RPP FAQs

Although all annual current permits have printed expiration dates of either June 30, 2026 or July 1, 2026, your permit will not expire until your zone is called for renewal. To manage the transition as smoothly as possible, zones will be called in groups a month at a time, based on the grouping map. Enforcement will continue to accept FY2026 paper permits per each RPP zone’s transition schedule.

Yes, because this is a new permit management system, all users will need to create a new portal account, including a new username and password. Once your account is set up, you will be able to manage permits, visitor passes and other RPP-related activities through the online portal.

If you experience issues creating an account or logging in, you can call 703-228-3344 and request to speak with a representative. The system will route you from the automated assistant to County staff for assistance. You may also contact the RPP team by e-mail at park@arlingtonva.us for support.

No, you can have one account and choose to share account login information with others in your household to manage permits.

In urgent cases, RPP staff will be able to issue FY2026 paper permits or temporary passes until the electronic system is online. Please apply in-person at 2100 Clarendon Blvd, Lobby Welcome Desk.

Not all household addresses in the County are eligible to obtain RPP permits. Generally speaking, if the parking spaces in front of your property are subject to signs for RPP, you should be eligible to participate. If the system does not recognize your address and you think it should, email park@arlingtonva.us and we will investigate.

Like many government and County online systems, the Passport permit application site uses security protections designed to prevent fraudulent activity and unauthorized access. As part of these protections, application requests originating from outside the United States may be automatically flagged or blocked, which can prevent the site from functioning properly while you are traveling abroad.

If you need to submit a permit application while outside the country, you may be able to access the site through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that routes your connection through a U.S.-based location and authenticates your connection as local. This can help the system recognize the request as originating from within the United States.

If you continue to experience issues after connecting through a VPN, contact our support team for additional assistance.

Yes, if you have a valid permit in the system and there is a plate associated with it, there is a timestamped record of when that plate was applied to that permit and the permit expiration, and that record may be used to contest a ticket in court.

The upgraded RPP software collects less information about your vehicle than in the past. We no longer require make, model, year, or VIN, which also makes the application process faster. The system relies solely on the license plate number for permit activation and enforcement. License plate information from Enforcement is retained in accordance with Arlington County's approved records retention schedule and applicable state law.

A vehicle plate number is stored and associated with the RPP account, permit type, and the address of the permit. For vehicle-specific permits (formerly decals), the Commissioner of Revenue database is checked to ensure the vehicle is registered at the correct RPP address for personal property taxes. This is the same procedure as has been used in the past. No additional information about any vehicle or its owner is retrieved for, stored in, or associated with the RPP system. In other words, there is no way for RPP staff to access vehicle owner information for plates which are assigned by a customer to a Flex, Contractor, Landlord, GIAZ, School, Group Home, or Short Term Visitor permit.

No, once the transition to electronic permits is complete, no physical paper permits will be issued or required to be displayed on the vehicle.

Yes, you may purchase electronic permits in-person or via mail, however you will not receive a physical permit. Electronic permit means permits are active the instant they are paid for and associated with a plate number in the system.

If you need to adjust something (such as moving a FlexPass to a different vehicle or assigning a short-term pass to a visitor’s car) after you have purchased your permits in-person or through the mail, you should call or email RPP staff for assistance with the action on your account. We can also assist you in person during operating hours.

License plates must always be visible for vehicles parked on a street. If not possible, keep the covered car in off-street parking, if available.

As a reminder, service providers with a clearly-marked business logo on the side of the vehicle do not need a permit to park in an RPP zone. Caregivers with unmarked vehicles providing in-home medical or other support who frequently need to park in one or more RPP zones, often using a resident’s short-term passes or FlexPass, may be eligible for their own Good in All Zones permit. Please reach out to RPP staff for more information so we can find the best solution for your circumstances.

Every RPP eligible customer may purchase electronic visitor passes through their account. By connecting their visitor’s license plate number to a pass, the visitor will have an active pass associated with their vehicle. You may use a computer or mobile phone to access your online account. If you need help assigning a plate to a short term visitor pass, give us a call at 703-228-3344 or visit us in person at the Welcome Center during business hours. You may also email us ahead of time at park@arlingtonva.us, to get a short-term pass scheduled for later date (e.g., your friends are coming into town on Saturday, you email on Tuesday with the plate number and ask for the pass to be applied on Friday to cover the weekend.)

