OPERATIONAL RULES

Atlanta City Code pt. II, ch. 30, art. XVII, div. 3

in effect

Atlanta City Code § 30-1196 Violations.

Sec. 30-1196. - Violations. (a) The commissioner of the department of transportation may recommend the revocation, suspension, the imposition of a fine, or non-renewal of a park-for-hire permit issued pursuant to this article for due cause. As used in this section, the term "due cause" includes the violation of any section of this article. (b) No adverse action shall be taken regarding any permit pursuant to this article until and after notice has been provided and a hearing has been held before the license review board to determine just cause for such action. Notice of such hearing shall be given in writing and served at least five days prior to the date of the hearing thereon. The notice shall state the grounds of the complaint against the holder of such permit and shall designate the time and place where such hearing will be held. (c) The notice shall be served upon the permit holder by delivering the notice by mailing or delivering such notice at the place of business or residence of the permit holder or mailed registered postage, fully prepaid, addressed to the permit holder at the permit holder's place of business or residence at least eight days prior to the date of such hearing. (d) The license review board shall conduct the hearings and report its conclusions and recommendations to the mayor. The mayor, upon receiving the report, may, within 60 days, deny applications for new permits under this article and may revoke, suspend or refuse to renew any permit issued under this article. In lieu of suspension, revocation or the failure to renew, the mayor may impose a fine upon any park-for-hire facility or operator, such fine not to exceed $1,000.00 for each violation of this article. The decision of the mayor may be appealed to the Fulton County Superior Court in accordance with state law. (e) Any park-for-hire facility whose permit has been revoked or an operator whose permit has been revoked pursuant to this Code section shall be disqualified from reapplying for such a permit for 12 months immediately following the revocation. (f) The maximum fine for any violation of this article shall be $1,000.00. The maximum suspension for any one violation of this article shall be 30 days. (Ord. No. 2003-81, § 1, 7-29-03; Ord. No. 2015-60(15-O-1134), § 6, 11-25-15; Ord. No. 2026-32(26-O-1370), § 7, 9-17-26)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1197 Barriers; tickets/stubs.

Sec. 30-1197. - Barriers; tickets/stubs. All park-for-hire facilities within the corporate boundaries of the city shall provide and maintain the following: (a) Automobile barriers; and (b) A ticket/stub to be issued upon the parking of any vehicle in a facility if the attendant/cashier parks the vehicle and retains the key. This section shall not preclude the issuance of a monthly permit in lieu of a ticket. (c) Parking lot operators will be required to digitally time date and stamp pictures of the vehicle in the parking space and the non-payment in the meter box, before booting or towing a vehicle which is said to be in violation on any off street parking meter. (Ord. No. 2003-81, § 1, 7-29-03; Ord. No. 2005-93, § 1, 12-13-05)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1198 Attendant/cashier.

Sec. 30-1198. - Attendant/cashier. This division shall not require that a park-for-hire facility employ an attendant/cashier; however, at any facility where such is provided, the sections of this division pertaining thereto shall apply. (Ord. No. 2003-81, § 1, 7-29-03)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1199 Uniforms of attendants/cashiers.

Sec. 30-1199. - Uniforms of attendants/cashiers. All attendants/cashiers at park-for-hire facilities which provide attendants/cashiers must be dressed if a uniform designated by the operator which readily identifies such attendants/cashiers as employees of the park-for-hire facility. (Ord. No. 2003-81, § 1, 7-29-03)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1200 Lighting.

