Committee reviews shift to license‑plate permits and LPR enforcement for residential parking

Staff presented a plan to move Santa Barbara’s residential permit parking (RPP) program from paper stickers and a legacy database to a license‑plate‑enabled online portal that will make a vehicle’s license plate the resident’s permit. The portal launched April 1 and staff said approved permits update in the system within about five to ten minutes.

Ethan Pittney, a parking program staff member, told the committee the system will require applicants to upload vehicle registration and two proofs of residence (lease/ownership document plus a piece of mail). The city will continue to review those documents individually before approving permits. Pittney said the city is issuing virtual permits immediately for new approvals while allowing existing 2026–2027 physical permits to remain in use during testing.

The new system eliminates the mailing and manual data‑entry steps required under the old process and integrates directly with the police department’s enforcement workflow because both agencies are using the same vendor, DataTicket, staff said. Pittney described how enforcement staff can drive with a dedicated LPR (license‑plate recognition) vehicle to scan plates and verify active permits without requiring officers to inspect stickers on dashboards.

Staff said the LPR vehicle and kit will be used for parking studies and lot verification; the police department operates a separate, more robust LPR system for on‑street overtime enforcement. The committee heard that LPR read data used for lot operations are purged on a 30‑day cycle and access to identifiable vehicle‑owner information requires a valid court order except for limited law‑enforcement investigations, with audit logs recorded for any access.

Committee members pressed staff on common implementation questions. Staff confirmed there are nine RPP areas citywide and about 3,000 residential permit holders; permits renew on a staggered schedule (January–September) so the rollout will be gradual. Staff also confirmed current program limits: up to three assigned vehicle permits and one visitor placard per address. Visitor placards under the new system are virtual and can be associated with up to 10 license plates in the applicant’s account; residents can activate a visitor plate through the portal or by calling staff for assistance.

The city said it will continue issuance of physical permits during April’s testing period and the police department is testing LPR enforcement through April 30. Staff called the transition complete once all permit issuance is virtual, with a target completion date in March 2027.

On privacy, committee members raised concerns about cross‑system data sharing and third‑party camera vendors. Staff responded that the parking database is not publicly accessible, that LPR plate reads store only plate characters and images of the vehicle exterior, and that the city’s LPR policy governs retention and auditability of requests to access information.

The committee did not take formal action on the RPP technical update; staff closed the item after questions and moved to the fee schedule presentation.