Parking Permits

The Cerritos City Council approved Resolution 2024-07 on March 14, 2024 to increase civil penalties for designated parking prohibitions and restrictions. The new civil penalties are effective as of July 1, 2024.

Cerritos Municipal Code 10.02.040, Section 3218 prohibits vehicle parking on public roadways from 3 a.m. until 5 a.m. without a City issued overnight parking permit. Parking permits must be displayed on the vehicle’s driver side dashboard to avoid a citation.

Parking permits are available only to Cerritos residents.

Overnight parking permits allow qualified residents to park their vehicles on Cerritos streets between 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. Restricting street parking helps keep streets clear and allows neighbors and Sheriff’s deputies to quickly identify suspicious vehicles.

No parking permit is required for vehicles displaying a valid Department of Motor Vehicles issued Disabled Person placard/license plate.

Parking Permit Placement Inside Vehicle

All City-issued parking permit placards must be placed on the driver’s side dashboard with permit number facing upwards and visible. Vehicles parked on the street and not displaying a City issued parking permit from 3 a.m. until 5 a.m. are subject to citation.

The optional parking permit sticker must be affixed to the lower interior corner of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Annual Parking Permits

An annual parking permit is for those residents who have more passenger vehicles than their driveway and garage can fit. Annual parking permits are issued to passenger vehicles only. The annual parking permit placard is transferrable to any vehicle listed on your annual parking permit application.

Qualifications for a Single Annual Parking Permit

A single parking permit can be issued when a residence with a two-car garage has four (4) registered vehicles and one (1) licensed driver; a condominium requires three (3) registered vehicles. Residences with a three-car garage must have six (6) registered vehicles and one (1) license driver to qualify for a single annual parking permit.

The address listed on a driver’s license and vehicle registration must match the residential address listed on the annual parking permit application.

Vehicles listed on the parking permit application must be parked at the residence on a regular basis (cannot be stored offsite).

Requirements for Additional Annual Parking Permits

Households may qualify for multiple annual parking permits. A second parking permit is granted when a residence with a two-car garage has five (5) registered vehicles and four (4) license drivers. For a condominium, the requirement is four (4) registered vehicles and three (3) licensed drivers. Residences with a three-car garage must have seven (7) registered vehicles and six (6) licensed drivers to obtain a second annual permit. Additional parking permits are available for each additional vehicle and licensed driver listed on the parking permit application.

Annual parking permits are available to eligible residents at any time during the year, but all annual parking permits expire on December 31 of each year. Renewal is not automatic and parking permit holders must reapply each year during the regular renewal period.

Qualifying vehicles and driver’s licenses must be registered to the Cerritos address (except for company-owned vehicles).

Annual parking permits are not issued to:

Motorhomes
Recreational vehicles
Pickup trucks with oversize campers
Any commercial vehicle

A commercial vehicle includes, but is not limited to, vehicles with:

Signs
Logos
Racks
Ladders
Machinery
Trade tools
Food preparation equipment

Unmarked company or government vehicles can be included in the criteria for a permit if the resident obtains an agency letter stating that the vehicle is assigned to the resident and the letter identifies the time period that the resident will be in possession of the company/government-owned vehicle.

Once an annual parking permit application has been submitted and approved, City staff will mail the resident the authorized number of requested parking permit placards.

Annual parking permits can be issued under special circumstances. These circumstances include oversized, non-commercial vehicles (extended cab pickup trucks, large SUVs, etc.) that do not fit in a garage or on a driveway. Such vehicles must be inspected by staff to verify the special circumstance.

Special Circumstance Parking Permits

A special circumstance parking permit placard is available to residents who do not meet the qualifications for an annual parking permit and require additional street parking due to a short-term special circumstance.

Special circumstance parking permits are issued for a period more than 14 days and less than 90 days.

Residents seeking a special circumstance parking permit must submit a special circumstance parking permit application on the City’s online parking permit program. Residents must upload documentation which supports the special circumstance parking permit request. Staff will review the parking permit application and, if approved, issue a special circumstance parking permit.

Situations that qualify for a temporary special circumstance parking permit include: temporary visitor staying for a period more than 14 days and less than 90 days; extended construction projects at the residence that requires vehicles to be parked in the street; resident healthcare provider; new resident(s) moving into the City or awaiting updated DMV records; student(s) on scheduled break and temporarily living at home; situations that temporarily require an extra vehicle at the residence (i.e., rotating vanpool, civil disputes, temporary use of a company or rental vehicle, matters involving probate, or persons on military deployment); other reason(s) may also necessitate the issuance of a special circumstance parking permit.

The Public Safety Manager will review the merits of each application and render a decision that considers the requirements of the resident and community at large.

Temporary (Overnight) Parking Permits

Residents can obtain temporary (overnight) parking permits for any reason including overnight visitors. Temporary parking permits are restricted to passenger vehicles. However, temporary parking permits may be issued for trailers and motorhomes two (2) days prior to a resident leaving on vacation and two (2) days after the resident returns. The trailer must be attached to a towing vehicle at all times (10.02.020 CMC).

Cerritos residents are allowed thirty (30) one-day temporary (overnight) parking permits in a calendar year per household. A two-day weekend permit is counted as one day. Overnight parking permits issued on Saturday are also valid for Sunday.

Temporary permits are not issued to:

Commercial vehicles
Recreational vehicles (excluding motorhomes)
Motorcycles

Residents may request a temporary (overnight) parking permit 30 days in advance of the actual required date(s). A resident has the option to select a temporary (overnight) parking permit that is valid for one (1) day through 14 days.

Residents can request a temporary (overnight) parking permit any time by visiting the City's online parking permit program. Residents can print their temporary (overnight) parking permit immediately after providing the requested information.

Temporary (overnight) parking permits must be placed on the driver’s side dashboard of the vehicle near the windshield with the permit number or expiration date facing upward and visible from outside the vehicle.

Residents who do not have access to a printer may write the provided temporary (overnight) parking permit information legibly on a half sheet of paper and then place that handwritten document on the driver’s side dashboard of the vehicle. The handwritten document must include the parking permit number, beginning/expire date, and vehicle description (year, make, model, license plate number, and state).

General Procedures

General procedures include the following:

Parking Permits make take up to two to three weeks for processing
All permitted vehicles should be parked in front of the resident's home whenever possible
Providing false information on a parking permit application will result in the immediate revocation of the parking permit
Parking permits are not to be duplicated or displayed on vehicles for which they were not issued
Parking permits must be displayed on the driver’s side dashboard of the vehicle with the permit number or expiration date visible from outside the vehicle
Vehicles not displaying a valid parking permit from 3 a.m. until 5 a.m. are subject to receiving a parking citation
A vehicle displaying a valid California DMV Disabled Person Placard does not require an overnight parking permit
A parking permit does not exempt the vehicle from the street sweeping ordinance (10.12.065 CMC)

Appeals

Denial of an annual parking permit can be appealed by requesting an office conference with the Public Safety Manager within ten (10) days of receiving the denial notice. A resident may also appeal to the City’s Property Preservation Commission (second level) and City Council (third level).

For additional information, visit the Overnight Parking Policies and Procedures page.

Replacement Permits

Residents can request a replacement parking permit placard via the City’s online parking permit program.

For More Information

Community Safety staff are available to assist residents with the City’s parking permit program or any public safety issue during normal business hours. Call the Community Safety Division at (562) 916-1266.