Resident parking permit FAQs

How do I apply for a resident permit for the first time?

You can apply online.

If you don't have internet access at home, you can use our library PCs and iPads to apply online.

Alternatively, you can download and return the application form along with the required proofs by email to: [email protected] or by post to Westminster City Council, Parking Services, PO Box 353, Sheffield, S98 1ER.

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What documentation do I need to provide for a resident permit?

Vehicle proof documentation

Privately-owned vehicles:

• ​​​​pages 1 and 2 of the vehicle registration document (V5C) in your name and showing your Westminster address
• a valid motor insurance certificate showing the vehicle registration number, Westminster address, dates of cover and you as the named or main driver of the vehicle. If all the details are not on the certificate, you must produce an accompanying schedule or related policy document showing the policy number and the missing details

We will not accept insurance documents showing addresses outside Westminster.

Privately-hired or leased vehicles:

• the hire or lease agreement showing the vehicle registration number, your name, dates of cover and the Westminster address
• the insurance statement - this is normally found within the hire or lease agreement terms, but where this is not the case, a separate certificate must be produced showing the vehicle is insured in Westminster for your use

If your hire/lease agreement and insurance certificate is in the same document, you will only be required to submit one document for a first-time permit application.

We do not accept hire/lease agreements made between private individuals.

Company owned vehicles - if the vehicle is provided to you by your employer which is a limited company. you must produce:

• pages 1 and 2 of the vehicle registration document (V5C) showing the company name and address
• a letter on company headed paper signed by a senior company official (not related to you) dated within the last month, confirming the vehicle registration number and stating that the vehicle is provided to you for your sole use at your Westminster address and is insured for your use

If the vehicle is provided to you by your employer which is a non-limited company or you are a sole trader, you must produce:

• pages 1 and 2 of the vehicle registration document (V5C) showing the name and address of the company or trading name
• a statutory declaration sworn before a Commissioner of Oaths or solicitor dated within 1 month, and completed by a senior official of the company or a representative such as the company accountant (this person must not be related to you and it must state that the vehicle is provided to you by the company as the sole driver and is insured for this purpose and kept at the Westminster address)

Company-hired or leased vehicles:

• a company letter or statutory declaration sworn before a Commissioner of Oaths or solicitor dated within one month, and completed by a senior official of the company or a representative such as the company accountant (this person must not be related to you and it must state that the vehicle is provided to you by the company as the sole driver and is insured for this purpose and kept at the Westminster address)
• a letter from the hire or lease company confirming the vehicle is on lease to your company and that insurance is included in the terms of the lease - must be dated within 1 month

Proof of Residence

You may not need to submit residency proofs if you apply online and your name and address are validated via the Westminster City Council tax register.  If the Council Tax validation fails online, you can submit this proof by choosing the Council Tax residency type in the upload options.  If you chose this option, you will only by required to submit this one proof.

First time applicants:

If you cannot supply your Council Tax statement you must provide 2 proof documents from the list below, showing residence in your name and Westminster address. Documents issued in joint names are acceptable and one must be dated within the last three months.

Renewal applicants:

If not validated via the Westminster City Council tax register you must provide one proof document from the list below, showing residence in your name and Westminster address.

Documents issued in joint names are acceptable and must be dated within the last 3 months. Provided your details have not changed, you may complete a renewal online.

Acceptable residency proof documents if Council Tax statement cannot be provided: 

• property lease agreement 
• property purchase document
• tenancy agreement
• bank statement, building society statement, or credit card bill (a store card is not acceptable)
• electricity bill, gas bill, or water bill
• landline phone bill or mobile bill - contract customers only
• entitlement to local state benefit

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How long will it take for my application to be processed?

We aim to process all applications within 3 working days of when they are received.

You will be notified when your new permit is ready for use.

If your permit cannot be authorised straight away, for example if we need you to provide additional proofs, then it may take longer to process your application. However, we may issue you with a temporary permit that will allow your vehicle to park in a resident bay whilst your application is in progress.

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How will I be informed about the progress of my resident permit application?

If you want to check the status of an existing permit or application, please log into your account.

Updates or requests for further documentation are generally sent by email, (unless you have not provided an email address). Therefore, if you have not already done so, please add: [email protected] to your safe sender list to ensure receipt, otherwise important emails may go into your junk or spam folder.

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My application has been authorised but I haven't received notification that my new permit is ready to use, what should I do?

Please allow up 3 days from the date you originally submitted your application for your new permit to be ready to use.  If you haven't received notification from us after 3 days, please call us on 0207 823 4567 between the hours of 8am and 8pm Monday to Saturday and one of our advisors will be able to assist you.

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My resident permit is due to expire soon, how do I renew it?

The easiest way to renew your permit is online where a user guide to the renewal process is also available.

If you don't have internet access at home, use our library PCs and iPads to apply online.

