Business Parking Permits

Merchant Parking Permits 

Eligible businesses can purchase one merchant permit to park near their business. Your business is eligible for a merchant parking permit if it is located in one of the merchant permit address ranges. You can also look up the eligibility of your address for a merchant parking permit in the online zone map.  

Merchant permits cost $185 annually and are valid from March 1 – February 28. Visit the Customer Service Center to apply. 

Employee parking permits for schools, religious institutions, and other community centers 

Eligible schools, churches, and other community-serving centers in Berkeley can apply for a permit for staff to park close to work without a two-hour time limit. 

The City of Berkeley reviews Neighborhood Serving Community Facilities (NSCF) parking permits upon application. The NSCF permit is year-long and renews every year by September 1. Permits cost $83 per permit if paid between September and February, and $43 between March and August.

Each eligible facility can register up to 60% of their full-time staff for NSCF permit. A facility’s off-street parking spaces are deducted from the maximum number of possible NSCF permits they can receive. 

Employees cannot apply individually for a NSCF permit. Only the following facilities can apply on behalf of their staff to register them for a NSCF permit: 

• Pre-K to 12 schools, for both Berkeley Unified School District and private schools
  • Two BUSD schools – John Muir Elementary and Emerson Elementary – can register up to 70% of their full-time staff due to limited access to frequent public transportation options
• Religious institutions, such as a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, etc.
• Senior centers
• Drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers 

Facilities located in Residential Preferential Parking (RPP) Zone I, which is Downtown Berkeley and Southside, are not eligible for a NSCF parking permit. Please check the RPP Eligibility Map to check what RPP zone you are under. 

If you are interested in NSCF permits, contact Joshua Brett, Assistant Planner, at jbrett@berkeleyca.gov.  

Elmwood SmartSpace Employee Parking Permits 

Eligible businesses in the Elmwood District can apply for parking permits for their employees. To be eligible, your business must be located within the Elmwood District and, if employing ten or more staff, demonstrate compliance with the Tax Relief Action to Cut Commuter Carbon (TRACC) program. 

Businesses can purchase these employee parking permits in addition to the merchant permit. The hangtag permits can be transferred between employees.  

SmartSpace permits cost $185 annually and are valid from May 1- April 30. To purchase or to renew SmartSpace permits, please email rpp@berkeleyca.gov with the following information: 

1. Up-to-date employee roster indicating full and part-time staff.
2. Verification of the commute benefits provided to your employees if your business has ten or more employees.
3. Please also indicate whether you would be interested in enrolling in the AC Transit EasyPass program to receive a group discount on unlimited AC Transit rides for your employees. 
4. Number of dedicated off-street parking spaces available to your business. 

You must renew your SmartSpace permit(s) by April 30 each year by emailing rpp@berkeleyca.gov with the above information. The cost for renewal is prorated for late renewals: 

• $185 if renewed between May 1 – October 31
• $145 if renewed between November 1 – January 31
• $125 if renewed between February 1 – April 30 

There are 120 total permits available for all of the eligible businesses in the Elmwood District. The City issues permits to individual employers on a first-come, first-serve basis. Each business can request permits for up to 60% of their full-time equivalent staff. Permits are assigned to nearby residential blocks based on proximity to the business.  

Under the SmartSpace program, the City issues permits to employers and does not determine or manage permit allocation among individual employees. Permits are transferrable among employees at a particular business, but they are only valid for the block noted on the permit.  

Other questions about Merchant Parking Permits and the SmartSpace parking permit program can be sent to rpp@berkeleyca.gov.