While assigning a digital visitor pass may take slightly longer than just handing someone a pre-printed paper permit, the overall process is often more efficient. With a paper pass, the resident must either be present or arrange to get the permit to the visitor, complete the permit by hand, walk to the vehicle (in any weather), and ensure it is properly displayed. A digital pass can be issued remotely in about a minute from any location with internet access, eliminating the need for a physical handoff and providing significantly greater convenience and flexibility. For many residents and visitors, this translates into overall time savings and a simpler user experience.

Short-term visitor passes cannot currently be scheduled in advance (the option is being evaluated for future implementation). If you have a series of visitors during an extended period, the pass would need to be assigned to each appropriate vehicle at the time it is needed. Assigning a visitor pass typically takes about a minute through the online portal.

The plates associated with passes are stored only in the Passport RPP permit system as part of permit history, and are only accessible by authorized system users of the County. There is no way for customers or staff to delete expired permit history at this time. 

What’s captured
When a resident issues a visitor parking pass, two pieces of information are logged: the visitor's license plate number and a timestamp marking when the pass was activated. This entry is made manually by the resident. The data footprint is intentionally limited to just those two fields.

Why this record is kept
This entry exists to support issuance of permits under RPP household permit limits, enforcement on the street by Public Safety Aides (PSAs), and citation dispute. If a citation is issued to that visitor vehicle and the resident disputes it, this record is the only way to confirm the pass was active at the relevant time. If these data were automatically cleared, there would be no way to verify or resolve that kind of dispute after the fact. The record is what makes the appeals process possible.

What we don’t do with this data
Neither the County nor the software vendor looks up vehicle owner identities tied to plates. We don’t combine collected information with any other personal data. It is not shared or sold, and it is restricted to the County's RPP permit record. It is used solely to support RPP permit issuance and, potentially, citation review connected to that resident’s own guest pass activity.

However, staff appreciate the desire for a way to clear plate histories from expired permits after a reasonable duration when all use cases are no longer applicable, and this is on the list for further exploration and development with the vendor.

Yes, visitor passes can be reassigned from one vehicle to another during the validity period.

The electronic FlexPass is a one-time purchase each year, just like today. You may assign the Flex to a specific vehicle license plate during the application process. You may switch the Flex to a different vehicle anytime by updating the license plate in the customer portal. Once you make the change, the Flex works right away for the new vehicle—no approval or waiting period needed. If you need help switching the Flex over to a new vehicle, just give us a call or an email or stop by the Welcome Center desk during office hours.

If a visitor to your home does not wish to have their plate entered into the system, they should plan to park in your driveway, park on non-RPP streets, or use a parking garage/lot. If you wish to use an RPP permit on their vehicle, the license plate number and state are required. No additional information about visitors is required or collected.

Prior to implementation, all Public Safety Aides (PSAs) received comprehensive training on the Passport enforcement platform. Day to day operations for enforcers are very similar to technologies they were already accustomed to. The technology is designed to support enforcement, not replace officer judgment.

The transition to electronic permits is intended to improve the efficiency of existing enforcement operations. By reducing the time required to verify permits, Public Safety Aides can spend more time actively enforcing parking regulations and less time manually checking permits. While staffing levels are not changing as part of this implementation, the technology is expected to improve productivity and allow officers to patrol more efficiently and respond more effectively to both proactive enforcement and resident requests.

The payment card processing fee is the fee that payment card processors charge the County for allowing us to take payments in that form. The County is passing through the payment card processing fee (3% online) to customers who pay by card, consistent with most procedures countywide. To avoid a payment card processing fee when paying online, e-check is available fee-free (for the customer) for online payments. Payments by cash (in-person only) and paper check (in person and mail only) will continue to be fee-free. Applications processed by mail may experience longer turnaround times for activation.

The duration of validity of permits has not changed with this system upgrade. Each permit is assigned a renewal period based on the type of permit and the date the permit is approved. Most permits are good for one year from approval, however contractor passes are good for three months. Short term passbooks, once purchased, have a “shelf life” of one year from date of approval, however, each pass is good for three consecutive days after activation by assigning it to a plate.