Sec. 30-1200. - Lighting. Reasonable lighting shall be required for each park-for-hire facility during the hours that the facility is open for business. Subsection (2) of this section shall only be required at new facilities. Where applicable, public street lighting may be utilized to either partially or totally fulfill the following requirements; however, where such street lighting is removed it shall be the responsibility of the parking facility to independently provide these required levels of illumination. (a) Open parking facilities. For open-area park-for-hire facilities, three levels of activity shall be established as high, medium and low. The levels shall reflect both traffic density and intensity and shall include but are not limited to the following: (1) High activity. (a) Major league athletic events. (b) Major cultural or civic events. (c) Major regional shopping centers. (2) Medium activity. (a) Fast food facilities. (b) Area shopping centers. (c) Hospital parking areas. (d) Transportation parking (airports and other similar parking areas). (e) Cultural, civic or recreational events. (f) Residential complex parking. (3) Low activity. (a) Local merchant parking. (b) Industrial employee parking. (c) Educational facility parking. The minimum safety illuminance value for areas used by the public in open park-for-hire facilities for such levels of activity shall be as follows: Level of Activity | Lux | Footcandles Low Activity | 2 | 0.2 Medium Activity | 6 | 0.6 High Activity | 10 | 0.9 (b) Open and covered parking facilities with more than one level. Minimum Illumination Area | Intensity (in Footcandles) Stairways and exits | 10 Interior driving aisles center line | 5 Interior parking areas at barrier railings | 0.5 Roof parking areas | 0.5 (Ord. No. 2003-81, § 1, 7-29-03)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1201 Park-for-hire notice signs; required.

Sec. 30-1201. - Park-for-hire notice signs; required. (a) Upon the issuance of a park-for-hire permit, the applicant shall be required to post notices at the facility, setting forth the following in no particular order: (1) The telephone number of the principal office of the operator of the facility and a customer service number or website that a customer may contact for assistance; (2) The business hours of operation for the facility (i.e., time of opening and closing); (3) The name of the operator; (4) The physical street address of the lot; (5) The name of the third party collection company and a website that customers can contact for assistance; (6) Whether or not the facility is staffed, gated, all-digital, cashless or smartphone only; (7) Whether a grace period is offered by the facility and if offered, the length of the period; and (8) Whether automated license plate recognition technology or other surveillance technology is in use in and/or by the park-for-hire facility. (b) The notice sign shall be posted at the vehicular entrance to the lot in such a manner so that it is easily viewable from the driver's seat of an entering vehicle. The cost to produce and post such notice sign shall be borne by the operator of the facility. (c) Notice signs for shared-use park-for-hire facilities will display both the number of stalls available both during the primary establishment's business hours and during its off-hours. (d) Changes to information contained on the notice sign (e.g. phone number or hours of operation) will necessitate the fabrication and posting of a new notice sign that reflects these changes. (Ord. No. 2003-81, § 1, 7-29-03; Ord. No. 2015-60(15-O-1134), § 7, 11-25-15; Ord. No. 2026-32(26-O-1370), § 8, 9-17-26)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1202 On-site instructions and payment disclosures.

Sec. 30-1202. - On-site instructions and payment disclosures. (a) Every park-for-hire facility shall provide clear instructions at each payment location, QR-code placard, kiosk, elevator lobby, pedestrian exit, stairwell exit, and other location where customers are reasonably expected to seek payment information. (b) For ALPR, all digital, and smartphone payments only parking facilities, instructions may be visible within either signage or the internet based platform/payment portal. Such instructions shall address the following: (1) Payment instructions, where applicable; (2) Parking time extension instructions, where applicable; (3) Instructions on how to obtain customer assistance; (4) How to confirm that payment or validation has been accepted; (5) How to dispute a parking penalty invoice or other enforcement action; (6) The operator's customer service telephone number and email address; (7) The name and contact information of any third-party vendor responsible for payment processing, enforcement, and/or collection; (8) What customer parking data is collected in and/or by or at the facility; (9) A link to a website or address where the privacy policy of the facility may be accessed; and (10) The amount of any convenience fee, service fee, technology fee, processing fee, surcharge, or other mandatory fee payable in addition to the standard rate. (Ord. No. 2003-81, § 1, 7-29-03; Ord. No. 2026-32(26-O-1370), § 8, 9-17-26)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1203 Responsibilities during business hours.

Sec. 30-1203. - Responsibilities during business hours. A park-for-hire facility shall be operated and fees chargeable only during business hours as posted on its notices required pursuant to this division or during the hours of operation for special events. At facilities where an attendant/cashier is provided, the operator shall have no responsibility to provide an attendant/cashier during non-business hours. (Ord. No. 2026-32(26-O-1370), § 8, 9-17-26)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1204 Monthly parking facilities.

