Woodland, CA Parking Rules: Preferential Parking Districts (2026)

Woodland Municipal Code § 10.08.210 lets the City Council create a preferential parking area only after the Traffic Engineer's survey shows commuter vehicles adversely affect a residential street for an extended period during the day, night, weekends, or holidays. The Traffic Engineer weighs residents' desire for permits, how much legal curb space commuters occupy, whether parked vehicles are commuters rather than residents or customers, and whether off-street parking can absorb the demand. A feasibility study can start on the Council's or Traffic Engineer's own motion or on petition, but a permit-issuing agent located in or near the proposed district must be identified before the study begins.

Once the Traffic Engineer recommends a district, the City Council holds a noticed public hearing; notice must run in a local newspaper at least 10 days beforehand and states the boundaries and any proposed permit fee. If a majority of residents protest, the Council needs a two-thirds vote to override the protest and still create the district. Once created by resolution, the Police Department (or its designated permit-issuing agent) issues resident permits under Woodland Municipal Code § 10.08.220, exempting displayed vehicles from posted time limits.

Visitors can get a temporary permit valid up to 14 days or an annual permit valid one year, and nonresident commuter permits are available only where the Council's resolution specifically authorizes them. Fees for both districts and permits are set by City Council resolution, not fixed in the code itself. Violating the posted regulations is an infraction fined under the Municipal Court's schedule; falsifying a permit application, letting someone else use your permit, or forging a counterfeit permit is a separate violation punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both.