New guest pass allows free overnight parking 

Your exhausted overnight guest has just arrived and needs a place to park their car before they hit the sack. If they park on the street outside your house, they will likely have a ticket in the morning.

But wait! There’s a new policy in town. The South Orange Board of Trustees and the Parking Authority are pleased to announce that the Parking Authority now offers guest passes allowing a relative or friend to park in front of the resident’s home. It’s simple to use. Just have your guest park the car in front of your house, hang the pass from the rear-view mirror, and don’t worry about calling the police for special parking permission.

Free guest passes with no expiration date are now being issued from SOPA’s office located on the 2nd floor of the Baird Center in South Orange. The passes cannot be obtained online. Homeowners must come to the SOPA office with a current tax bill showing their name and address and valid driver’s license.

Up to two passes will be issued per single-family household; one pass per unit in two or three family households.

Residents of apartment buildings do not qualify for guest passes, but can ask SOPA for overnight guest parking for $5 per night. Guests must park in the Third Street garage on level four or five.

SOPA Executive Director Mark Hartwyk said guest passes are for overnight guests only and “will be monitored by the South Orange Police and SOPA officers”. Hartwyk expects most guest pass users to stay one or two nights – a week at most.

The pass can be revoked for misuse such as: for parking on any street other than the one listed on the pass, using the pass for commuter purposes, parking household cars on the street, or excessive use.

A one-time replacement can be issued for a lost or stolen pass, for a fee of $10.

The guest pass policy and application are available under forms. (Resident/Guest pass). 

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Q. What if I lease my residence and my landlord lives out of State?

Absentee Landlords – those who live out of State or a distance from South Orange (South Jersey, Out of Essex, Union Co.)

• Tenant calls or emails landlord explaining new policy.
• Landlord goes online to Village/Parking website and downloads application and policy.
• Landlord scans and emails SOPA the following documents;

completed application, signed policy statement, current tax bill, valid photo license from whatever State they reside, and a copy of the front and back page of the lease for the current tenant (s)

• After all of the documents have been vetted by SOPA then the current tenant listed on the lease can come to our office.
• SOPA will then release the pass under the landlord’s name to that tenant.

Q. What if I live on a street where it is one side of the street parking only?

• The pass is valid for the street side that parking is allowed.
• Alternate side of the street parking regulations would still be observed.
• No parking this side would still be observed.