Sec. 30-1204. - Monthly parking facilities. In park-for-hire facilities that provide only monthly parking, the sections of this division pertaining to issuance of a ticket/stub shall not be required. However, all other sections of this division shall be required. (Ord. No. 2003-81, § 1, 7-29-03)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1205 Parking facility reservoirs; required.

Sec. 30-1205. - Parking facility reservoirs; required. (a) In facilities where attendants, ticket dispensers or other devices are used to regulate or control entering vehicles, the reservoir shall be located between the street right-of-way and the point of control. Each vehicle space in the reservoir shall be 22 feet long and ten feet wide and, in addition, sufficient space shall be provided for turning and maneuvering. (b) All new off-street parking facilities, with the exception of residential and apartment parking facilities of less than 50 parking spaces, shall provide, as a minimum, the number of vehicle spaces in the inbound reservoir as required by this section. (c) In parking facilities of the attendant-parking type, the number of vehicle spaces in the inbound reservoir shall be one percent of the total parking capacity of the facility or at least two spaces, whichever is greater. Where multiple inbound lanes are used, each lane shall provide two or more vehicle spaces in the reservoir. (d) In parking facilities of the self-parking type, the number of inbound reservoir spaces shall be determined in the following manner: (1) Facilities with capacities of 300 parking spaces or less shall provide two inbound reservoir spaces. (2) Facilities with capacities exceeding 300 parking spaces shall provide two parking spaces plus one additional inbound reservoir space for each additional 100 parking spaces or fraction thereof. (3) Where multiple inbound lanes are used, each lane shall provide two or more vehicle spaces in the reservoir. (Ord. No. 2003-81, § 1, 7-29-03)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1206 Payment accessibility and non-smartphone alternative.

Sec. 30-1206. - Payment accessibility and non-smartphone alternative. (a) Unless an all-digital parking facility gives notice in the signage required by section 30-1201 that it is a smartphone payments only parking facility, the all-digital parking facility shall provide at least one reasonably accessible alternative payment method that does not require the customer to scan a QR code, download a mobile application, use a smartphone camera, or access a mobile website. (b) Acceptable alternative payment methods may include but shall not be limited to: (1) An on-site payment kiosk that accepts credit or debit cards; (2) A staffed cashier or attendant; (3) A telephone payment system that allows payment without a mobile application or QR code; or (4) A validated tenant payment process that allows the customer to complete payment or validation without a smartphone. (Ord. No. 2026-32(26-O-1370), § 9, 9-17-26)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1207 Grace periods.

Sec. 30-1207. - Grace periods. (a) Every park-for-hire facility that provides a grace period after vehicle entry during which a customer may review posted rates and rules, decline the transaction, and exit the facility without charge shall provide notice of the length of the grace period. (b) Every park-for-hire facility that does not provide a grace period after vehicle entry before a charge is assessed shall post notice that no such period exists such that a customer can choose not to enter the facility after viewing the notice. (c) For facilities offering or accepting validated, discounted, or complimentary parking and providing a grace period after the expiration of the validation period during which a customer may pay for additional time at the posted rate without penalty, notice shall be provided of the length of the grace period. (d) For facilities offering or accepting validated, discounted, or complimentary parking, and does not provide a grace period after the expiration of the validation period during which a customer may pay for additional time at the posted rate without penalty, notice shall be provided that such a grace period does not exist. (Ord. No. 2026-32(26-O-1370), § 9, 9-17-26)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1208 Surveillance notice and customer parking data.

