Union City, CA Parking Rules: Preferential Parking Districts (2026)

Union City Municipal Code § 10.38.010 sets out how a permit-only parking area comes into existence. The starting point is a resolution of the City Council. That resolution can be initiated by citizen petition or by the City itself. Residents have a direct route to ask for permit parking, but the decision to designate belongs to the Council.

The resolution must designate and describe the place being restricted. The section reaches any street or portion thereof, so the Council can restrict part of a street and leave the remainder open. It also reaches any parking facility operated by the City, which means the permit program is not limited to curbside spaces.

The restriction covers parking and standing alike. In a designated location, each is restricted to vehicles displaying a parking permit issued by the City. The permit has to be displayed on the vehicle, and it has to be issued by the City.

Once a resolution is adopted, the City Traffic Engineer has a mandatory duty. The section says the Traffic Engineer shall erect and maintain appropriate signs on the streets or portions affected by the restriction. The duty covers putting the signs up and keeping them in place afterward.

Neighboring sections complete the program. Once a location is posted, § 10.38.020 makes it unlawful to park there without a displayed City-issued permit. Section 10.38.030 is a separate rule aimed at abuse of the permits themselves. It bars forging, altering, or transferring a permit, and it bars using a permit to dodge time limits in a preferential residential parking permit area. Section 10.38.040 identifies the legal footing for the chapter, which is enacted under California Vehicle Code § 22507.