The City of Calgary’s Residential Parking Permit Program helps communities control the number of non-resident vehicles by establishing zones and restricting parking to residents with residential parking permits. This permit system exempts residents from posted parking restrictions, which range from no parking to a two-hour limit. In order to implement the program in a community, the area must be deemed a Residential Parking Permit Zone.

• A request for zoning can be initiated by The City of Calgary, a community association or a City Alderman.
• A parking survey is conducted to determine if the area meets one or more of the following zoning criteria:
• Adjacent to a 5,000 vehicle trips per day generator, e.g., hospitals, educational institutions
• A minimum zone size of 10 blocks and 70% of the vehicles are non-resident
• The Standing Policy Committee on Transportation, Transit and Parking and City Council must approve an amendment to the Traffic Bylaw prior to establishing a zone.
• If approved, the community is designated a Residential Parking Permit Zone.
• Residents must then request implementation and enforcement by requesting and then conducting a City of Calgary official petition of individual blocks. Each side of a block is surveyed, and subsequently approved and enforced separately. If 80% approval is received, The City establishes a time and day restriction for signing and control service.

Participating residents obtain a parking permit from the Calgary Parking Authority, 403-537-7000. A permit is issued for each vehicle registered to a household and visitor permits are issued based on the type of residential dwelling (e.g., a single-family dwelling receives two passes.)