U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Cars parked in open air lot

Apply for an Open Air Parking License

License Commission

Open Air Parking Licenses are issued by the Cambridge License Commission pursuant to and in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws c. 148, § 56, the Special Acts of 1930, c. 121. It takes approximately four to six weeks for an application to be processed and a license to be issued, if approved.

How to Start

Step 1:

Obtain zoning sign off from Inspectional Services Department and sign off from Traffic, Parking and Transportation.

Step 2:

Complete the Open Air Parking License Application and submit it to the License Commission with the sign-offs from ISD and TPT and a plan with the following information clearly indicated:

  • street name
  • number of entrances and exits
  • number of parking spaces
  • location of lights, if any
  • whether spaces are marked or numbered

If a corporation, you must also submit the Article of Incorporation or Business Certificate from the Clerk's Office.  There is a $175 hearing and advertising fee.

Step 3:

When the advertisement runs, the applicant must copy it and serve it upon all legal abutters.  At or prior to the hearing, the applicant must submit to the License Commission an Affidavit of Notice to Abutters. You must appear at the hearing.

ADVERTISEMENT- Notice to Abutters

Step 4:

If approved, provide any further documents requested and pay the annual fee.  Thereafter, the license will issue.

Requirements

Fee:

  • $175 hearing and advertising fee
  • $12.10 per parking space
Page was last modified on 4/3/2024 2:00 PM
Contact Us

How can we help?

Please provide as much detail below as possible so City staff can respond to your inquiry:

As a governmental entity, the Massachusetts Public Records Law applies to records made or received by the City. Any information received through use of this site is subject to the same provisions as information provided on paper.

Read our complete privacy statement


Service Requests

Enter a service request via SeeClickFix for things like missed trash pickups, potholes, etc.