Alternatively, you can download and return the application form along with the required proofs by email to: [email protected] or by post to Westminster City Council, Parking Services, PO BOX 353, Sheffield, S98 1ER.

Renewal letters can be sent by either email or post, normally five weeks prior to your permit expiring (please note that you do not need the renewal letter in order to renew your permit). To avoid emails including the renewal reminder being sent to your junk items folder, please add: [email protected] to your safe senders list. 

If you can’t provide all the required proof documents when you apply to renew, we will consider issuing you with a temporary 6 week permit.

If your permit is not renewed within 6 days of the current permit expiring, a new application must be made. See ‘How do I apply for a resident permit for the first time?’

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I’ve forgotten my login details for the online permits portal, what do I do?

Your details to log in online will be the email address you registered with. 

If you don't know your password (or this is the first time using the new permit system) , please use the ‘Forgotten Password’ page and follow the steps to reset it.

Watch a video below for advice on resetting your password:

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I’ve sent additional proofs, have you received them and if so when will I get my permit?

If you’ve provided further documents, we will aim to check these within three working days of when they are received. If these were sent by post, please allow time for them to reach us.

If you have sent further evidence by email, you should have received an auto reply confirming that we have received your email.

If you want to check the status of your application at any time, please log into your account.

If we need to contact you regarding the proofs you have supplied, we will usually either contact you by phone or by email. Therefore, if you have not already done so, please add [email protected] to your safe sender list to ensure receipt, otherwise important emails may go into your junk or spam folder.

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I’m getting an error message when uploading documents, why is this?

There can be several reasons why you get an error message when trying to upload documents, but the main cause is if they are not in the supported document type or they exceed the permitted size limit. 

Each document should be no larger than 5MB and the file format should be either: pdf, jpeg, jpg or png. 

We also recommend you scan or photograph the documents before commencing an online application, so these are readily available when they need to be uploaded, as delays can cause the system to time out and cause an error

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Can I send supporting documents by email?

Yes, if you are unable to upload documents online, these can be sent by email to: [email protected]  Remember to include your permit reference number, name, address and vehicle registration mark (VRM) in your email.

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I’ve been given a temporary resident permit; do I need to display anything in my vehicle?

No, you do not need to display anything. The temporary permit is virtual and our marshals will be able to see that you have a temporary permit on their handheld device.  

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I’ve bought a new vehicle; how do I update my resident permit?

You can apply to change the vehicle on your permit yourself by logging in to your account where a step by step user guide can also be found.

There is a £10 administration charge and you will need to supply one proof confirming the vehicle belongs to you and is kept at your Westminster address. Please provide either your updated insurance documents or your new V5 as the new keeper supplement slip cannot be accepted.

If your new vehicle is low emissions you will require a different permit type and should apply for a free low emissions permit.

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I’ve been given a courtesy/hire vehicle; how do I add it to my resident permit while my usual vehicle is off the road?

You can make a temporary change to your permit.

This will cost £10 and will allow you to park your courtesy vehicle in resident bays within your parking zone for a period of up to 2 weeks.  After 2 weeks your permit will automatically revert back to the original vehicle.  Should you require longer, you can make another temporary change to your vehicle, but each change made will incur a charge of £10.  Should you require less than 2 weeks’ temporary cover, you can revert your permit back to your original vehicle at any time by logging in to your account and selecting the option to do this.

When you have made a temporary change you do not need to display anything in the vehicle as our Marshals will be able to see on their handheld device that a valid permit is in place.

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I’ve moved address, how do I update my resident permit?

If your new address is in Westminster, you can apply to change the address on your permit by logging in to your account where a step by step user guide can also be found.

There will be a £10 administration charge. You will also be required to send one proof of address dated within the last 3 months.

If your new address is outside Westminster, you will no longer be eligible for a Westminster resident permit. If this is the case, you should cancel your permit. Upon return of your permit you will be issued with a refund of any unused portion of your permit subject to an administration charge of £10 which will be automatically deducted from any refund amount. See ‘I no longer need my permit; how can I get a refund?’

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Am I eligible for a Resident permit?

Yes, if your sole or main home is within a Controlled Parking Zone in the City of Westminster and you are the keeper of a vehicle that is registered and insured at your Westminster address. In addition, you must not already hold another current on-street resident permit issued by Westminster City Council, or by any other authority. If you are a resident of a Westminster housing estate you can also apply for a zone A – G resident permit in addition to your specific estate permit, for use in the respective zone outside of your estate.

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How much will my Resident permit cost?

The annual cost of a permit is dependent on your vehicle type, as follows:

• Engine above 1200cc - £166
• Engine 1200cc and below - £117.50
• Eco-vehicle: electric, gas, hybrid, fuel cell, solar - Free
• Motorcycle - £57

New permit charges apply from 27 February 2023.

