Portland Moving Parking Permit: Curb Reservations & 2026 Fees

Permit Summary

Permit status

Permit may be required

Official permit name

Temporary Street Use Permit (parking reservation)

Authority

Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) — Temporary Street Use Permitting

Fee

FY 2026–27 (effective July 1, 2026): parking reservations cost $87 per day for each 20-foot space in metered areas; $70 per week or fraction per 20-foot space in non-metered areas where the City places signs; or $48 per week or fraction per 20-foot space where the applicant places signs. For applicant-posted signs, optional advance verification for tow enforcement costs $80 per request, with an additional $80 for each enforcement request. The second and later permit changes cost $30 each. Sidewalk or travel-lane closures carry separate fees, and closures requiring insurance incur a $57 insurance-processing charge; other applicable fees may apply.

Processing time

PBOT says short-duration non-metered parking reservations may be issued the same day, while metered or longer reservations need at least three business days for issuance. Allow a total of 5–7 business days from application to the intended reservation start to account for advance sign posting and enforceability. A sidewalk, lane, or street closure generally needs at least eight business days for issuance and 10–12 business days from application to the planned start. The application page also gives a general 5–10-business-day issuance expectation.

Inspection required

Sometimes

Moving Permit Scope

Permit Scope

PBOT's Temporary Street Use Permit reserves public curb/parking space for residential or commercial moves and separately authorizes any necessary sidewalk, lane, or street occupation. It regulates the temporary use of public right-of-way, not the act of changing residences or hiring movers.

Moving Equipment Covered

Moving trucks, moving vans used as trucks, trailers, and portable moving/storage containers may be accommodated in reserved curb areas. A parking reservation is not available just to hold spaces for ordinary passenger cars or SUVs. Sidewalk or travel-lane obstructions require the corresponding additional permit scope.

Vehicle Eligibility Rules

PBOT states that parking reservations for moves cover moving trucks, trailers, and storage containers, not passenger vehicles or SUVs. Without special authorization, Portland City Code 16.20.120(H) permits covered trucks and trailers by residential frontage while loading or unloading for an adjacent residence for up to eight hours; subsection (I) allows specified commercial/industrial-frontage loading for up to four hours between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. or up to two hours during a qualifying business shift between 4 p.m. and 6 a.m. A reservation does not waive unrelated traffic rules.

Moving Container Rules

A portable moving/storage container placed in an on-street parking lane can be covered by a PBOT Temporary Street Use Permit. City Code 16.90.351 treats a storage container as a vehicle for Title 16 parking restrictions, and 16.20.170 generally prohibits storing vehicles or personal property in public right-of-way for more than 24 hours without City permission, subject to stricter vehicle-specific limits. Place the container only in the approved area and for the authorized dates; display the permit ID card on its street-facing side. Container placement that intrudes into a sidewalk or travel lane requires further review.

Parking & Reserved Space

Reserved space size

Fees are calculated per 20-foot-long by 8-foot-wide parking space. The number of spaces depends on the approved truck, trailer, or container footprint and loading needs; PBOT may require extra space across from the work area on streets less than 28 feet wide. The general program page does not publish one universal maximum number of spaces for a move.

Location Restrictions

Use only the specific spaces and dates approved by PBOT. Reservations cannot be used to reserve ordinary passenger-car or SUV parking, block existing no-parking zones, or obstruct vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian passage. On streets narrower than 28 feet, PBOT may require reserving curb space on the opposite side to maintain travel clearance. Metered zones and City sign-posting service areas have different procedures, and seasonal moratorium streets or other heavily trafficked routes may be restricted.

Metered Parking Rules

PBOT charges $87 per day per 20-foot space for ordinary metered-area reservations under the July 2026 fee schedule. In metered areas, City Parking Enforcement or Temporary Street Use Permitting staff place and remove reservation signs; the permittee displays the permit copy in the vehicle. PBOT says those signs become effective two business days after City posting. Under City Code 16.20.460(B), a vehicle already parked before a reservation device was placed is not in violation until it exceeds its metered time limit. Confirm whether the address is treated as metered, even when an individual space lacks a pay-to-park meter.

Timing & Permit Duration

Application lead time

PBOT advises submitting a parking reservation application 5–7 business days before the intended start so review and advance sign procedures can be completed. Metered-area or longer-duration requests need at least three business days to issue; an uncomplicated, short, non-metered reservation may issue sooner. If a sidewalk, travel lane, or street closure is needed, plan 10–12 business days before the start.

