Requesting an Overnight Parking Waiver

On April 13, 2015, Arlington's Select Board voted to increase the number of yearly waivers from eight (8) to fourteen (14).

According to Traffic Rules and Orders Article V, Section 14, overnight parking is prohibited on any public street in Arlington for a period of more than 1 hour between 1 a.m. – 7 a.m. The Town recognizes there are a few circumstances where a resident may need an overnight parking waiver. As a courtesy, and to provide some relief to residents, the Arlington Police Department (APD), on occasion, provides residents with such a waiver. Residents who require a waiver can make their request online via the Request/Answer Center or by phone by calling the Overnight Parking hotline. 

Please read the following information first before submitting a request by either method.

Overnight parking waivers are granted for the following circumstances only.

Expecting an overnight guest
Disabled motor vehicle
Driveway construction

For a driveway out of service because it is occupied by a pod or dumpster, or other building related circumstances you need to contact the Inspectional Services office at 781-316-3390.

Residents with permanent disabilities and/or demonstrated economic hardship may warrant an exemption from the parking ban. For those details, read the Select Board's Parking Policies and Regulations.

Deadline & Details

If your request meets any of the above three circumstances, the deadline to submit your request is before 10 p.m. the night of the request. Note: Saturday at 10 p.m. is the latest you can request a parking waiver for Sunday 1 a.m – 7 a.m., and so on.

You can only request one night and one car per waiver request and up to fourteen (14) waiver requests per calendar year, per household. A waiver is equivalent to a citation not given. One waiver per car, per night. Requests are for your address only and parking must be in front of your home. If you submit your Overnight Parking Request before the deadline, your waiver will automatically be approved, unless you have previously been notified by the Arlington Police Department of an Overnight Parking Denial. After you have received a denial, you cannot make another request until the next calendar year, unless otherwise instructed.

Snow Operations & Snow Emergencies

No waivers will be granted during snow emergencies, in snow removal operations as defined by Public Works, or when other parking restrictions are in place. This will allow Public Works to conduct their snow removal operations more effectively. This applies to all residents: even those with parking permits must be off the street. You can read more about Snow Emergency Declarations on the Snow & Ice Information page. 

Both the online Overnight Parking Waiver System and the hotline will not be in service during these times. If you previously were granted a waiver, it will automatically be null and void and you may not necessarily be alerted of this fact. To be alerted of snow emergencies via email, you can subscribe to "Town of Arlington Notifications" at arlingtonma.gov/subscriber.

General Parking Rules

Residents are reminded that regardless of the weather conditions, cars are not to obstruct roadways in accordance to Traffic Rules and Orders, Article V Parking, Section 1 (e), which prohibits the parking of a vehicle “upon any roadway where the parking of a vehicle will not leave a clear and unobstructed lane at least ten (10) feet wide for passing traffic.”  Not all streets can accommodate parking within this rule when snow accumulates. Parked cars violating this rule will be subject to ticketing and towing. Please be cognizant of where you park your car at all times.

Waivers are at the discretion of the Arlington Police Department

These limited Overnight Parking Waivers are approved at the discretion of the Arlington Police Department and are granted as a courtesy for these specific event types. The APD feels these guidelines will be sufficient for most residents and provides a balance between upholding the overnight parking bylaw and providing some relief to residents. The new process will also eliminate abuses of this courtesy and allow police dispatch to focus on emergency calls and other higher priority tasks. If you have an extenuating circumstance not listed here, please contact the Select Board's Office at 781-316-3020.

How to Request an Overnight Parking Waiver: Two Methods, Your Choice

1) Make a Request online via the Request/Answer Center (account required). 

- Select Make a Request
- Select "Overnight Parking Request" and fill out form.
- Submit the form.
- You should receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive the confirmation, your request did not go through and you should take step 2 by 10PM to make your request for that night.

2) Call the APD dispatch at 781-643-1212, but please be patient as they may be on an emergency call.  

Either method you will need to provide the following information

Address (your address, the car must be parked in front of your house)
Car registration number and State
Phone number (to best reach you)
Reason (one of three only: overnight guest, disabled vehicle, driveway maintenance)
Date of Request (Note: Saturday at 10 p.m. is the latest you can request a parking waiver for Sunday 1 a.m – 7 a.m., and so on.)

Appeal a Parking Ticket

If you have received a parking ticket and want to appeal it, you can find more information here.

Report Habitual Overnight Parking

To report habitual overnight parking complaints, please email information about the car, the address it is parked at, and how many nights to: parkingcomplaints@town.arlington.ma.us.