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I have an eco-vehicle; how do I apply for a free resident permit?

If you do not currently have a resident permit, you can apply online where a user guide to the application process is also available, along with a document showing examples of accepted address and vehicle proofs.

If you don't have internet access at home, use our library PCs and iPads to apply online.

Alternatively, you can download and return the application form along with the required proofs by email to [email protected] or by post to Westminster City Council, Parking Services, PO BOX 353 
Sheffield, S98 1ER .

In addition to providing proof of your Westminster address, (see ‘what documentation do I need to provide?’) you will need to provide proof that your vehicle is eligible for an eco-permit (see Eco-vehicle proof documentation below).

If you already have a standard (non-eco) resident permit and you have replaced your existing vehicle(s) with eco models, then you should cancel your existing permit, (see ‘I no longer need my resident permit, how can I get a refund?’). You can then make a new application for a free eco-permit, as described above.

Please note that you will only be eligible for a free permit if all vehicles on your permit are classed as eco-vehicles.

If you already have a resident permit for more than one vehicle, and a non-eco-vehicle will be remaining on your permit, then you can apply to add the eco-vehicle to your permit yourself by logging in to your account where a step by step user guide can also be found, (see ‘I’ve bought a new vehicle, how do I update my resident permit?’).

Eco-vehicle proof documentation

Privately-owned/company-owned vehicles:

• the vehicle registration document (V5C) showing the qualification as an eco-vehicle under the section for ‘fuel classification’. In cases where a vehicle was bought as new during or after 2001 the V5C should automatically show this information. For vehicles registered before 2001 that have undergone conversion and the DVLA have been notified, it will appear on the V5C. Where the classification is not shown on the V5C we will require documentation confirming that the vehicle was converted by an approved supplier.

Privately-hired or leased vehicles:

• we will accept the V5C, letter from an authorised conversion agent or hire agreement showing that a vehicle meets the eco-vehicle classification

Fleet-leased vehicles:

• if your vehicle is provided by an employer who has a fleet of vehicles on lease, we will accept a statement of confirmation on headed paper from the lease hire company about the eco-vehicle classification.

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I have a motorcycle; can I get a resident permit?

As well as allowing the motorcycle to park in resident bays in the permit holder’s zone of residence, the permit also allows the vehicle to be parked in any solo motorcycle bay throughout the borough without further payment. 

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Can I add a motorcycle to my existing resident permit?

Yes, you do not need to create a separate permit (unless your current permit is for an eco-vehicle), your motorcycle can simply be added to your existing permit (up to a maximum of two vehicles per permit).

You can add a new vehicle yourself by logging in to your account.

There is a £10 administration charge and you will need to supply one proof confirming the vehicle belongs to you and is kept at your Westminster address.

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I own more than one vehicle; can I get a resident permit for each of them?

You can have up to a maximum of 2 vehicles on your permit. However, you can only park one of the vehicles on street, in the designated permit zone area at a time.

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Will I get a reminder when my resident permit is due to expire?

If you have an email address registered to your permit, you will receive a renewal reminder via email (unless you have opted to receive a postal reminder), approximately five weeks before your permit is due to expire. 

If you have not already done so, please add: [email protected] to your safe sender list to ensure receipt, otherwise important emails including your renewal reminder may go into your junk or spam folder.

If you do not have an email address on your permit account, you will receive a reminder letter by post.

Please note that while reminders are sent where possible, we are unable to guarantee that these will be received and responsibility for renewing your permit on time rests with you.

You can renew your permit from 5 weeks prior to the expiry date, up to 6 days after it has expired. If your permit is not renewed within 6 days of the current permit expiring, a new application must be made.

You do not need to wait for a renewal reminder letter in order to complete the renewal process.

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I no longer need my resident permit; how can I get a refund?

You can apply for a refund for any unused portion of your permit. Please note that there is a £10 administration charge which will be deducted from any refund amount.

You can apply for the refund yourself by cancelling your permit.  We recommend that where possible, you apply to cancel the permit online as the refund amount is calculated from when the refund request is processed.

Alternatively you may call 0207 823 4567 to cancel your permit, send an email to: [email protected] or write to Westminster City Council, Parking Services, PO BOX 353, Sheffield, S98 1ER 

Once you have completed the online refund request, to complete the refund process you must return your old paper permit if you have one within 14 days by post to Westminster City Council, Permit Administration, PO Box 353, Sheffield, S98 1ER. You will only receive a refund once we are in receipt of your returned permit. If you have a virtual permit, this step is not necessary and you will still receive a refund for the unused portion of that permit.  

As our resident permit scheme is now 'virtual' from 1 April 2023, this means that for replacements and changes, only virtual resident permits be issued. We will no longer be issuing physical, paper resident permits. 

Once a permit is cancelled, it cannot be reinstated.