Frequently Asked Questions

To learn more about the many businesses in the City of Albany we recommend visiting www.albany.org, www.centralbid.com, www.downtownalbany.org, and www.larkstreetbid.org

For information on bus routes and schedules in the City of Albany, please visit www.CDTA.org

For details regarding on-street parking regulations, including parking on-street for an extended period of time, please contact the City of Albany’s Traffic Safety Division at 518-462-6593.

The Albany Parking Authority does not issue hangtags for residents with disabilities. Applications for a hangtag can be picked up at Albany City Hall, located at 24 Eagle St. or downloaded from the City of Albany’s website

For additional questions related to hangtags for residents with disabilities, please contact the City of Albany’s Parking Violations Bureau at 518-434-5006.

The Albany Parking Authority does not issue license plates. For more information about how to request a Handicapped License Plate, please contact the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) at 518-486-9786 or visit their website at www.dmv.ny.gov

To reserve a parking space for moving, loading and unloading or a special event, please contact the City of Albany’s Traffic Engineering Division at 518-434-5791.

If you are looking to reserve a metered parking space, additional fees may apply based on the meter’s zone.

Parking is defined by use, not by ownership. Garages and lots are open for public parking wherever any motorist can pay a fee to park. Private or restricted parking facilities are only open to permitted employees or customers of a business or institution.

For information about on-street residential parking permits, visit the City of Albany’s Parking Permit webpage or contact the City Clerk’s office at 518-434-5090.

The Albany Parking Authority does offer residential monthly parking passes for all 3 of our garage locations. For additional information, please visit our Monthly Parking webpage.

No. Non-residential vehicles parked in a residential permitted zone may only park for no more than two (2) consecutive hours per day between the hours of 8:00am and 6:00pm on weekdays, except holidays, along any street which has been designated a residential parking permit zone.

There are three (3) residential Permit Parking Zones in the City of Albany: Zone A, Zone B and Zone C.

• Zone A: Those neighborhoods generally west of the Empire State Plaza and south of State Street and consisting of designated streets within the neighborhoods identified as Center Square, Hudson/Park, Park South and Washington Park. The designated color for Zone A is Red.
• Zone B: Those neighborhoods generally east of the Empire State Plaza and south of State Street and consisting of designated streets within the neighborhoods identified as Mansion and Pastures. The designated color for Zone B is Blue.
• Zone C: Those neighborhoods generally east of the Empire State Plaza and north of State Street and consisting of designated streets within the neighborhoods identified as Ten Broeck Triangle. The designated color for Zone C is Orange.

For a detailed map of these zones, please see the following link.

No. Non-residential vehicles parked in a residential permitted zone may only park for no more than two (2) consecutive hours per day between the hours of 8:00am and 6:00pm on weekdays, except holidays, along any street which has been designated a residential parking permit zone.

Vehicles parked in a single residential parking zone during residential only parking hours without a City of Albany Residential Parking Permit more than two (2) consecutive hours are subject to a $65.00 fine.

There are three (3) residential Permit Parking Zones in the City of Albany: Zone A, Zone B and Zone C. Each Zone is designated by on-street signage.

• Zone A: Those neighborhoods generally west of the Empire State Plaza and south of State Street and consisting of designated streets within the neighborhoods identified as Center Square, Hudson/Park, Park South and Washington Park. The designated color for Zone A is Red.
• Zone B: Those neighborhoods generally east of the Empire State Plaza and south of State Street and consisting of designated streets within the neighborhoods identified as Mansion and Pastures. The designated color for Zone B is Blue.
• Zone C: Those neighborhoods generally east of the Empire State Plaza and north of State Street and consisting of designated streets within the neighborhoods identified as Ten Broeck Triangle. The designated color for Zone C is Orange.

For a detailed map of these zones, please see the following link.

A vehicle is eligible to be booted when it has $200.00 or more in outstanding parking tickets for longer than the 20 day limit.

If your vehicle has been towed, you will need to contact the Albany Police Department Dispatch at 518-438-4000.

For additional questions regarding parking tickets or violations, please contact the Parking Violations Bureau at 518-434-5006 or [email protected].

If your vehicle has been booted, you will need to contact the phone number on your booting notice.

For additional questions regarding parking tickets or violations, please contact the Parking Violations Bureau at 518-434-5006 or [email protected].

The Albany Parking Authority does not handle or manage payments, contests, or appeals for parking tickets. For questions or assistance regarding a parking ticket or violation, please contact the Parking Violations Bureau located at Albany City Hall at 518-434-5006 or [email protected]

To contest a parking ticket/violation, the ticket holder will either need to bring the ticket(s) into Albany City Hall to issue the contest in-person or mail their contest to the Parking Violations Bureau with a copy of their ticket and an explanation attached. Parking violation/ticket contests cannot be made over the phone.

Parking tickets may be contested in-person at:

Albany City Hall

24 Eagle Street

Albany, NY 12207

No, the Albany Parking Authority cannot void or cancel a parking violation/ticket.

