WEST HOLLYWOOD—Starting Monday, January 4, 2021, the city of West Hollywood Parking Services Division will implement a digital, user friendly parking system that will allow guests and residents alike to obtain a parking permit online without acquiring one from an in-person transaction. 

Due to the pandemic, cities are currently facing the challenge to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The West Hollywood Parking Division will launch a program called ‘Permit-by-Plate’ that is designed specifically to purchase parking permits in a  touchless and convenient manner.  

The touchless, user friendly system is used by License Plate Technology (LPR), which is the same technology a parking enforcer utilizes to determine and scan a persons license plate. Parking enforcers will use LPR that are either mounted on their vehicles or  handheld machines to scan license plates in order to figure out if a car has a correct permit. The online mechanism is from Conduent, Inc., which is a process service company that serves to make every “interaction digital, personalized, and secure,” according to a press release from the city. 

In order to acquire a parking permit, a person will be able to use the Permit-by-Plate program via the city’s website www.weho.org/parking. From there, the individual will need to input the street address and a drivers license if they are a resident or if it’s a visitor only a license plate is needed.

For guests or visitors, once they obtain a permit they can park within any of the 11 preferential parking districts, which offers a designated space in a residential area that a visitor can park if displayed with a valid permit during certain hours. For residents of West Hollywood, they will need to register for an account, supply the necessary information, be approved, and then they will have their own secure parking permit. 

According to weho.org, the benefits of the program include its cost effectiveness in purchasing paper permits, mailing them out, and their less dependable for use of paper. There will be no longer be a need for physical one once the program is initiated. Also, since the individual’s personal information will be used to acquire a permit, the permit itself cannot be lost or stolen. 

“The City of West Hollywood’s Permit-by-Plate program is a great example of how technology can help save time and energy for residents and make things safer for everyone as we all seek ways to maintain social distance during COVID-19,” said West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey P Horyath. 

For more information about Permit-by-Plate program, go to www.weho.org/parking.