Albany, NY Parking Rules: Street Parking Limits (2026)

Albany runs a Residential Parking Permit System under Article VIII of Chapter 359, adopted using authority the state granted the city at Section 1640-e of the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law. on weekdays, holidays excepted, unless the vehicle is issued a valid permit. Enforcement is more automated than people expect: section 359-75(B) states that valid residential permit status is checked via the license plate of the permitted vehicle, so the permit works by registration rather than purely by what sits on the windshield. Permits are issued by the City Clerk under section 359-76.

A resident or a business or property owner who meets the requirements receives one permit for each vehicle registered in the applicant name, and resident permits are vehicle-specific, non-transferable, and must be removed if the vehicle is sold, leased, or otherwise leaves the permittee custody. Businesses get a flat allowance rather than a headcount-based one: three business employee permits may be issued to a business or property owner at any time, without regard to the number of employees or whether the business has off-street parking.

Permits may not be assigned from one person to another, though a holder may transfer one to another vehicle owner by applying to the City Clerk, and a damaged permit is replaced on application, with the Clerk entitled to require display of the damaged permit first. Separately from the permit system, section 359-21 provides that parking limits across the city are designated by the Chief of the Department of Police and shown through official signs, except in areas where parking meters are installed; and where alternate side of the street parking is instituted on a street with on-street parking on one side only, the Chief must designate a one-hour changeover window so drivers can move across and stay compliant.