Maximum permit duration

PBOT does not state one universal maximum moving-parking-reservation duration on its general TSUP guidance page. Permits cover the approved start and end dates; metered reservation fees accrue per day, while non-metered fees are assessed per week or fraction. Applicants may request an extension or renewal through PBOT's permit service; occupancy beyond an expired permit is not authorized.

Temporary No Parking Signs

No parking signs required

Yes

Sign posting lead time

Where the permittee posts non-metered-area signs, Parking Enforcement must verify correct placement and 72 hours must elapse after verification before PBOT will provide permittee-requested tow enforcement. Post and arrange verification at least 72 hours before the start if towing availability is needed. Verification is optional when the permittee does not seek towing. Where the City posts signs (metered areas and certain service zones), PBOT handles placement; its guidance states that the reservation becomes effective two business days after City posting.

Sign Posting Rules

For applicant-posted non-metered reservations, print PBOT's no-parking signs in color after the permit is issued and paid. Enter the application number, street name, dates, and footage, and mount signs on wooden or plastic barricades at least 24 inches wide and 30 inches tall, next to the curb and facing traffic. Signs must be no more than 40 feet apart; for a partial block, outer arrows face each other. Do not attach signs to trees, poles, cones, or bike racks. Cover conflicting time-limit/loading signs as directed, but never existing no-parking signs. Display the filled-in permit ID card in the vehicle dashboard or on the street side of a container. City staff post and remove signs in metered areas and designated service locations.

Neighbor / Property Notice Rules

PBOT's routine parking-reservation instructions provide for public notice through temporary no-parking signs but do not identify a separate, generally applicable direct-neighbor notice period for an ordinary curb-only move. For any permitted sidewalk, lane, or street closure, the approved traffic-control plan may require advance coordination or notification of adjacent property owners, TriMet, or other affected parties.

Enforcement & Street Restrictions

Enforcement / Towing Rules

For applicant-posted parking reservations, PBOT will accept a permittee's request for tow enforcement only after Parking Enforcement has verified the signs and 72 hours have elapsed; verification costs $80 and each subsequent enforcement request costs $80. Parking Enforcement handles City-posted metered reservations, subject to the existing vehicle's metered time limit. Portland City Code 16.30.210(D) separately allows temporary parking restrictions to be enforced by tow 24 hours after placement in non-metered areas, but PBOT's current reservation procedure specifies the longer 72-hour verified-sign process for permittee-requested enforcement. An illegally parked vehicle may be cited or towed; removal is not guaranteed.

Traffic / Street Restrictions

Do not block a sidewalk, bike lane, travel lane, intersection, fire access, or other restricted traffic area under a curb-only reservation. Any closure of a sidewalk, travel lane, or street requires separate scope within the Temporary Street Use Permit, a PBOT-basemap work-space diagram or traffic-control plan, and required insurance; bus-route and neighboring-property coordination may also apply. Streets affected by seasonal Rose Festival or holiday moratoria and major traffic disruptions may have restricted closure dates. Over-dimensional truck or load movement is handled through PBOT's separate over-dimensional truck permit process.

What You Need Before Applying

Requirements

Obtain and pay for a PBOT Temporary Street Use Permit before exclusively reserving on-street spaces for a residential or commercial move, or occupying the curb with an approved moving truck, trailer, or storage container. Identify the exact location, amount of curb space, activity, and requested dates; comply with permit limits, existing traffic rules, and the designated sign-posting process. Closures extending into a sidewalk or travel lane need the applicable additional authorization and traffic-control documentation.

Exemptions

Simply moving household belongings does not itself require this curb-reservation permit when the move uses private property or otherwise lawful, unreserved street parking/loading without occupying or closing additional right-of-way. Under Portland City Code 16.20.120(H), covered trucks and trailers may load or unload property for an adjacent residence for up to eight hours without an exclusive parking reservation, subject to posted limits and other traffic rules. A permit is needed to claim exclusive public curb space, rather than merely parking legally.

Required Documents

The online application requests applicant contact information and permit-request details, including the street location, activity, requested curb space, and start/end dates. After issuance and payment, use the PBOT permit identification card and temporary no-parking signs for an applicant-posted reservation. If closing a sidewalk, bike or travel lane, or street, submit a PBOT-basemap traffic-control plan or work-space diagram as directed and a certificate of insurance naming the City as an additional insured.

How to Apply

Go to Official Application

Official Sources

Last verified: October 9, 2026