As part of the transition to the new electronic permit system, current permits will remain valid until your zone's scheduled renewal month. This means residents in zones that transition later will continue using their existing permits for a longer period before renewing. As a result, some customers may receive additional months of permit validity during the transition period. However, this is a temporary, one-time effect of the phased rollout.

Proration of permit fees was tied to the fixed annual renewal period, under which all permits expired on June 30. As a result, residents who moved in or needed to replace a permit after more than half of the permit year had elapsed were not required to pay the full annual fee. With the transition to electronic passes, physical replacements are no longer needed, and new residents will be able to apply for permits that are valid for a full year from the date their account is established. Accordingly, proration of permit fees is no longer necessary.

Each County project includes community engagement for the type of decision being made. In this case, the decision to move forward with the current software solution was informed by research from the last update to the RPP program in 2017-2020, several years of direct customer feedback on the most recent software interface, feedback form responses from RPP customers regarding needs and challenges, and considerations relating to cost and day-to-day operations.

Tenants who live at the property should apply for and manage the household’s residential RPP permits, including vehicle-specific permits, a FlexPass and short-term visitor passes. A non-resident property owner may separately apply for a Landlord Permit for use while visiting the property, with proof of ownership required.

RPP is a program established to make it easier for residents to park on public streets near their homes.

• Red and white “Permit Parking” street signs restrict parking to vehicles displaying a paper or electronic residential parking permit during the hours of restriction on the signs.
• Vehicles without a valid permit associated with their plate risk ticketing if parked during the posted hours on a restricted street.
• Motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles, electric power-assisted bicycles, motorized skateboards and motorized scooters may park in parking zones without displaying a permit.
• Drivers who are providing a service to the home may park in the zone without a permit if their vehicle is clearly marked with the name of a service provider (e.g., “XYZ Plumbing”).

RPP is an opt-in program, and each block of neighbors can choose whether to have permit parking or not. The County establishes RPP restrictions following processes described in the Residential Permit Parking Program Administrative Guidelines.

Not all household addresses in the County are eligible to obtain RPP permits. Generally speaking, if the parking spaces in front of your property are signed for RPP, you should be eligible to participate. If you are unsure about your eligibility, please contact the RPP Team via email at park@arlingtonva.us or by phone at 703-228-3344.

Once verified, customers must:

1. Complete a permit application for an RPP-eligible address.
2. Show proof of residency (Virginia Driver’s License, lease or mortgage document, utility bill, etc.) at the RPP address associated with the application.
3. Ensure the vehicle(s) are registered with the Commissioner of Revenue (for vehicle-specific permits) at the RPP address in question.

Non-resident property owners (landlords) must provide proof of ownership of the RPP property address in question (e.g. mortgage document; listing in Arlington County real estate assessment search, etc.) to be approved for a landlord permit.

See the Residential Permit Parking Program Administrative Guidelines under Quick Links on the right for organizational permit eligibility requirements.

The RPP program issues several types of permits: vehicle‑specific permits tied to a single vehicle; FlexPasses transferable between vehicles; Short‑term Visitor Passes; and Contractor Passes for unmarked contractor vehicles.

No permits in this program may be sold or transferred beyond the specific purposes for which they were issued. Residents found selling or transferring permits may forfeit receiving permits for the current and following year.

Vehicle-Specific Permits and FlexPasses

Vehicle-specific permits are valid for one year, for vehicles registered with the Arlington County Commissioner of Revenue at the zoned address.

The FlexPass is a permit valid for one year but may be used in any vehicle and transferred from one vehicle to another as needed.

If you have off-street parking in a driveway, garage or carport at your home, or if you live in a building or complex with a parking lot or garage, you will be able to obtain one (1) FlexPass and one (1) vehicle-specific permit OR two (2) vehicle-specific permits; this applies to most homes in the RPP program.

If you do not have a driveway, garage or carport at your home, or if you live in a building or complex with no off-street parking lot or garage, you will be able to obtain one (1) FlexPass and three (3) vehicle-specific permits OR four (4) vehicle-specific permits.

