Residential Permit Parking

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 County-issued permit or pass during the hours of restriction on the signs.
• Drivers without a County-issued permit or pass risk ticketing if parked during the posted hours on a street with restrictions.
• Motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles, electric power-assisted bicycles, motorized skateboards and motorized scooters may park in parking zones without displaying a permit or pass.
• Drivers who are providing a service to the home may park without displaying a permit or pass 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, found in the Quick Links on this page.

Not all household addresses in the County are eligible to obtain RPP permits and passes. Before applying, verify that your address is eligible for permit parking.

Once verified, customers must

1. Complete online an RPP program application for an RPP eligible address.
2. Show proof of residency (Virginia Driver’s License, lease or mortgage document, utility bill, etc.) for the RPP address 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 valid proof of property ownership for the RPP address in question (e.g. mortgage document; listing in Arlington County property search) to receive a landlord pass.

See administrative guidelines in the Quick Links section for organizational permit eligibility requirements.

The Portal is your dashboard for managing your RPP permit materials. With a Portal account, you can see all permits you have applied for and the status in terms of approval and payment. You may also order more permits or passes.

If you are applying for the first time, select “Apply Here” to start the application process. After successfully applying for a first permit, you may set up your Portal account.

When you set up a Portal account, you can connect an existing permit account to that dashboard so you can see them in one place. If you have already established a Portal account and connected it to a permit account, login to your Portal to purchase new permits or passes.

The RPP program provides access to vehicle-specific permits, FlexPasses, Short-term Visitor Passes and Contractor Passes. The program can  also issue temporary passes after payment has been received and while a resident waits to receive their official permits.

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

Vehicle-specific permits are stickers placed on the driver’s-side bumper of the vehicle. The vehicles must be registered with the Arlington County Commissioner of Revenue at the zoned address.

The FlexPass is a dashboard placard that can be used in either a resident or guest’s vehicle. The FlexPass is specific to the household and displays the zone number and household address. FlexPasses are renewed annually.

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 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.

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

Short-Term Visitor Passes

Residents may give a FlexPass or Short-Term Visitor Pass to their guests, allowing them to park on a street during the hours of RPP restrictions. Short-Term Visitor Passes are placed face-up on the dashboard. Residents fill in the circles and write the dates for which the pass is effective. Each pass is valid for up to three consecutive days. Short-term visitor passes are sold in books of 20 and each household may obtain up to five books per year.

Landlord Passes

People who own real estate on street with RPP restrictions, but don’t reside at that location, may apply for one Landlord Pass each year. The Landlord Pass is a placard displayed on the dashboard that allows the owner to park at the zoned address for the purpose of conducting business concerning the property.

Contractor Passes

The Contractor Pass is a zone-specific temporary dashboard placard valid for three months which may be issued for contractors, to either the resident who is having contractor work done at the RPP eligible address or to the contractor who is working on a premise within an RPP zone.

School Staff Permit

One (1) annual vehicle and zone-specific permit may be issued to employees of elementary, middle, or high schools 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 (Figure 4). Permits will be issued on a first-come-first-served basis. When applying for the permit, employees must provide a signed employer confirmation form as proof of eligibility.

Group Home Staff Permit

One (1) annual vehicle and zone-specific permit may be issued to employees of group homes within an RPP zone. When applying for the permit, employees must provide a signed employer confirmation form as proof of eligibility.

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 multiple site visits to multiple homes in the County. The permits enable the workers to park on permit parking restricted blocks while serving residents on those blocks. “Good in All Zones” permits may only be used while conducting business in permit parking areas. Vehicles belonging to individuals not providing a service are subject to ticketing and the individuals issued the permit having their privileges suspended. When applying for the permit, employees must provide a signed employer confirmation form as proof of eligibility.

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. In order to qualify, residents must show proof of qualification for one or more of the following programs:

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

No. They are considered a vehicle-specific permit and are the same price as a decal. See price list in this FAQ.

A first vehicle-specific decal will have equal value to a FlexPass (limit one per household) under the current 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 vehicle-specific decal after obtaining a $40 FlexPass, the decal costs $55, which includes a $15 fee for “conversion” to a two-permit household. The same is true if you order a decal for $40 first and later a FlexPass. That FlexPass order will include the $15 conversion fee.

If you believe you qualify and have supporting documents, you may apply online at http://rppp.arlingtonva.us or in-person at 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 214 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.

No less often than once per fiscal year, residents must show proof of qualification for 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 and passes are not eligible for refund or exchange.

Residents can make a request for a replacement permit when a vehicle is sold, traded or stolen, or if permit materials are damaged or lost. 

The County replaces FlexPasses and Landlord Passes only in limited circumstances to discourage residents from giving or selling their FlexPasses to people who do not live or are not visiting a home in an RPP zone.

Residents may receive replacement passes and permits at no charge in the following situations:

• The permit/pass or vehicle with the permit/pass is stolen (a police report must be submitted).
• The vehicle is totaled or the rear bumper is damaged, and the vehicle-specific permit cannot be recovered (documentation/proof must be submitted).
• Residents do not receive their permit(s) and report that they have not received their permit(s) within 60 days of placing their order (as verified by RPP program staff). If reported after 60 days, the resident is required to pay a replacement fee.

You can read about the petition process in general in the Residential Permit Parking Administrative Guidelines found on the Quick Links to the right of this page.

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 displaying a permit or pass.

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 and 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 13% 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.