Journal ·
Pasadena's Overnight Parking Ban: Who Can Park on the Street Between 2 and 6 a.m.
Nearly every public street and alley in Pasadena is closed to parked cars between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., a ban first enacted in 1921 and set to its current hours in 1948. A condo with one deeded space and two cars, or a house with a converted garage, notices on the first night. The way out is a permit under Chapter 10.44 of the Pasadena Municipal Code, and it is not automatic: the city may issue it only if no adequate off-street parking exists within 600 feet of the home, the city caps it at two per residence, and it is renewed yearly on a verified statement. Short of that, a $3 nightly exemption covers a guest's car or a second car during a move.
Is overnight street parking really banned in all of Pasadena?
Yes, with four exceptions in the code. Section 10.44.010 makes it "unlawful for the owner or driver of any vehicle to allow such vehicle to remain standing on any street or alley in the city between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m." Commercial vehicles get a longer window, 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and the section also covers any non-commercial vehicle that exceeds 7 feet high, 7 feet wide and 20 feet long, or a standard street space; the permit sections and the city's page treat going over any one of the three as disqualifying.
The exceptions are a physician or nurse on a professional call, a taxi or delivery vehicle on a service call, a vehicle holding a valid all-night permit, and any block the Director of Transportation has exempted "after an engineering study," for all or part of the 2 to 6 window. That fourth exception is the only way a block is lawfully open overnight; ask Parking Services whether a specific segment has been exempted.
The city's parking FAQ gives the history: enacted in 1921, set to the current hours in 1948, amended in 1971 to allow permits. One footnote: section 10.44.150 applies the chapter "solely to the streets contained within the boundaries of the city of Pasadena as of December 20, 1982," so for a property in an area annexed later, ask Parking Services whether the ban was extended there.
Who qualifies for an annual overnight parking permit?
Only a resident who can swear there is nowhere else to put the car. Section 10.44.020 requires the application to state "that there is no parking space available or obtainable upon the property designated as applicant's residence," to attach the current registration card "with the registered owner's name and address," and to carry a declaration under penalty of perjury. The city's permit page adds the operating rule: more registered vehicles than off-street spaces, and every vehicle registered to the application address, with an employer letter for a company car.
Then the city checks. Under section 10.44.030 the Director investigates and may issue the permit only after finding "(1) that adequate off-street parking space is not available within 600 feet of the applicant's residence and (2) that no public safety problem will result." The test is not whether the lot has a space but whether one is available nearby, and the renewal under 10.44.090 asks whether "the applicant has made reasonable efforts to obtain off-street parking space for such vehicle" that year.
The permit page adds limits the code leaves to the department: "Qualified applicants can receive up to a maximum of 2 permits per residence," and the permitted vehicle must park "within 500 feet" of the address during the banned hours. The 600-foot figure is the search radius for off-street parking; the 500-foot figure is how far from home a permitted car may sit.
What does the permit cost and how long does it take?
The code sets two permit lengths, annual and 30-day (section 10.44.040), with each fee "established by resolution adopted by the city council." Permits are virtual by default: under section 10.44.070 "the license plate(s) shall be considered the permit and no physical permit shall need to be displayed," though one "may be issued" when applicable.
The permit page prints one number: a $57.00 application fee "for applications requiring a field inspection," which is every address that has not applied before, deducted from the permit fee if approved. Applications go through pasadena.permitinfo.net or by mail to 100 N. Garfield Avenue, Room N106; mail takes up to three weeks, and a three-week temporary permit covers the review when a field check is needed. The annual fee itself is not printed on the permit page as of this writing, so confirm it with Parking Services at (626) 744-7665.
Section 10.44.111 waives the fees for a vehicle with disabled person or disabled veteran plates or placards under Vehicle Code sections 9105 or 22511.5.
What about a guest, a moving truck or a visiting relative?
