Temporary Signage

If you need a temporary “No Parking” or “No Stopping” zone, SFMTA provides temporary tow-away signs for use during special events and for moving vans.

Temporary Tow-Away Signage

Temporary no parking signs are required to inform the public that vehicles parked in the posted no parking spaces, reserved by the sign’s dates and times, will be towed to clear the space required for the event. These signs shall be used to reserve the necessary parking space for a special event such as commercial or residential moves, corporate events, funerals, and other similar needs. Temporary no parking signs are not intended to be used for parking of a personal vehicle. The issuance of the sign is regulated by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.

If you wish to apply for signage, please log in to the SFMTA online portal

Please allow a minimum of 5 business days between the date of application and the date of enforcement to process new requests. Legal holidays are not counted as business days.

City and County of San Francisco Holidays

If you are a first time user, you will need to register and set up a password by clicking the "Not a Member?" link. You will need to provide an email to register so that we can contact you about your request. You can also submit requests by calling 311, or 415.701.2311 if you’re calling outside San Francisco.

Example:

Posting Restrictions

Start times for moving requests must begin no earlier than 7am and end no later than 10pm daily.

For unmetered areas, “No Parking” signs must be posted no less than seventy-two (72) hours prior to the enforcement start time. For metered spaces, “No Parking” signs must be posted no less than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the enforcement start time. Temporary no parking signs do not supersede existing parking and traffic regulations, like street cleaning signs, No Stopping signs, No Parking signs, or Red Color Curb zones.

White zones can be blocked off with written permission from the owner of the White Zone and submitted to temporarysign@sfmta.com. Written permission must include Name of white zone owner, date/time of allowed use, and the Service Request Number it is associated with. Forwarding the email from the white zone owner is acceptable as long as it meets the required information guidelines.

Prohibited Uses

Temporary TANS signs are not to be used to provide or reserve on-street parking for personal vehicles.  For example, spaces cannot be used to provide attendee parking for special events, parties, graduation ceremonies, fund raisers or any other related use. Organizers are responsible for providing off-street parking options for their guests or encouraging them to take alternative modes of transportation.  SFMTA policies do not support privatization of parking spaces, making them temporarily unavailable to the public for parking of personal vehicles. Temporary TANS signs are also not intended to provide parking for private, for-profit entities to conduct business within the public right of way. Temporary TANS signs are also not intended to bypass street occupancy or encroachment permits required by the Department of Public Works for the placement of objects on the public right of way (for example, storage or debris boxes).

Fees, Billing, & Posting Signs

Following the submission of your application, you will be contacted by a Temporary Sign staff member via email, and they will let you know if your application is approved or denied. If your application is approved they will provide you with the exact fee amount, payment instructions, and information on how the signs will be posted. Fee amounts are based on an inspection of the requested area by Temporary Sign staff.

Following application submission and approval, your temporary signs will be posted and the zone will be enforceable according to San Francisco Traffic Code. The no parking zone will be approved for as many consecutive days as possible, and will be billed in five-day increments for metered spaces and seven-day increments for unmetered spaces.

Payment

Credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express), cashier’s and company checks, and money orders, are accepted for payment. Checks should be made payable to “SFMTA – TEMPORARY SIGN.” Please note that personal checks are not accepted for payment.

Cancellation & Refund

When contacting 311 regarding the posting of Temporary No Stopping signs, this is considered your application to post the signs on your behalf. If the signs are approved, you have 24 hours after the approval email to cancel or make changes without incurring fees. Any changes or cancellations made more than 24 hours after the approval email is sent will be subject to fees. You are required to notify us 24 hours in advance of your posting of any issues with the signs to allow time for MTA to repost the signs. All overdue payments will be sent to the City Attorney's office for collection.

Port of San Francisco Streets

Please note that applications on Port Property require a minimum of 15 calendar days between date of request and date of event.

For specific streets that are under Port’s jurisdiction, please see the Port's Jurisdiction Map for a full List of Meters Under Port Jurisdiction as of November 2012 (accessible PDF).

Construction

Temporary No Stopping signs do not cover posting of signs for construction work. Construction no parking signs are under the purview of the Department of Public Works. To create a temporary tow-away zone for areas in which you will be performing construction (on public or private property), please refer to the San Francisco Public Works Temporary Occupancy page.

Contact Us

For further information about temporary signage, please contact us by:

Email: TemporarySign@sfmta.com

Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM