The following words and phrases as used in this Chapter shall have the following meanings.
Holiday.
"Holiday" shall mean the following days: January 1st, the third Monday in January, the third Monday in February, the last Monday in May, July 4th, the first Monday in September, the second Monday in October, November 11th, Thanksgiving Day, December 25th, and any other day designated by the City Council as a day for public feast, thanksgiving or holiday.
Operator.
"Operator" shall mean an individual who operates a vehicle as the owner or lessee, or as the agent, employee or permittee of the owner or lessee, or who is in actual physical control of the vehicle.
Parking meter.
"Parking meter" shall mean any mechanical or electronic single or multi-space device, system, or meter that registers payment for an on-street parking space and is erected for the regulation of on-street parking.
Payment.
"Payment" shall mean any lawful coin, bill, or combination of coins and bills of the United States of America, credit cards, debit cards, or any other payment method designated by the legend of the parking meter or adjacent signage.
(Prior code § 3388; amended by Ord. No. 1151CCS, adopted 4/8/80; Ord. No. 2403CCS § 37, adopted 7/24/12)
The Director of Planning and Community Development, or designee, is authorized to mark off or cause to be marked off individual parking spaces on any public streets, which shall be designated by white lines painted or durably marked on the surface of the street or on the curb.
(Prior code § 3389A; amended by Ord. No. 1151CCS, adopted 4/8/80; Ord. No. 2403CCS § 37, adopted 7/24/12)
(a) 
Unless exempt pursuant to subsection (b) or (c) of this Section, when any vehicle is parked in a metered parking space, the operator immediately shall deposit payment in the manner prescribed on the parking meter or at the parking space. Unless otherwise permitted by law, no person shall park a vehicle in a designated metered parking space in excess of the maximum parking time limit set by the City.
(b) 
Subsection (a) of this Section shall not require an operator of a vehicle to deposit payment in a parking meter when:
(1) 
The parking meter indicates an unexpired portion remains of the period for which payment had been previously made; or
(2) 
An officer of the Fire or Police Department has determined a period of emergency exists; or
(3) 
A In compliance with the directions of a police officer or traffic control sign or signal; or
(4) 
A posted sign at the parking space indicates words similar to "Except Sunday" or "Except Sundays and Holidays" and the day is a Sunday or a holiday.
(c) 
Subsection (a) of this Section shall not require an operator of a vehicle to deposit payment in a parking meter if the vehicle is lawfully displaying one of the following decals, placards or plates issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles:
(1) 
A current and valid Clean Air Vehicle (CAV) decal; or
(2) 
A Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) decal issued prior to 2011; or
(3) 
A Green CAV decal issued prior to 2019; or
(4) 
A White CAV decal issued prior to 2019; or
(5) 
A Red CAV decal issued prior to 2022; or
(6) 
A Purple CAV decal issued prior to 2023; or
(7) 
Any special recognition plate.
The exemptions for zero-emission vehicle decals set forth in subsections (c)(1) through (c)(6) above shall automatically expire on September 30, 2025.
(Prior code § 3390; amended by Ord. No. 1151CCS, adopted 4/8/80; Ord. No. 1658CCS § 4, adopted 12/8/92; Ord. 2037 § 2, adopted 2/26/02; Ord. No. 2059CCS § 1, adopted 11/12/02; Ord. No. 2084CCS § 8, adopted 6/24/03; Ord. No. 2222CCS § 1, adopted 4/10/07; Ord. No. 2316CCS § 2, adopted 7/27/10; Ord. No. 2403CCS § 37, adopted 7/24/12; Ord. No. 2444CCS § 1, adopted 10/22/13; Ord. No. 2603CCS § 1, adopted 2/26/19; Ord. No. 827CCS, 9/30/2025)
(a) 
Parking rates for parking a vehicle in a designated on-street parking space shall be established and adjusted from time to time to manage the use and occupancy of on-street parking spaces for the public benefit in all parking areas.
(b) 
The following rates are established for on-street parking meter and pay machines:
(1) 
Downtown Meter Zone shall be two dollars per hour.
(2) 
Beach Meter Zone shall be two dollars per hour.
(3) 
Citywide Meter Zone. All other on-street parking in the City shall be one dollar per hour.
(4) 
Spaces Designated for Use of Public Electric Charging Stations. The rate shall be as set forth above depending on the zone in which the meter is located, with the exception that an overstay charge on a per minute basis to be established by resolution shall also apply for electric vehicles using such spaces for charging that remain in such spaces more than ten minutes after the maximum posted time permitted for charging.
(c) 
The City Manager, or designee, is authorized to adjust on-street parking rates and overstay charges from time to time based on the following:
(1) 
Rates may be adjusted up or down in twenty-five cent intervals to achieve target occupancy based on consideration of occupancy, customer parking availability concerns, comparable location surveys, and relationship to adjacent parking facilities. Overstay charges may be adjusted up or down in five-cent intervals based on the same considerations.
(2) 
Rates may not be adjusted more than twice per year and may not be adjusted more than once in any six-month period.
