Parking for People with Disabilities
People with a disabled person placard or license plate can park for free in city-owned garages and can request a new blue zone in front of their house.
If you have a disabled person parking placard or license plate, you can qualify for special parking programs and policies in Berkeley, such as free parking at city-owned garages.
You can apply for a disabled person parking placard or license plate with the California DMV. Read the Disabled Person Parking Privileges section of the DMV page for information about the State-wide parking privileges you get from the disabled person parking placard.
Free parking at city-owned garages
Apply to the Disabled Parking Program for free parking and to get in and out of garages faster and more easily. If approved, you will receive a keycard that you can scan to enter and exit City-owned garages free of charge.
Fill out the disabled person free parking application form and provide copies of your:
- Disabled parking placard
- State-issued photo ID
- Disabled parking registration card
- DMV vehicle registration
Submit your application form and documentation in-person or by email:
- In person by calling (510) 843-1788 to make an appointment
- By email by sending your documentation to kphan@lazparking.com
You will need to pay $15 to activate your keycard.
Access Card Limits
The City of Berkeley issues a maximum of 500 Disabled Person Parking access cards for use in City-owned parking garages. Once this limit is reached, new applicants may be placed on a waitlist until a card becomes available.
Free parking with a Disabled Parking Keycard is limited at each garage:
- Center Street Garage: 18 vehicles
- Oxford Garage: 3 vehicles
- Telegraph-Channing Garage: 6 vehicles
If the garage is at its limit for free parking for Disabled Parking Keycard holders, you can still enter by taking a regular parking ticket and paying the posted parking fee. Free parking will be available again after a keycard user exits the garage.
Placard Renewal Requirement
Access card holders must submit a copy of their valid, renewed Disabled Person Parking placard every two years when their placard is renewed to maintain key card access. Cards will be deactivated if a current placard is not received by the expiration date.
Request a residential blue zone
You can request that the City of Berkeley install blue parking zone near your residence. Blue zone parking is reserved for vehicles with disabled parking placard or plates. To submit your request, fill out the Request for Blue Zone Parking Form and send to Public Works Transportation.
- Send by mail to 1947 Center Street, 4th Floor Berkeley, California 94704
- Send by email to transportation@berkeleyca.gov
- Call (510) 981-7010 for questions or to request an application by mail