The temporary overnight parking exemption, which section 10.44.130 lets the Director of Transportation issue "according to a program approved by the city council." The permit page prices it at $3 per night per vehicle, bought three ways: at a city kiosk for up to 10 consecutive nights starting the night of purchase, online in advance for up to 30 nights at a time plus a $3.50 service charge, or through the Passport Parking app with zone code 6295. It covers 2 to 6 a.m. in any legal space and nothing else, no refunds are issued, and it is "not valid on vehicles that exceed 7 feet in height, 7 feet in width, or 20 feet in length." A box truck is out: the permit page allows a moving vehicle on the street only 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and an RV needs its own loading permit from the Parking Office.
| Situation | What the code allows | Where it is written |
|---|---|---|
| Resident with more registered cars than off-street spaces | Annual or 30-day permit, maximum 2 per residence, after a 600-foot check | PMC 10.44.020, 10.44.030, 10.44.040; city permit page |
| Overnight guest for a night or a week | $3 per night exemption, up to 10 nights at a kiosk, up to 30 nights online | PMC 10.44.130(C), (D); city permit page |
| Vehicle over 7 ft high, 7 ft wide or 20 ft long | No annual, 30-day or $3 nightly permit; only a discretionary temporary permit or the city's RV and moving-vehicle permits | PMC 10.44.030, 10.44.130(A), (D); city permit page |
| Commercial vehicle | Banned 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. | PMC 10.44.010 |
| Car with a disabled plate or placard | Permit required, fees waived | PMC 10.44.111 |
| Street segment the director exempted after an engineering study | No permit needed for the exempted hours | PMC 10.44.010(D) |
Does a garage converted to an ADU cost you the permit?
Not on its own, and this is the line in the chapter that matters most to buyers of older Pasadena houses. The application must state "that no parking space previously provided or available upon the property ... is now used for any purpose other than the parking of vehicles currently registered to the address," and section 10.44.020(E) then carves out an exception: "with the exception of permitted Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), per Section 17.50.275." A lawful garage conversion does not make the sworn statement false. The city still counts the spaces that remain and runs the 600-foot test, and its permit page, which warns that a garage used "for any purpose other than the parking of your passenger vehicle" disqualifies, never mentions the ADU carve-out. Bring the ADU permit.
The word doing the work is "permitted." A garage turned into a gym, or converted without a permit, is a space "used for any purpose other than the parking of vehicles," and the perjury statement in 10.44.020(H) attaches to the answer. The ADU rules themselves, including what Pasadena may and may not charge for one, are in Pasadena ADU fee waivers and housing agreements.
How does this change a Pasadena home search?
Count spaces before you count bedrooms. For a buyer, the question to put to the listing agent in writing is how many vehicles the household can legally keep off the street at night. A seller's permit does not transfer; it is tied to named plates, and section 10.44.060 allows suspension when "the circumstances under which the permit was issued no longer exist." A new owner applies fresh and goes through the 600-foot investigation.
For a condo, the deeded space is the asset. One space and two cars means one car needs a permit the city may decline after the 600-foot check, or $3 a night, which runs past $1,000 a year. Put that next to the HOA dues.
For an owner preparing to sell, a garage that still fits a car is a concrete selling point because of this ordinance, and an unpermitted garage conversion is a problem twice over: as an unpermitted structure at inspection, and as the reason the buyer's overnight permit may be refused. A home valuation should account for both. Section 10.44.140 is written for permitted cars specifically: a permitted vehicle may not stay on a street or alley more than 72 continuous hours. Buyers comparing cities can see how Burbank's residential permit parking zones work, and where Burbank allows RVs, boats and trailers on a residential lot.
This article summarizes Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 10.44 (text current as of October 4, 2026) and City of Pasadena Department of Transportation pages as published on October 16, 2026. Fees are set by Council resolution and change; confirm current amounts with the Parking Office. This is not legal advice. Call Alla at (818) 699-5367 or use the enquiry form.
More on this community in the Pasadena area guide.