A Residents Parking Permit enables you to park a vehicle in the Residents Permit Bays where you live. A Permit does not guarantee a parking space but having the scheme in place prevents non-residents from parking, leaving more space for residents.
Once you have a permit, you can park in any Permit Bay that is within your zone. Bays are marked with a dashed white line and an adjacent sign indicating that it is a Residents Parking Permit Bay for a specific zone. You are not restricted to the bays in your street. Find a list of the streets in your zone online.
Your permit does not exempt you from yellow line ‘no waiting’ parking restrictions.
Your permit does not exempt you from the maximum stay times in Limited Waiting Bays. These bays are to enable non-permit holders some limited access to the area.
The Residents Permit Zones operate Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm. During these hours only permit holders can park in the permit bays. Outside of these hours, any vehicle can be parked in the permit bays.
A virtual permit exists as a digital permit online and is managed in a similar way to road tax. Once a permit has been purchased online, nothing is needed to be displayed within the vehicle.
If you are new to the scheme, either as a new resident or already a resident but never had a permit before, you need to apply to the Council first. This is because we need to check that you are eligible for a permit before you can open your online account and purchase your permit. Find out more information and apply for a residents parking permit on our website.
Once you have been approved and have an online account you can purchase new permits or renew permits in your account. You do not need to apply to the Council again once approved.
Because the permits are virtual, they cannot be lost or stolen which saves residents the cost and inconvenience of applying for a replacement. Virtual permits cannot fall from view so there is no risk of receiving a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for failing to clearly display a permit.
Every virtual permit is visible to the Civil Enforcement Officers on their handheld terminals so they will know exactly which vehicles are permitted to park. We also have much greater control over the permits in circulation. A virtual permit system greatly decreases the possibility of fraud as permits cannot be lost or stolen creating more space for legitimate residents.
Virtual permits must be assigned to a vehicle registration mark. You can set up your permit using the vehicle registration mark of a regular visitor and then change the vehicle registration whenever you get a different visitor. This is very easy to do online or we can assist over the telephone.
Most vehicles are able to have a permit, and park within the residents zone bays. The following list is all vehicles that are able to have a permit assigned to them by the permit holder:
Passenger Vehicles (i.e. Cars, usually of not more than 8 passenger seats).
Goods Vehicles (i.e. Vans, but this doesn’t include the addition of a trailer).
Motor Cycles (i.e. Motorbikes).
Invalid Carriages (I.e. Motor Vehicles Designed or Modified for Disabled Persons).
It is always the responsibility of the permit holder to ensure that any vehicle assigned a residents permit, is able to fit within the markings of the bays or spaces. If vehicles are too large to fit within the marking of the bays, they could be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice.
Simply log into your MiPermit account and renew online. There is no need to make a new application to Ipswich Borough Council. You will receive an email one month before the expiry of your permit to remind you to renew. If you do not have an email address you will receive a letter in the post.
If you don’t have access to the internet maybe a family member or friend can help or we will happily assist you over the telephone.
The Council has phased out payment by cheques, postal orders and cash. Payments by debit and credit card are efficient and convenient and an easy way to pay for your permit. If you do not have a credit or debit card and no one else can assist, please call us for advice.
Yes, simply visit My Ipswich and complete the online form. Any refund due will be credited directly back to the card you used to purchase the permit. An administration fee of £10.00 will be deducted from the refund amount.
If you are moving within the same zone, we will be able to switch your permit to your new address with no fuss. Please call 01473 432840 for advice. If you are moving to a different zone you will need to apply for a refund of your current permit and apply for a new permit for the new address.
Simply log in to your MiPermit account, go to ‘Manage Digital Permit’ and edit the vehicle registration. The change is instant.
You can change your permit to another vehicle as many times as you like for free. This can be useful if you have a company vehicle or a courtesy car. Simply log into your account at www.wanttopark.com/ipswich, go to ‘Manage Digital Permit’ and edit the vehicle registration. The change is instant.
There are a couple of options available. Residents Permit holders can purchase a Visitor Time Clock. The Time Clock enables visitors to park for up to 1 hour in the permit bays. After 1 hour, the vehicle must move on. The Time Clock is not virtual and is sent out in the post. The Time Clock is valid for 12 months after purchase. Simply set the time of arrival on the Time Clock and then display within your visitor’s vehicle.
Permit holders can also purchase 1-day Visitor Permits. These are virtual and are managed within your online account. Visitor Permits are purchased in bundles of 5 day and sit in your account until you are ready to use them. When a visitor arrives, you will need to assign a permit by entering their vehicle registration mark. Residents can purchase a maximum of 12 bundles in any 12-month period.
Yes. As well as managing your permit within your online account, you can also assign a Visitor Permit via SMS text message. Simply send a text from your registered mobile number that is linked to your MiPermit account to 61600. Include the word VISITOR and the vehicle registration number of the visiting vehicle.
For example: VISITOR A123BCD
Please note, you will need to have Visitor Permits available on your account and ready to be used for this method to work. You cannot purchase Visitor Permits via text – only allocate them.
There are a couple of options available. You can assign one of your own Visitor Permits to the tradesperson’s vehicle. Alternatively, tradespersons can purchase their own permits by visiting our website.
Certain statutory services or care providers can apply for a Carers Permit for use in Residents Parking Zones. Find out more about exemption permits.
Just call Parking Services on 01473 432840 and we will be happy to help.