To contest a parking ticket/violation, the ticket holder will either need to bring the ticket(s) into Albany City Hall to issue the contest in-person or mail their contest to the Parking Violations Bureau with a copy of their ticket and an explanation attached. Parking violation/ticket contests cannot be made over the phone.

Parking tickets may be contested in-person at:

Albany City Hall
24 Eagle Street
Albany, NY 12207

Online payments can be made through the City of Albany’s Parking Violations Bureau online Payment Portal using a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express) at: https://albany.rmcpay.com

Please Note: Online payments are subject to convenience fees.

In-person payments can be made at the City of Albany’s Treasurer’s Office using cash, check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express). The Treasurer’s Office is located on the first floor of Albany City Hall at 24 Eagle Street in Albany, NY. Office hours are 8:30am – 5:00pm.

By Mail payments can be made using a check or money order made payable to the Parking Violations Bureau. When making a payment by mail, be sure to include the ticket number and license plate number of the ticketed vehicle on your check or money order. Payments can be mailed to:

Albany City Hall – Treasurer’s Office
24 Eagle Street, 1st Floor
Albany, NY 12207

The Albany Parking Authority does not handle or manage payments, contests, or appeals for parking violations/tickets.

For questions or assistance regarding a parking violation/ticket, please contact the Parking Violations Bureau located at Albany City Hall at 518-434-5006 or [email protected]

To report a parking violation within the City of Albany, please contact the Parking Enforcement Office at 518-434-8887

No, during snow emergencies all Parking Meter rules and regulations are temporarily suspended until the snow emergency is lifted. Vehicles will still be ticketed during a snow emergency if they are blocking crosswalks, fire hydrants, handicap parking areas and any other obstructions. 

If you have question about a Snow Emergency in the City of Albany, please call the Snow Emergency Hotline at 518-476-7669 or the Albany Department of General Services (DGS) at 518-434-2489.

For additional information, visit the City Of Albany’s Snow Removal webpage or see the City of Albany’s Snow Emergency Brochure

An individual is ONLY exempt from paying the meter when BOTH the handicap hangtag and meter parking waiver placard are visibly displayed in the vehicle.

The ParkAlbany Mobile App can be used to pay for on-street metered parking throughout the City of Albany and to pay for parking at a ParkAlbany Central Avenue Parking Lot & the Quackenbush Square Parking Lot without having to use a physical parking meter.

If paying with coins (nickels, dimes, quarters, and 1-dollar coins), insert the coin payment into the coin slot for the amount of time you would like to park.

If paying with a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express):

You may also pay your meter through the ParkAlbany App, available for both Android and iOS. To learn more, please visit app.parkalbany.com

You may also pay your meter through the ParkAlbany App, available for both Android and iOS. To learn more, please visit app.parkalbany.com

On-street parking meters are in effect weekdays, Monday through Friday, except for certain holidays (See Below). On-street parking meters are not in effect on weekends or after 5:00pm on weekdays.

On-street parking meter start and end times may vary by zone; please refer to the signage in the area in which you are parking.

Parking meters located in the Central Avenue Parking Lots and the Quackenbush Parking Lot are in effect Monday – Saturday from 12:00am – 11:59pm each day. Parking at these parking lot locations is free on Sundays. 

No, motorcycles are not allowed to access or park in any ParkAlbany parking garage for safety and liability reasons that may be incurred by not only the Albany Parking Authority but also by other parkers and the motorcycle owner themselves.

Motorcycle parking is permitted in the Quackenbush Parking Lot and at all the Central Avenue Parking Lots.

Monthly Pass Holders looking for information regarding alternate downtown parking locations for their motorcycles may contact the Albany Parking Authority’s Customer Service department, Monday – Friday between 8:00am and 4:00pm, at 518-434-8886 x107 or by emailing [email protected].

Yes, vehicles may be parked overnight at a ParkAlbany garage. If you are not a monthly parking pass holder and will be parking your vehicle in one of our garages for more than 72 hours, please contact our customer service office at 518-434-8886 x107 as some restrictions may apply.

Please Note: All vehicles parked at a ParkAlbany location must be in drivable condition and have valid license plates and registration. If you are parking your vehicle overnight during the winter, we ask that you do not park on the top level of the garages so we may properly plow in the event of snow. If a parked vehicle is impeding snow removal at a garage it may be towed.

Yes, over a dozen Downtown Albany business currently offer validated parking at a ParkAlbany Garage to their customers.

For information or to set up a validation account for a business, please contact our Customer Service department, Monday – Friday between 8:00am and 4:00pm, at 518-434-8886 x107 or by emailing [email protected]

ParkAlbany’s parking garages are cash-free. Parkers can pay for parking using a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover) or with Apple Pay or Google Wallet at a vehicle entry/exit lane or at a pay-on-foot kiosk located near the pedestrian entrances of each garage. 

Parkers can also pay for parking at ParkAlbany parking garages through their mobile device by texting PAY to 518-989-5904 and following the on-screen instructions. Please note there is a $0.35 processing fee when using “Text to Pay”.

Payment at a Pay-On-Foot Kiosk or through “Text to Pay” is not available when a garage requires payment on-entry.

