San Antonio, TX Parking Rules: Preferential Parking Districts (2026)
Key Facts
- Petition threshold
- 60% of block addresses must sign
- Designation criteria
- 60% occupancy, 25% commuter vehicles
- Petition fee
- $50, nonrefundable
- Annual permit
- $10 each, up to 4 per address
- Temporary permit
- $1 each, up to 20 per event
- Administered by
- Center City Development Office
Summary
San Antonio lets residents petition the Center City Development Office to create a resident-only parking permit zone under City Code Sec. 19-433 when at least 60 percent of curbside spaces are occupied and 25 percent of those cars belong to commuters. Annual permits cost $10, and the petition itself carries a nonrefundable $50 fee.
(a)For purposes of this article, a "chronic commuter-parking problem" encompasses commuter curbside-parking at the same hours and on the same days, but does not include parking for events that, by their nature, are likely to occur less frequently than monthly.(b)In carrying out the functions assigned by this article, the parking official shall consult with and obtain the concurrence of the senior engineer.(c)The director must develop forms and procedures for carrying out the provisions of this article and must set and post on the city's website a schedule of all fees to be charged for permits under this article.
Full Breakdown
San Antonio Code of Ordinances Article XII, Sec. 19-433 through Sec. 19-442, sets up the city's resident-only parking permit program, run out of the Center City Development Office. A petition to create a zone must cover at least both sides of one block, or one blockface if only that side is residential, and needs signatures from at least 60 percent of the addresses in the segment (Sec. 19-434). The city then runs a parking survey to confirm two thresholds required for designation under Sec. 19-436: at least 60 percent of curbside spaces occupied by vehicles, and at least 25 percent of those occupied spaces belonging to commuter vehicles rather than residents, the 'chronic commuter-parking problem' defined in Sec.
19-432. If the survey confirms the problem, the parking official and senior traffic engineer draft restricted hours and days, then the director must hold a public hearing with mailed notice sent at least 10 days out to every address within, and within 200 feet of, the proposed zone (Sec. 19-438). Only the city council can formally designate or dedesignate a zone, and it is never bound to approve a petition even if the numeric thresholds are met (Sec. 19-440). Sec. 19-437 sets the fee schedule: the petition itself costs a nonrefundable $50, charged even if the area fails to qualify.
Once designated, an address may buy up to four annual resident permits at $10 each, good for one year and renewable, plus up to 20 one-day temporary passes at $1 each for visitors or events. A permit issued under this article does not excuse compliance with any other parking law, including meter payment or disabled-parking restrictions (Sec. 19-442).
Violations & Fines
The article sets no separate criminal penalty for parking without a valid permit in a designated zone; enforcement runs through the city's standard parking-citation process once signs posting the restricted hours are in place. A petition covering the same residential segment that city council has already denied cannot be resubmitted for 12 calendar months under Sec. 19-434(a).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides whether my street gets resident-only parking?
How many parking permits can one address get?
What has to be true before the city will even study my block?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Antonio
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