Oakland’s transportation department will resume enforcement of residential permit parking areas for the first time since the county shelter-in-place order was announced in March, beginning on February 1.

The city resumed issuing parking tickets for street sweeping violations in November, but Oaklanders were allowed at the time to continue parking in residential areas requiring a permit, whether or not they had one, without fear of being ticketed.

Beginning Monday, residents and visitors parked in areas requiring a residential permit will be subject to a on-time, no-penalty warning citation. After that, regular tickets with monetary fines will be issued.

There are 17 residential permit parking (RPP) areas located throughout the city, excluding most of East Oakland. If you are unsure whether you live in or frequently park in a RPP zone, you can find out by looking up any address on the city’s website to see if a permit is required. 

The city of Oakland’s public information officer, Sean Maher, told The Oaklandside in an email that the city’s goal is to provide ample information about parking enforcement to help residents avoid getting actual citations. “Our goal is parking compliance, not penalties for our neighbors,” he said. 

Vehicle owners who want to renew or apply for a residential parking permit can do so online here. Applications can also be downloaded and submitted via mail or in person at the city’s Parking Citation and Assistance Center, located downtown at 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 360. The center is open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Residents who believe they received a parking ticket in error can contest a citation within 21 days from the date it was issued. Here’s how:

Online:  Fill out the Administrative Review Request Form. You can upload up to three documents or photos to validate your request.

By mail: Print and fill out the contest form, and mail it to Parking Citation Assistance Center, 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 6300, Oakland, CA 94612

By phone: Call 1-800-500-6484 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m, or on Wednesday between 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The city offers assistance in English, Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

By fax: Print and fill out the contest form, and send it to: 510-986-2699

In-person (limited services due to COVID): Visit the city’s Parking Citation Assistance Center, located at 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 6300, Oakland, CA 94612

Visitors must wear a mask at all times while inside the building. Security staff in the lobby will administer a temperature check prior to being allowed in. Only those looking for help contesting the following will be allowed into the center: boot returns, parking citation payments, and parking citation challenges.

The office is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m

Azucena Rasilla headshot

Azucena Rasilla is a bilingual journalist from East Oakland reporting in Spanish and in English, and a longtime reporter on Oakland arts, culture and community. As an independent local journalist, she has reported for KQED Arts, The Bold Italic, Zora and The San Francisco Chronicle. She was a writer and social media editor for the East Bay Express, helping readers navigate Oakland’s rich artistic and creative landscapes through a wide range of innovative digital approaches.