Parking Permits

The Residential Parking Permit Program

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) manages the Residential Parking Permit (RPP) program. The program issues digital or paper permits to vehicles meeting the requirements for parking within the RPP.

Residents renew permits annually at a cost of $20 each. For information, residents can call 855-510-3995 or go to the website montgomerycounty.digitalpermits.com. Residents can also visit either of two parking store locations:

Location #1: Silver Spring, 801 Ellsworth Drive, between the  hours of 7:30 am and 4:00 pm. Phone 240-777-8744.

Location #2: Bethesda, 4720 Cheltenham Drive, between the hours of 7:30 am and 4:00 pm. Phone 240-777-8770.

Residential Permit

Residential permits are issued to residents who reside at an address within the permit area. The resident must live at the address in order to apply.

For new residents that have moved to an area within a RPP zone or have plates registered to a different address the County will issue a Temporary 30 Day New Resident Permit. If the vehicle registration is not changed after 30 days, the vehicle is subject to enforcement action. This type of permit is only granted once per vehicle.

Visitor Permit

Visitor permits are issued to residents that live within a permit area so visitors, guests, family, etc. can park on the street while visiting the household. Residents apply for one visitor permit per household. This permit will be active for one year and may be assigned to a car for up to 7 days. If a guest needs the permit beyond 7 days, the resident must assign the permit again.   

Contractor Permit

Contractors needing to park within an RPP zone for multiple days must set up an account and apply for a contractor permit.

Employee Permit

Residents can apply for permits for household employees, such as a nanny, live-in nurse, or a caregiver.

Student Permit

College students that attend a college/university within a 50 mile radius of Montgomery County and that live with a family within a RPP zone can apply for a Student Permit.

Military/Government Permit

Military/Government permits are valid for members of the military or government to park on the street without having to change a car’s registration. Employees of the State Department, embassies, etc., may apply for this type of permit.

Reporting Parking Violations

If you see an illegally parked car, you can report the vehicle, as follows:

• For daytime enforcement, please contact The Division of Parking Management at 240-777-8740, between 8am – 4pm Monday through Friday.

• For evening and weekend enforcement, please contact the Police Department at the non-emergency number at 301-279-8000.

How to Establish and Implement a Residential Parking Permit Zone

The following information will be useful for residents that want to establish a Residential Permit Parking Zone.

The process to establish a Residential Permit Parking area is:

• Submit a written request (from residents/or the civic association) to the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) requesting establishment of a parking permit area. Written request must include a petition indicating concurrence of at least two-thirds of the houses of each initial block that desires permit parking.

• MCDOT evaluates the request to confirm that all criteria have been met, establishes the boundaries of the proposed permit area, and then notifies the civic association its recommendations.

• Public hearing fee of $250 is received from the civic association. MCDOT schedules a public hearing.

• The County Executive issues a written decision following submission of the hearing record.

• The entire process takes approximately eight months to one year.

The process to implement permanent parking regulations once a zone has been established is:

• Residents of a block who desire inclusion in the residential permit parking program need to submit a petition to MCDOT. The petition should indicate that two thirds of a block’s residents are in favor of having signs installed on their block and buying permits. (Only one signature per household is valid.)

• MCDOT evaluates to confirm that all criteria have been met and then notifies the civic association of the outcome.

• Once approved, the appropriate signs are installed and permits are issued to residents requesting such.

To learn more about how to establish a residential parking permit zone in your area follow this link.