Downtown Parking

Paid Parking

The City of Paso Robles is excited to announce the launch of an innovative parking system. Solar powered parking pay stations have been installed in downtown Paso Robles.

Paid parking hours are Daily from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Patrons will be given 2 hours of free parking per day after they enter their license plate. Parking is $1.00 per hour after the free 2 hours. Customers can pay with debit card, credit card, or the new mobile payment app, WayToPark. Additionally, 3 pay stations accept cash. The cash enabled pay stations are conveniently located at: 11th St. and Park St, (near the horseshoe pits), 12th St. and Pine St. (on the southwest corner) and 13th St. and Park St. (on the southeast corner).

Parking is free on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

More info:

Employee Parking Permit Program

The Paso Robles Downtown Employee Parking Permit Program provides downtown business owners and employees a low-cost option for parking in the downtown core. Permits are $5 per month, per vehicle. Parking is available in 5 public parking lots in the downtown core.

Downtown business owners and employees have 4 options available to purchase a Downtown Employee Permit:

Senior Parking Permit Program

The senior parking permit application period for 2022 is now closed. Applications are no longer being accepted.

Permits are valid from April 1st – March 31st. With the Senior Permit, seniors can park in any paid parking space Downtown without additional payment.

Senior permit requirements:

Must be 65 years of age or older with a valid driver’s license
Must be a Paso Robles resident (within City limits)
Must be the registered owner of the vehicle
Must not be a Downtown employee or business owner
Limited to 500 permits annually
Limited to 1 permit per household (1 vehicle)
Completed applications must be turned in before April 30^th

As a reminder, those with disabled placards do not need a senior permit and are exempt from paid parking regulations when their placard is displayed.

Downtown Parking Advisory Commission

On March 3, 2020, the Paso Robles City Council created the Downtown Parking Advisory Commission. The commission serves at the pleasure of the City Council as a means to aid the City Council in gathering public input on the operation, continued development, and management of the Paso Robles Downtown Parking program, by providing advice to the City Council and by making decisions in those areas delegated by the City Council.

December 1, 2021 - The City of Paso Robles is now accepting applications for appointment to the Downtown Parking Advisory Commission. Applications may be obtained at City Hall, 1000 Sprint Street, or downloaded by clicking the link below. Completed applications should be mailed or dropped off at City Hall, 1000 Spring Street.

Advisory Body Application

Quarterly Parking Occupancy Results

The City of Paso Robles collects data on a quarterly basis in the Downtown and Downtown core area. The quarterly cadence will capture seasonal trends, provide transparency, and allow for data-driven decisions. Data is collected for on-street and off-street locations during a 1 week period each quarter. Results are compared to the parking industry standard ideal parking occupancy rate of 85%.

About License Plate Recognition (LPR) Software:

The LPR system does not identify any individual or access any person's personal information through its analysis of license plate characters. The data captured by the LPR unit itself is entirely anonymous. Officers can only identify the registered owner of a vehicle by querying a separate, secure state government database of vehicle license plate records, which is restricted, controlled, and audited.

Additionally, the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) restricts access and prohibits the release of personal information from state motor vehicle records to ensure the privacy of citizens. 18 USC § 2721-2725.

For further information click here to view the Automated License Plate Recognition Policy Manual.

On Tuesday, November 6, 2018 City Council approved a request to add 100 more parking spaces to the Downtown Paso Robles Employee Parking Permit Pilot Program, see updated map above.

On Tuesday, October 16, 2018 City Council approved a 6-month pilot program designating reserved parking areas in five downtown parking lots for employees who purchase parking permits for $5/month.

Downtown Employee Parking Permit Program Details

Downtown businesses or employees may reserve a parking permit by calling the City Manager's Office at 805.237.3888 or via email at info@prcity.com.

September 15, 2018

The City of Paso Robles and downtown merchants have been working together to free up and/or create customer parking downtown in advance of the 2018 holiday shopping season. The next step is to get your input on an employee parking pilot program and an update to our parking ordinance. We are asking ALL downtown businesses to participate on 10/11 and/or the following meetings:

10/2/2018 Customer Parking Steering Committee (made up of reps from downtown retail and professional businesses, Park Cinemas, downtown residents, the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association, Travel Paso and Hispanic Business Association)

10/2/2018 City Council meeting - Customer Parking consultant presentation of Steering Committee recommendations

10/11/2018 Downtown Business meeting to discuss the proposed employee parking pilot program - 7PM in the City Council Chamber at 1000 Spring Street (presentation here) (pilot program details here)

10/15/2018 Customer Parking Ad Hoc Committee presentation to the Main Street Board of Directors

10/16/2018 City Council meeting – presenting employee parking pilot program