(3) 
Hourly rates and overstay charges may not be increased or decreased more than twenty-five percent at any one time.
(4) 
A current schedule of on-street parking rates and overstay charges shall be available at the City Clerk's office and broadly communicated to the public.
(d) 
This Section does not apply to any off-street public parking lots, off-street parking meters, or other off-street public parking facilities, owned and operated by the City of Santa Monica or the Parking Authority of the City of Santa Monica.
(Prior code § 3393; amended by Ord. No. 1151CCS, adopted 4/8/80; Ord. No. 2403CCS § 37, adopted 7/24/12; Ord. No. 2573CCS § 2, adopted 5/8/18; Ord. No. 2629CCS § 3, adopted 1/28/20)
The Downtown Parking Meter Zone shall include all streets or portions of streets within the area generally bounded by Wilshire Boulevard to the north, Lincoln Avenue to the east, Colorado Avenue to the south, and Ocean Avenue to the west, and the area generally bounded by Colorado Avenue to the north, 4th Street to the east, Pico Boulevard to the south, and Ocean Avenue to the west.
(Prior code § 3393A; amended by Ord. No. 1482CCS, adopted 6/13/89; Ord. No. 1566CCS § 1, adopted 2/26/91; Ord. No. 1976CCS § 1, adopted 6/13/00; Ord. No. 2069CCS § 1, adopted 3/11/03; Ord. No. 2403CCS § 37, adopted 7/24/12)
The Beach Parking Meter Zone shall include all streets or portions of streets lying west of Ocean Avenue or Neilson Way, including, but not limited to, the following: Appian Way, Barnard Way, Seaside Terrace, Moss Terrace, Vicente Terrace, Bay Street, Bicknell Street, Pacific Street, Strand Street, Hollister Avenue, Wadsworth Avenue, Hart Avenue, Fraser Avenue, Ocean Park Boulevard, and Marine Street.
(Prior code § 3393B; amended by Ord. No. 1482CCS, adopted 6/13/89; Ord. No. 1566CCS § 2, adopted 2/26/91; Ord. No. 1976CCS § 2, adopted 6/13/00; Ord. No. 2069CCS § 2, adopted 3/11/03; Ord. No. 2403CCS § 37, adopted 7/24/12)
The Citywide Parking Meter Zone shall include all streets or portions of streets within the City that are not designated as part of the Downtown Parking Meter Zone or the Beach Parking Meter Zone.
(Prior code § 3393C; amended by Ord. No. 1482CCS, adopted 6/13/89; Ord. No. 1566CCS § 3, adopted 2/26/91; Ord. No. 1976CCS § 3, adopted 6/13/00; Ord. No. 2403CCS § 37, adopted 7/24/12)
No owner or operator shall allow his or her vehicle to be parked beyond the maximum parking time established for any parking meter. No person shall deposit payment in any parking meter for the purpose of parking beyond the maximum legal parking time for the particular parking meter.
(Prior code § 3394A; amended by Ord. No. 2403CCS § 37, adopted 7/24/12)
No owner or operator of a non-electric vehicle shall park his or her vehicle in any parking space designated for use of a public electric vehicle charging station. No owner of an electric vehicle shall park his or her electric vehicle in any parking space designated for use of a public electric vehicle charging station except during time that he or she is using the public electric vehicle charging station to charge the electric vehicle.
(Added by Ord. No. 2629CCS § 1, adopted 1/28/20)
No owner or operator shall allow his or her vehicle to remain parked in any metered parking space beyond expiration of the time for which payment had been deposited.
(Prior code § 3394B; amended by Ord. No. 1658CCS § 8, adopted 12/8/92; Ord. No. 2084CCS § 9, adopted 6/24/03; Ord. No. 2403CCS § 37, adopted 7/24/12)
No owner or operator shall allow any portion of his or her vehicle to be parked across any line or marking designating a metered parking space.
(Prior code § 3394C; amended by Ord. No. 2403CCS § 37, adopted 7/24/12)
No person shall deface, injure, tamper with, open or willfully break, alter, destroy, or impair the operation of any parking meter.
(Prior code § 3394D; amended by Ord. No. 1229CCS, adopted 10/27/81; Ord. No. 1658CCS § 9, adopted 12/8/92; Ord. No. 2403CCS § 37, adopted 7/24/12)
No person shall deposit or cause to be deposited in any parking meter any slugs, device, metal substance, or other substitute for lawful payment.
(Prior code § 3394E; amended by Ord. No. 2403CCS § 37, adopted 7/24/12)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, a person may park a vehicle at designated metered parking spaces in the City without payment, provided that the vehicle has displayed in the manner required by the City a permit authorizing the vehicle to park in the space without payment and the parking meter displays a sign authorizing parking permits at such meter. The areas in which such parking permits may be used and the fees for the issuance of parking permits shall be established by resolution of the City Council.
(Prior code § 3396; amended by Ord. No. 2403CCS § 37, adopted 7/24/12)