Household addresses are defined as dwellings or units recognized by the Department of Real Estate Assessments.

Short-Term Visitor Passes

Households may purchase up to five Short-Term Visitor Passbooks which are set up with 20 passes each, and each pass is valid up to 3 days. These passes are designed primarily to accommodate visiting friends and family. These passes may be purchased in advance and used on an as-needed basis. This option replicates the current paper Short-Term Passbook. In the future, staff will explore providing more flexibility with the digital short-term passes.

Landlord Permit

People who own residential property on a street with RPP restrictions, but don’t reside at the location, may apply for one Landlord Permit each year. The Landlord Permit allows the property owner to park on street near the zoned address for the purpose of conducting business concerning the property (of particular importance when renters at the address are using the driveway and/or garage already).

Contractor Permit

The Contractor Permit is a zone-specific temporary permit valid for three months which may be issued for use by contractors with unmarked vehicles, to either the resident who is having the contractor work done at the RPP eligible address or to the contractor who is working on an eligible residential premise within an RPP zone. The plate assigned to the permit is that of the contractor vehicle.

School Staff Permit

Employees of elementary, middle or high schools may be eligible for a vehicle- and zone-specific permit when 50% or more of the streets immediately abutting the school property have RPP restrictions on one or both sides. The number of permits per school is capped at the number of staff who regularly work at the school less the number of off-street parking spaces provided less the number of unrestricted parking spaces on the streets immediately abutting the school property. Permits are issued on a first-come-first-served basis in coordination with the school. See the Residential Permit Parking Program Administrative Guidelines under Quick Links on the right for more details about this permit type.

Group Home Staff Permit

One (1) annual vehicle- and zone-specific permit may be issued to employees of group homes within an RPP zone. See the Residential Permit Parking Program Administrative Guidelines under Quick Links on the right for more details about this permit type.

Good In All Zones (GIAZ)

This is a vehicle-specific permit issued to eligible health care workers and social workers (e.g., home-health aides, social workers, providers of at-home religious services, etc.) who conduct site visits across multiple homes in the County and therefore require short-term but repeat parking access in multiple RPP zones. The permits enable the workers to park on permit parking restricted blocks while serving residents on those blocks, without the households completely using up their short-term visitor passes. “Good in All Zones” permits may only be used while conducting business in permit parking areas. See the Residential Permit Parking Program Administrative Guidelines under Quick Links on the right for more details about this permit type.

Permit/Pass Prices

Residents who qualify for certain assistance programs may receive a 50% discount on the fee for each of the Vehicle Specific Permits, the FlexPass, the Short-Term-Visitor Pass books and the Landlord Pass. See FAQ “How do I get the discount for low-income households” below for details.

A first vehicle-specific permit will have equal value to a FlexPass (limit one per household) under the current escalating fee schedule for residential permit parking. A first vehicle permit costs $40; a second costs $55, for a total of $95. If you get a FlexPass as your first and only permit, it’s $40. But if you order a FlexPass after obtaining a $40 vehicle specific permit, the FlexPass costs $40 +$15, or $55. The $15 is the “tiered pricing fee” for the two-permit household. No matter what order you select or purchase these permits, the tiered pricing structure applies to the combination of all vehicle-specific permits and FlexPass issued to the household address.

If you believe you qualify and have supporting documents, you may apply online, or in-person at 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Welcome Center Desk Lobby Level, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we are unable to process discounted purchases by mail or over the phone.

For each annual permit renewal, residents desiring the low-income discount must show proof of qualification through participation in one or more of the following programs:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Women Infants, and Children (WIC)
• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
• SSDI Statement of Benefits
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Medicaid
• VA Veterans Pension Program

Acceptable proof of qualification for the 50% discount include:

• EBT Card
• Discounted utility bill dated in last 30 days
• SSI Statement of Benefits
• Medicaid Card
• Veterans Administration Benefit Summary Letter (sometimes known as an Award Letter).
• Other forms as accepted at County staff discretion. Note that submitting alternative forms of documentation may slow processing.

Paid RPP permits are not eligible for refund or exchange.

