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Apply for Visitor Parking Permits


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To apply for visitor permits you will need to create a Customer Account for a Resident, if you have not already done so. This is only required the first time you apply. 

If you already have a permit account, you do not need to create a seperate account for visitor permits. Any additional permit applications can be made from your account going forward. 

To see how to create an account, please view the video guides below.

Proof of address

When applying online we can verify your address with our Council Tax records. If we are unable to verify your address details automatically, you will need to send proof.  More information on entitlement and the requirements can be found in the terms and conditions below.

By applying for a permit, you agree to the Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions, see below.

Scratch card visitor permits

If you have scratch card visitor vouchers left over, or buy new scratch cards, these will be valid as before and can be used in the normal way. 

Please note, they must be used as described on the permit and displayed in the vehicle so that the permit can be seen by a Civil Enforcement Officer.

Exemption of administration fee for Visitor scratch cards;
If you fall under one of the following categories, you will not be charged the administration fee and the cost of a book of 10 permits (scratch cards) will be £22.50.

  • You are aged 70 or over (we will require proof of age)
  • You are registered with Council Tax as exempt, due to a severe mental impairment
  • You are registered as blind (please provide your certificate of vision impairment (CVI))

Notice of Variation Of On Street Charges (Including Visitor Permits) From April 2024

Apply for Visitor Parking Permits

Permit Prices, Eligibility  and FAQs

Book a Visitor Parking Session

Video Guides

How to apply for visitors permit

How to book a visitors parking session

How to top up your visitors parking session

Please note you will not receive a paper permit, permits are Virtual (electronic) similar to your Vehicle Tax and are accessible through your permit account.  

Terms and Conditions Toggle accordion

Terms and conditions - Virtual Visitor Permits

Qualification – To qualify for a Virtual Visitor Permit you must:

  • Live within a St Albans and District Council Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ).
  • Your address is your 'main residence' you would normally spend approximately four nights a week there and pay the relevant Council Tax.
  • Your property is not restricted for parking permits by the Section 106 order.

Application Criteria – Proof of address

When applying online we can verify your address with our Council Tax records. If we have been unable to verify your details automatically, you will need to send proof of address. The following documents will be acceptable, and you will need to show two items from the list below.  These need to be for the address you are applying for a permit at:

  • Driving licence (registered to current address)
  • Utility bill - dated within the last 3 months (mobile phone bills will not be accepted)
  • Signed current formal tenancy agreement.
  • Bank/Credit Card Statement (dated within the last three months)
  • Valid home contents insurance policy
  • An electoral canvas form or polling card - dated in the last year.

As part of our policy to prevent fraud and misuse of permits, we can ask for proof documents at any time. This includes after we've issued the permit. If you don't give us the necessary information within 14 days, we can cancel the permit.

Permits are not valid until your eligibility has been approved.

Virtual Visitor Permit Conditions of Use

  • Visitor permits are for private/domestic use only and must be use in accordance with the terms and conditions.
  • Permits are valid for 12 months.
  • Visitor vouchers are not valid for use on vehicles exceeding 5.25m in length and 2.28m in height. 
  • Virtual permits will allow holders to park in resident bays and shared use bays during the hours parking restrictions are in force.
  • It is the account holder’s responsibility to ensure virtual visitor permits are correctly applied for and the correct details included.
  • Unused virtual visitor permits are non-refundable.
  • Purchasing Visitor Permits does not guarantee you parking outside of your home.
  • Visitor Permit prices are reviewed annually and any changes made through a Notice of Variation on the Councils Website and in the Press. 
  • The Council reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions, application procedures and the relevant Traffic Regulation Orders at any time.
  • Visitor Permits are the property of the Council and can be cancelled at any time. Reasons why the Council may cancel a permit:
    • fails to comply with these terms and conditions.
    • the vehicle is found to be larger than permitted.
    • the permit holder has ceased to be eligible under these terms and conditions or the relevant Traffic Regulation Order.
    • any other reason the Council deems is misuse or detrimental to the Permit Parking scheme.
  • By applying for or purchasing any type of permit, the applicant:
  • certifies that all the information that the applicant has given in the application process is correct.
  • accepts the Council’s terms and conditions as varied from time to time together with any terms and conditions stated on the letter to which the permit is attached at the time of issue.
  • agrees to be bound by and comply with the relevant Traffic Regulation Orders which may be varied from time to time,
  • You are required to move their vehicle if requested to do so by a Civil Enforcement Officer or by the Police.
  • Not complying with the terms and conditions may result in the issue of a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).

