons who do not own residences nor live within" certain unincorporated residential areas, by designating streets where on-street parking is permitted only to vehicles owned or controlled by residents of that area. 00 application fee. The county division of engineering has thirty days to study the request, covering existing parking usage, peak and off-peak occupancy, and traffic patterns, before forwarding a recommendation to the county council, which must schedule a public hearing within thirty days of receiving that study; notice goes out by mail to every address in the petition and by newspaper publication at least four days beforehand.

If the council votes no, no new petition covering any of the same area may be filed for a year. 50 for a term under one week), plus up to twenty one-day permits, in a different color, for a single event like a wedding or party. 00 administrative fee with no refund for the lost permit. 190(B) through (D).

Violations & Fines

Parking in a designated permit area without displaying a valid permit is an infraction under §11.26.190(A). Falsely claiming eligibility for a permit, or providing false information on an application, is a Class B misdemeanor under §11.26.190(B). Counterfeiting, copying, or altering a permit to extend its term or change the address it applies to is likewise a Class B misdemeanor under §11.26.190(C)-(D). A citation can be defended at a hearing by producing a valid, unshown permit for a $25.00 administrative fee under §11.26.140.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do residents get a preferential parking district created?
A petition signed by at least fifty-one percent of the addresses in the proposed area, along with a surveyor-prepared boundary map and a $25.00 fee, goes to the county's division of engineering under §11.26.040. Engineering studies the area for thirty days, then the county council holds a public hearing before voting on whether to establish the district.
How many parking permits can one household get?
Up to two regular permits per address under §11.26.090, each costing a $10.00 application fee, plus as many as twenty one-day permits in a different color for a single event such as a party or wedding reception, issued under the same section.
What happens if I park in a permit area without a permit?
It's an infraction under §11.26.190(A), punished according to state statute. If you actually held a valid permit but simply failed to display it, you can raise that as a defense at a hearing by producing the permit and paying a $25.00 administrative fee under §11.26.140.
What if I lie to get a permit or fake one?
Both are treated far more seriously than a parking ticket: furnishing false information to qualify for a permit, and producing a counterfeit or altered permit, are each charged as a Class B misdemeanor under §11.26.190(B) through (D), not a civil infraction.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Salt Lake County

All Salt Lake County rules

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