Each ParkAlbany parking garage offers Daytime, Evening, Weekend as well as varying special event rates. For detailed garage pricing information, please see our Garages & Lots page.

The Albany Parking Authority has 3 garages located in Downtown Albany, NY:

• Green-Hudson Garage is located at 45 Hudson Ave. Albany, NY
• Riverfront Garage is located at 2 Columbia St. Albany, NY
• Quackenbush Garage is located at 25 Orange St. Albany, NY 

Additional Information for each of our garages is available online.

To cancel an Individual or Residential Monthly Parking Pass, the pass holder must request their cancelation in writing, and it must be received by the Albany Parking Authority no later than the 23rd day of your current billing cycle.

For Corporate or Group Parking Passes that are not under contact or have fulfilled the terms of their contract, requests to cancel one or more parking passes must be sent in writing and received by the Albany Parking Authority no later than 30 days prior to the 1st day of the month you wish your cancellation to take effect.

• If your account is under contract, you will not be eligible to cancel until the terms of your active contract have been met.

If you have any questions about whether your account is eligible for cancelation, please contact the Albany Parking Authority’s Customer Service department at 518-434-8886 x107 or by emailing [email protected]

Please be aware before choosing to cancel your Monthly Parking Pass that:

• All cancelations take effect on the 1st of the following month.
• Parking Passes are sold at a monthly rate, and we are unable to do partial month cancelations.
• After canceling, if you choose to purchase a Monthly Parking Pass at a later date, it will be at the then-current established rate.

If for any reason an automatic payment cannot be processed on the 25^th and an alternative payment is not received by the Albany Parking Authority prior to the 1^st day of the upcoming month, that pass will be deactivated until payment is made. 

If you attempt to park at your selected parking location while your parking pass is deactivated, your pass will not grant you access, and you will have to pay the hourly/daily parking rate. The Albany Parking Authority does not refund hourly/daily parking payments if a pass holder’s parking pass is reactivated.

Payment for the first month of a ParkAlbany Garage Monthly Parking Pass and/or Permit is required at the time of purchase. Payments for subsequent months are automatically processed on the 25^th day of each month using the payment method attached to that pass and/or permits account.

No, Monthly Parking Passes/Permits for the garages and/or the lots are non-transferable and only valid for the vehicle(s) registered to that specific permit. At the time of purchasing a Monthly Parking Pass, the purchaser registers a specific vehicle and license plate to their Monthly Pass/Permit and Access Card.

Please note, creating copies of Monthly Parking Passes/Permits and/or Access Cards or allowing use of a Monthly Parking Pass/Permit and/or Access Card by anyone other than permit holder on record is strictly prohibited. If a non-registered vehicle accesses or parks in a ParkAlbany parking garage or lot by using credentials that are not assigned to that vehicle, that vehicle may not be able to leave due to anti-passback systems that prevent the exit gate from rising when a monthly pass credential is used out of sequence.

Additionally, any non-registered vehicle that gained access and is parked in a ParkAlbany parking garage or lot using a pass/permit or credential not assigned to that vehicle may be ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense. That pass/permit or credential may be deactivated, and the corresponding Monthly Parking account may be closed with no refund issued.

If a monthly parking credential(s) (AVI Tags, Proximity Cards) is lost or damaged, a replacement may be purchased by the pass holder for $10.00.

In the case of a parking credential(s) being lost, please contact the Albany Parking Authority’s Customer Service department immediately at 518-434-8886 x107 or email [email protected] so that the lost credential(s) can be deactivated.

To update the vehicle information on a monthly parking pass, login to your ParkAlbany Account and select “Manage My Vehicles”, here you can update the Year, Make, Model, and Plate information assigned to your Monthly Parking Pass.

Have Monthly Parking at a Garage Location: Login to Your Account Here

Have Monthly Parking at a Lot Location: Login to Your Account Here

If you have issues updating your information online through your account, please contact our Customer Service department, Monday – Friday between 8:00am and 4:00pm, at 518-434-8886 x107 or by emailing [email protected]

At the time of account activation, Monthly Parking Pass holders will be issued their monthly parking credential, either an AVI Tag or Proximity Card, depending on account type. These credentials will grant the pass holder access to their chosen parking locations. Additional/replacement AVI Tags & Proximity Cards may be purchased for $10.00.

Monthly Parking Pass Holders also have access to the ParkWhiz mobile app, which will allow them to enter/exit their monthly parking location through their mobile phone by using the QR scan code or via Bluetooth with the Slide to Open Gate button inside the app.

For additional information on monthly passes and parking credential(s) options, please visit our monthly parking webpage.

Monthly Parking Permits for a ParkAlbany parking lot location are sold as a monthly subscription and are auto-renewed each month to ensure there is no interruption to your parking access. Monthly Parking Permits for parking lot locations can be Purchased Here

Already have monthly parking at a Lot Location: Login to Your Account Here

Monthly Parking Passes for a ParkAlbany garage location are sold as a monthly subscription and are auto-renewed each month to ensure there is no interruption to your parking access.

Monthly Parking Passes can be purchased online.

Yes, for information about monthly parking options at all our parking locations, please visit our monthly parking webpage.