Parking Suspensions - From time to time it may be necessary to suspend a parking bay, this is normally due to road works being carried out by the utility companies, such as gas or electricity. During the period for which the bay is suspended, parking is not permitted in the bay. Even if a valid permit exists, a PCN will still be issued.

It is the permit holder's responsibility to ensure that the bay in which the vehicle is parked is not suspended during the time their vehicle is there.

Refunds – Virtual Permits are non-refundable.

Privacy Notice Toggle accordion

Privacy Notice for parking permits and penalty charge notices (PCN)

This privacy notice explains how St Albans City & District Council (the Data Controller) will use any personal information we collect about you when you use our services, when you are paying a penalty charge notice or applying for a parking permit.

What information do we collect about you?

The information that the Council will collect varies depending on how you use the Council’s Services. We are using the information provided in this case because we have a legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)).  This means we collect your personal information from you so that we can carry out a function we are required by law to carry out.  In this case we are collecting personal information so that we can process your penalty charge notice or your application for a parking permit.

If you’re providing us with special category personal information (such as details about your health) we will be processing this under Art. 9(2) of the UK GDPR. 

How will we use the information about you?

We use the information to process your application for a parking permit or deal with your penalty charge notice.  We will share your data with the Council Tax Department where you have agreed to this so that we can process your parking permit.

We will not share the personal information we hold with any external organisations except for partner organisations.  By partner organisations we mean contractors and the Court Service where sharing your data is necessary to deal with your matter.  We may be required to share your personal information with the Police, Internal Audit or similar agency, or another Council for the purposes of preventing and detecting fraud.

We will ensure that all personal information is kept securely.

How long will we keep this information?

We will destroy this personal information 7 years from the date we close the penalty charge notice case or from the date we close the case on your parking permit.  This means we will securely destroy the information once we no longer need it. 

Individuals’ Rights

You have a right to request a copy of the personal information that we hold about you.  If you would like a copy of some or all of your information, please contact foi@stalbans.gov.uk and ask for a subject access request.

If you consider we hold inaccurate personal information about you, you can contact us to ask for this information to be corrected.  We will consider your request and respond within one month.  Please contact GDPR@stalbans.gov.uk.

You can find out more about your rights on our website:

Cookies

Cookies are text files placed on your computer to collect standard internet log information and visitor behaviour information.  This information is used to make your use of the internet better.  For further information on how we use these and how you can control it, please visit: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/cookies

Changes to our Data Protection Policy

We have a Data Protection Policy in place and this can be found here: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/general-data-protection-regulation

Data Protection Officer

Our Data Protection Officer for the purposes of Articles 37 to 39 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation is Charles Turner, Solicitor to the Council.  He can be contacted by emailing GDPR@stalbans.gov.uk or calling 01727 819209 for our Complaints Team.

How to contact us

Please contact us if you have any questions about our Data Protection Policy, or concerns about how we handle your information: by emailing foi@stalbans.gov.uk or write to us at: FOI Team, St Albans City & District Council, St Peter’s Street, St Albans, AL1 3JE. 

Complaints

You have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner if you are unhappy with how we process your personal information.  You can do so through their website:  https://ico.org.uk/concerns/ or by emailing: casework@ico.org.uk or calling their helpline on 0303 123 1113.

GDPR Privacy Notice Statutory Functions – Parking permits & PCNs using APPY WAY  7.12.22