Winter Parking
Winter Parking Ordinance
The City of Columbia Heights has an ordinance regulating overnight parking. This ordinance makes it unlawful to park any vehicle on any street within the City between the hours of 2 and 6 AM from Nov 1 through March 31 unless a permit has been issued for that vehicle.
Furthermore, between April 1 and May 1, it is unlawful to park between 2 and 6 AM if snow has accumulated to 3 ½ inches or more on the roadway.
Listen to a Q&A about the winter parking rules with the Police Chief and Public Works director here.
Winter Parking Permits
All permits are subject to suspension for snow removal or other emergencies -- After a snowfall of 3 1/2 or more inches, no street parking is permitted until the road has been plowed curb-to-curb. Even if you have a permit, you may be tagged and towed if you are blocking city snowplows!
There are two types of permits authorized by City ordinance:
A one-night permit for a specific vehicle to park on the street in front of a specific address. Only five one-night permits are allowed per household, per month. These permits can be obtained from the Police Dept in person during normal business hours.
A long-term parking permit for a specific vehicle to park on the street in front of a specific address. In the event an address needs more than 5 permits in a month, the resident should apply for a long-term parking permit. Long-term permits are authorized only if the applicant cannot park on the property without violating the zoning laws, or cannot reasonably or legally drive the vehicle to another place on the property without violating the zoning laws.
Permits are not granted to occupants of rental housing, except for medical reasons or other extraordinary circumstances. The owners of rental property, including duplexes and apartment buildings, are required by city ordinance to provide sufficient parking for their tenants. If you do not have off-street parking at your building, contact your landlord or caretaker.
Permits will not be issued to homeowners who choose to use their garage or driveway for parking boats or other seasonal vehicles, or who use the garage for storage rather than parking.
Applying for Permits
Applications can be submitted online by emailing policerecords@columbiaheightsmn.gov or in-person during regular office hours, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm. The office is closed on weekends and holidays.
The long-term parking permits take several business days to process, so please turn in your request as early as possible.
The Application is available online here or can be obtained at the Police Department information window.
Expiration and Suspension of Permits
One-day permits are only valid on the day issued. Long-term permits are valid through March 31 or may be granted for a shorter period of time if justified by the specific circumstances.
Snowplow Policy
Winter Parking Q&A Forum: