Across Bath & North East Somerset, there are a number of resident parking schemes (RPZs), with parking restrictions in place. If you live within an RPZ, you may need to apply for a Residents Parking Permit to park on the street near your home. Use this page to check your eligibility for a permit, how to apply, where to find more information about how to use your permit and our parking pricing policy.
What permits are for
Permits allow people living in an RPZ to park on a street within their zone where signs allow. Eligible households can purchase up to two Residents Parking Permits, except in the central zone, where parking space is extremely restricted, so you can only purchase one.
You can register up to four vehicles to any single permit, but only one of these vehicles can be active at any one time.
View permit arrangements for Blue Badge holders living in an RPZ
If you are a Blue Badge holder living within an RPZ, you are entitled to a free 12-month residents' permit for your vehicle for that zone only.
This will allow you to leave your vehicle legitimately parked at home in a resident parking bay or dual use bay (resident parking/on-street pay and display bays) located within your specific zone, whilst you travel in a different vehicle with your Blue Badge.
Contact Parking Services to get your free Residents Parking Permit:
- by email at parking@bathnes.gov.uk
- by phone on 01225 47 71 33
If you change your vehicle, you need to contact Parking Services through the same email address or phone number, so we can update your permit.
Check your eligibility
To be eligible for a Residents Parking Permit, you must meet conditions related to residence and the availability of permits for your address.
You must have your vehicle registered with the DVLA at the address within the RPZ that your permit is for, and occupy this property at least four nights a week. View a map of the zones within B&NES.
Your property should NOT be a new development or building change of use (for example, conversion of an industrial building into flats, or an office or shop into a house) which has resulted in extra parking need after the implementation of an existing RPZ.
There must still be permits available within the maximum allocation for your property. The number of available permits may be affected by:
where you live: in the central zone, there is only one permit available per property
- other residents who already have a permit, in some shared properties. Individual flats which have their own Unique Property Reference Number, or UPRN, may have an entitlement to their own permit allocation, but not Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), such as shared student accommodation. Check if your building has a UPRN.
- any available off-street parking space at the property. (We aim to reserve the available space for on-street parking for those who really need it, so you may be eligible for fewer permits, if you have outside space which you could use for off-street parking.)
If you're not sure about permit eligibility
For full detail on eligibility criteria and priority, view our:
- On-street parking permits terms and conditions (eligibility section for residents permits)
- Policy for Allocation of Parking Permits in Controlled Zones
We strongly recommend checking your eligibility for a Residents Parking Permit, before making decisions which may depend on the ability to park on the street in a controlled parking zone, such as:
- buying, renting or moving into a property, especially a new build, a shared property, or one converted into flats
- building or converting a property which would create parking need
If you're still unsure, please contact us at parking@bathnes.gov.uk or 01225 477133 and we will do our best to help you.
When you apply for your Residents Parking Permit, our permit management system, MiPermit, will confirm the maximum number of permits that you're eligible to buy.
Understand what you'll have to pay
Prices for all residents permits in Bath and North East Somerset are vehicle-specific. This means that the exact amount you have to pay will depend on the vehicle you're using. We calculate the total cost based on your vehicle's:
- engine emissions
- size
Other factors affecting your permit charge
Most households in most residential parking zones can purchase up to two parking permits. If you purchase a second permit, the price will be around 60% higher than the single permit rate for an equivalent vehicle size and emissions.
Electric vehicles are charged at the lowest emissions rate. The emissions element for vehicles using diesel fuel is 25% higher than for a comparable class of petrol vehicle. This is because the higher proportion of NO2 (nitrous oxide) emissions from diesel vehicles has a greater impact on air pollution, which is harmful for other road users such as pedestrians.
Residents Parking Permits are available in 1-, 3-, 6- or 12-month durations. See our Parking Pricing Policy and Manage your permit pages for more details on:
- charges for different durations
- circumstances when it may make sense to buy a shorter duration permit
- how we deal with changes or cancellations during the duration of your permit
To find out more about the rationale behind our pricing policy, and how it may apply to your vehicle, visit our page on parking pricing policy.
Understand our permit parking pricing policy
View our On-street parking permits terms and conditions for full detail on how we calculate permit charges.
All figures and calculations in these pages are a guide, and the exact price you need to pay will be calculated automatically when you apply, through our parking management system, MiPermit.
Before you apply
Decide on the duration of permit you'd like to buy
Permits come in four durations: 1, 3, 6 or 12 months. Read more pricing and conditions of use to help you decide:
- permit durations and costs section of our page on understanding our permit parking pricing policy
- changing, cancelling, or renewing your permit sections on our page on managing your permit
Check the evidence you'll need when you apply
If you have a Council Tax account
To apply for a Residents Parking Permit, you'll need:
- your vehicle registration
- your address
- a valid Council Tax reference number
If you're a student or you don't have a Council Tax account
You'll need to provide:
- a copy of a signed and dated tenancy agreement (we'll ask you to upload a digital file during the application process)
- your vehicle registration document, V5C (also called the logbook)
When you come to apply, enter any text in the Council Tax Reference field on the online form. This will allow you to proceed with your application, and upload alternative proof of residence and vehicle details.
As our team will need to do a manual verification check of your details, it may take up to ten working days during peak periods to process your application. Please ensure all documents are clear, current and show your name and address, so we can process your application as quickly as possible.
If have problems with your application or the evidence required, please contact us by email at parking@bathnes.gov.uk or call us on 01225 477133
When you apply for your Residents Parking Permit, you may also want to apply for Visitor Parking Permits for your guests to park on the street near your home.
Next steps
Your Residents Parking Permit is digital, not a paper permit to display in your car. When you have bought your permit online, it will be active immediately (unless you have chosen to buy in advance for a future date during the application process), and you don't need to worry about displaying anything in your car when you park.
You'll need to comply with our Parking Permit Terms and Conditions to use and manage your permit and avoid fines. Please read through our Manage your Residents Parking Permit page carefully, to ensure you know the detail about:
- eligibility and entitlement within each RPZ
- where and when you can and cannot park
- costs, cancellation and the permit renewal process
- what to do if your circumstances change