Residents do not need to request a replacement permit if a vehicle is sold, traded or stolen. You can easily switch your permit to a new vehicle in the electronic software system. Switching plates on a FlexPass require no approvals and are active instantly. If you switch your vehicle information on a vehicle specific permit, the request is routed to staff for approval to ensure registration of the vehicle with the Commissioner of Revenue at the RPP address for personal property tax.

Please see the Residential Permit Parking Program Administrative Guidelines under Quick Links on the right for details on the “petition” process.

If you believe that the County has incorrectly identified your home as having off-street parking in a driveway, garage or parking lot, you may request a review of your home’s parking.

The maximum number of permits that a household may obtain will not be changed because of the dimensions of the parking, the number of vehicles that a household owns, or because the parking has been converted to storage space or another use. Residents who share a common parking garage or parking lot will not be able to obtain more permits simply because management limits the number of spaces available per household or because of the cost of those parking spaces.

To request a review, please complete this form.

Taxicabs and company cars that are registered in Arlington County and to a zoned address are eligible to receive a Vehicle-Specific Permit.

Motorcycles and scooters may park in parking zones without a permit.

If you have a business vehicle, such as a contractor van or truck, that is not serving an RPP address but is housed at that RPP address, it requires an RPP permit to park on the street.

Obtaining feedback and ideas

Over the past few years, Arlington’s Residential Permit Parking (RPP) program has worked to enhance the customer experience. In 2024, a public feedback form gathered valuable insights from program participants. who received renewal packages. The form was also available via QR code and a link on the RPP website.

Who provided feedback

As 7,425 households participated in the RPP program, 134 people responded to the feedback form. Of those, 63% used the online form offered, while 37% submitted responses in paper format. In contrast, during the 2024 program year, 92% of households applied for materials exclusively online while only 8% applied by paper application. 

In terms of pass classification, about 93% of respondents said they purchased residential materials; about 6% said they purchased landlord passes. Less than 1% of respondents ordered a contractor or Good-In-All-Zones permit.

How people use and experience RPP service today

The questionnaire asked about payment type and program experiences. Participants were able to submit multiple choices in response to these questions. 

In terms of payment options, 47% of answers said they paid online by credit card, 33% paid by mailed check, and the remainder of answers involved in-person payment options. In contrast with actual system activity, during the 2024 program year 92% of households paid for materials exclusively online, and only 8% applied using a paper application, paying by either check, cash or credit card. 

Additionally, customers provided feedback on recently experienced program issues. In response, 52% of selections indicated delays receiving materials, 13% told of forgetting to display materials in/on the vehicle, 6% reported materials were stolen, and 6% reported materials were damaged. Another 23% of answers specified the category “Other,” and mentioned issues ranging widely from damage to vehicles to problems with system access.

Looking to the future

The Residential Permit Parking team is committed to enhancing the program experience by exploring new ways of doing business. Asked about which payment options respondents would like to see in the future, 52% of selections indicated a preference for online payment of some sort (credit card, check/bank transfer, and mobile wallet), while others liked continuing to be able to pay by mail via check (24%), and options for in-person service at the Bozman building (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Preferences for future payment options

We also asked participants their preferences for future features of the system/program. Here, the top three answers were “Renewal Without Re-entry of Information” at 33%; followed by “Instant Fulfillment of Permit Materials” at 23%; and “Improved Parking Enforcement” at 20% (see Figure 2).   

Figure 2: Preferences for future program features

Responding to feedback

Since most customers purchase vehicle-specific permits annually, and feedback form responses indicated that many wanted access to their historical vehicle data without having to re-enter it, we took action in fall 2024 to enhance the user experience by implementing a new feature in the customer portal allowing applicants to seamlessly re-populate their previous year's vehicle information. This simplifies the application process for return customers, reducing manual entry and making permit renewals more efficient and user-friendly.

As we move forward managing the program, staff are also looking at how best to implement:

• instant fulfillment of parking materials (to eliminate delays)
• using technology to improve RPP enforcement (to improve the on-street experience)
• flexible, individualized application periods (to reduce peak demands on staff that can contribute to customer service challenges)
• digitization of permits (to help to achieve goals above)
• expanding online payment options to include e-check and mobile wallet options (making payment even easier).

We appreciate your willingness to provide input to help us manage a more efficient, user-friendly and modern RPP system.