Sec. 30-1208. - Surveillance notice and customer parking data. (a) It is a violation of this division for an operator to use automated license plate recognition technology or other surveillance technology at a park-for-hire facility unless clear notice is posted at each vehicular entrance before the point of entry. (b) Surveillance notice shall include, at minimum: (1) A statement or notice that license plate or vehicle information is being collected; (2) The name of the operator and any third-party technology vendor collecting or processing such information; (3) A website address and/or telephone number where the customer may access the operator's privacy policy, and which must include the purpose for which the information is collected, the retention period for customer parking data, whether the information may be shared with vendors, collection agencies, towing companies, vehicle immobilization companies, law enforcement, property owners, tenants, or other third parties. (c) Except as authorized by applicable federal or state law, customer parking data shall not be sold, licensed, transferred, or disclosed for advertising, marketing, or unrelated commercial purposes. (d) Customer parking data associated with a completed and undisputed parking transaction shall be retained no longer than reasonably necessary for parking operations, dispute resolution, collection activities, legal compliance, tax compliance, auditing, or litigation defense. (e) Customer parking data associated with a disputed transaction, unpaid transaction, alleged violation, safety incident, insurance claim, legal proceeding, or law enforcement request may be retained no longer than reasonably necessary for parking operations, dispute resolution, collection activities, legal compliance, tax compliance, auditing, or litigation defense. (f) Each operator shall maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect customer parking data from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or misuse. (g) Upon request by the city, an operator shall provide a copy of its privacy policy, data retention schedule, and list of third-party vendors that collect, process, store, or access customer parking data. Nothing in this division shall require disclosure of personal information protected by federal or state law. (Ord. No. 2026-32(26-O-1370), § 9, 9-17-26)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1209 Penalty invoice requirements; and dispute processes.

Sec. 30-1209. - Penalty invoice requirements; and dispute processes. (a) It shall be a violation of this division for an operator to refer a parking penalty invoice to collections, report a parking penalty invoice to a credit reporting agency, add collection fees, or initiate legal action until the customer has been provided written notice and not less than 30 days to dispute the invoice. (b) Each parking penalty invoice shall provide notice to the customer of the following: (1) The date, time, and location of the alleged violation; (2) The vehicle license plate number; (3) The posted rate applicable at the time of entry; (4) The rule allegedly violated; (5) Photographic or digital evidence supporting the invoice; (6) The amount owed; (7) The deadline to dispute; (8) The method to dispute online, by telephone, by email, and by mail; (9) The name and contact information of the operator and any third-party enforcement or collection vendor; and (10) Notice that the customer may submit evidence of payment, attempted payment, validation, patronage of a validating tenant, system failure, unclear signage, or other mitigating circumstances. (c) Every operator shall maintain a dispute resolution process that is accessible online, by telephone, by email, and by mail by which a customer may dispute any parking penalty and where supported by the evidence have the same dismissed by the operator. (d) The dispute process shall allow a customer to submit documents, screenshots, receipts, validation records, witness statements, photographs, or other evidence. (e) No operator shall require payment of a disputed parking penalty invoice as a condition of submitting a dispute. (f) An operator shall acknowledge receipt of a dispute within five business days. (g) An operator shall provide a written decision on the dispute within 21 business days after receiving the dispute. (h) The written decision shall state the factual basis for the decision and shall identify the evidence relied upon. (i) No parking penalty shall be enforced while a timely dispute is pending. (j) Where an operator determines that a disputed parking penalty invoice was issued in error the operator shall cease enforcement activity and withdraw the parking penalty invoice. (Ord. No. 2026-32(26-O-1370), § 9, 9-17-26)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1210 Records and city inspection.

Sec. 30-1210. - Records and city inspection. (a) Each operator shall maintain records sufficient to demonstrate compliance with this division, including: (1) Rate schedules; (2) Copies or photographs of required signage; (3) Payment system logs; (4) Validation procedures; (5) Payment outage records; (6) Parking penalty invoices; (7) Dispute records; (8) Customer service contact logs; (9) Data retention schedules; (10) Privacy policies; and (11) Vendor contracts related to payment processing, enforcement, collection, towing, vehicle immobilization, ALPR, or customer parking data. (b) Records required under this section shall be retained for not less than two years. (c) Upon reasonable notice, the operator shall produce records requested by the city for purposes of determining compliance with this division. (Ord. No. 2026-32(26-O-1370), § 9, 9-17-26)

Atlanta City Code § 30-1211 Administrative rules.

Sec. 30-1211. - Administrative rules. The commissioner of the department of transportation is authorized to promulgate forms, signage templates, compliance certifications, inspection procedures, and other administrative rules which shall be necessary to implement this article. (Ord. No. 2026-32(26-O-1370), § 9, 9-17-26)

Source: City of Atlanta, Code of Ordinances (Charter and Related Laws, General Ordinances, Land Development Code) (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ga/atlanta/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOORENOR_CH30BU_ARTXVIIPALOPAGA_DIV3OPRUFetched: 10/28/2026