Parking and Permits in Laguna Beach

How parking works in town

Most downtown parking sits in numbered city lots and at metered curb spaces. Meters take credit and debit cards and coins. Pay stations take cards and bills. You can also pay in the Laguna Beach Parking App, or scan the QR code on a meter and choose the one-time payment option. Report a broken meter to the police non-emergency line, (949) 497-0701.

The city’s parking page lists enforcement hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Its public lots page gives 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at city lots for the off-season, September 8, 2026 to June 25, 2027. Read the sign at the space you use.

Four points apply across town:

• 72 hours. City code bars a vehicle from sitting on any street, alley or public property for more than 72 consecutive hours. Moving it at least 100 feet restarts the count.
• RVs. An RV may park on a city street for up to five hours in 24 hours. The Police Department issues RV permits that allow up to 72 hours. Apply in person with a driver’s license, a description of the RV, the plate and registration, and the location.
• Disabled placards and plates. A vehicle with a valid placard or plate may use any metered space or city lot without paying. Signs and curb markings still apply, and the stay cannot pass 72 hours.
• Older streets. Many older cottages have limited or street-only parking. Check where your own cars would go before you rent or buy.

Resident permits

The city sells three permits to people who live in or near town. All three use the city’s online permit portal.

Shopper Permit. For residents who live inside the city limits. It covers city lots 1 through 9, Lot 22 and every city meter for the posted time without extra payment. It works in Lots 10 and 11 only from the day after Labor Day to late June, and it is not valid in Lot 12, which is for employees. The city lists $80 each for the first two permits and $150 each for the third and fourth, with a maximum of four per household. A permit lasts two years, from August 1 of the first year to July 31 of the second.

Residential Permit. For select downtown addresses and addresses beside Coast Highway. It lets you park at a city meter within one block of home for up to 24 hours. It also carries the lot and meter access of the Shopper Permit, with the same Lot 10, 11 and 12 limits. It lasts one year, August 1 to July 31, and the city lists $200.

School District Permit. For people who live outside the city but inside the Laguna Beach Unified School District, in areas such as Emerald Bay, Newport Coast and Laguna Audubon. It carries the same lot and meter access. The city lists $120 for the first permit and $150 for the second, with a maximum of two per residence, and it lasts two years. See Schools for the district boundary.

The city also issues a non-resident permit for people who are 65 or older or who are military veterans, a business and employee pass, and a summer festival permit for people who work or volunteer at the festivals. Fees above are those the city posted when we checked on October 9, 2026, and the city sets them.

To get a Shopper, Residential or School District permit:

1. Register for an account on the city’s permit portal.
2. Complete the online application.
3. Upload proof of residency: a current gas, water or electric bill, a pre-printed check, a car registration or a lease in your name.
4. If you buy a third or fourth permit, upload every vehicle registration.
5. To move a permit to a new vehicle, peel it off, upload the sticker as proof of sale and pay the $5 replacement fee.

City Hall is at 505 Forest Avenue. The permit sticker line is (949) 497-0793.

City lots

The city’s lot list names 20 public lots. Among them:

• Lot 6, Glenneyre Structure, 501 Glenneyre Street, lists 208 spaces.
• Lot 1, Broadway Lot, 234 Broadway Street, and Lot 2, Peppertree Lot, 322 Forest Avenue.
• Lot 13, Community and Susi Q Center, 380 Third Street.
• Lot 16, Act V, 1900 Laguna Canyon Road, lists 251 spaces.
• Lots 7 and 8, Treasure Island, 30801 and 30799 Coast Highway.
• Lot 22, Aliso Beach, 31131 Coast Highway, lists 258 spaces.
• Lot 23, Laguna Beach Library, 363 Glenneyre Street. Public parking runs after 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, after 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and all day Sunday. The lot serves library patrons at other times.

The city’s lot list marks Lots 1 through 6, 15 and 16 with overnight parking. Charging stations take ChargePoint payment at $2 an hour for up to four hours. Register with ChargePoint before you arrive. A car at a charging station does not need a separate parking pass. The lots page also links a golf cart parking map. See Golf carts.

Beach parking

Parking at the beaches depends on the cove. The California Coastal Commission’s access data lists a fee for parking at Main Beach and at the parking structure on Wesley Drive by Treasure Island Beach. Along Cliff Drive, the access points for Fisherman’s Cove, Divers Cove, Picnic Beach, Rockpile Beach and Heisler Park use metered on-street spaces. Many street-end stairs in Central Laguna come with on-street parking. See Main Beach, Divers Cove and Treasure Island for each approach.

Summer and busy weekends

Parking is tight from Memorial Day through Labor Day, most of all within a quarter mile of Main Beach and the Village. Lots 10 and 11 stop honoring the Shopper Permit in summer, as noted above. Three alternatives take the pressure off the Village:

• Summer Breeze. The city runs a free park-and-ride loop from a lot at 16355 Laguna Canyon Road in Irvine, near the I-405 and SR-133 interchange. The city’s page lists service from May 22 to September 6, with departures every 30 minutes, and no service on July 4. Confirm the dates each season.
• The Act V lot. Outside summer, on Saturdays and Sundays, park at Lot 16, 1900 Laguna Canyon Road, for $5 and ride the free Canyon Route trolley downtown from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The off-season schedule runs from September 8, 2026 to June 25, 2027, and the lot is closed to the public Monday through Friday.
• The Coastal Route trolley. It runs free along Coast Highway. See Getting around for routes and hours.

Red Flag parking restrictions

When the National Weather Service issues a Red Flag Warning for Laguna Beach, parking restrictions take effect on named streets in Bluebird Canyon, Canyon Acres and Diamond/Crestview. The city picked those neighborhoods because of narrow, winding roads. Where it can, the city limits parking to one side of the street, in the direction of egress.

The city updates its website, opens the signs, sends a text to people registered for alerts and posts on social media. Text LBREDFLAG to 888777 to register. The Weather Service issues a warning for the city about one day a year on average. The signs apply only on Red Flag days. A vehicle in violation can be cited and removed at the owner’s expense. City employees and contractors on official duty are exempt while they are present, and so are commercial delivery vehicles parked at the delivery address for no more than 15 minutes with the driver present. See Bluebird Canyon for the setting.

Moving day and deliveries

The city rents meter bags for moving vans and storage containers. A bag covers a meter and authorizes towing of any vehicle parked at it. The city lists $25 per day per meter Monday through Friday, and $125 per meter for a weekend, which runs from about 3 p.m. Friday to about 6 a.m. Monday. Staff place the bag between 6 and 7 a.m. If a car already sits in the space, they bag the nearest open one. Call (949) 464-6645 for the meter bag application.

We found no city page that covers a truck that stops for a short time on an unmetered residential street. Any work in the public right-of-way needs a Public Works Permit, and the Public Works page lists the Parking and Transit Division at (949) 497-0306. In a gated or HOA community, the association sets rules on matters such as guest parking. Ask the association for its moving rules before you book a truck. Use the moving checklist to line up the dates.