Neighborhood Parking Permit Program

The city enforces its parking permit program in four residential zones surrounding campus. The program is designed to protect residents from excessive commuter traffic competing for street parking spaces.

For an annual fee of $10, students who live within one of the zones may purchase a permit that allows them to park on the street between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Permits expire on August 15 of each year and can be purchased from the city’s Parking Enforcement Office at 401 N. Morton Street.

Proof of residency (in the form of a current lease for renters) and a current vehicle registration are required. Cars parked in the zones without a valid permit are subject to a fine of $12 per offense.

Parking On An Unimproved Surface - $25 Pink Parking Tickets

In addition to the neighborhood parking permit program, the city also enforces various zoning regulations within the city's limits. One code that directly relates to parking restrictions is Bloomington Municipal Code #20.06.02.05. This code details the location of parking spaces for Single-Family and Multi-Family Zoning Districts. The parking standards definded within this code are designed to help reduce safety concerns associated with parked vehicles and their impact on pedestrians, public right of way, vehicular sight triangles, and emergency access.

How can this zoning impact you?

Specifically, this code enables the city to ticket anyone for parking a vehicle on an unimproved surface (every surface except for asphalt, concrete, or gravel parking areas). Parking on the grass, dirt, mud, and weeds can result in a $25 pink parking ticket. You can receive a ticket if only a portion of your vehicle's tires are on an unimproved surface, and even if you are the landowner! If you fail to correct the problem within one day and receive a consecutive ticket, the fine for the second ticket is $50. So be advised and please keep your vehicles off the grass.