Denver Moving Truck Parking Permits: How to Reserve Street Space for Move Day

1. Do You Need a Permit for a Moving Truck in Denver?

If the truck will sit in the street, yes. DOTI's Right of Way Services FAQ answers the question "Do I need a permit to park a moving truck or van in the street?" with a plain "Yes." That covers the curb lane in front of your house, a row of meters outside your building, and any spot where the truck takes public space away from other drivers.

You generally don't need a city permit if the truck stays entirely on private property, like your own driveway, an apartment complex's private lot, or a building's loading dock. In those cases the rules come from the property owner or HOA instead. The trouble is that a lot of Denver homes, especially in Capitol Hill, Highland, Baker, and Uptown, don't have a driveway long enough for a moving truck, so the street is the only option.

2. Metered vs. Non-Metered Streets: Which Request to File

The request you file depends on whether there are parking meters where the truck will park. DOTI splits it this way:

Metered spaces: You reserve the meters through a Parking Meter Request, handled by DOTI Permit Operations. Approved meters are covered with "No Parking" bags, which is what people mean when they talk about "bagging meters." This is common downtown, in LoDo, along Colfax, and on busy stretches of Capitol Hill and Cherry Creek.

Non-metered streets: You file a Right of Way (ROW) Street Occupancy request, reviewed by Right of Way Services. This is the typical route for residential blocks in Wash Park, Park Hill, Berkeley, and most single-family neighborhoods.

Moving containers and PODs: If you're using a portable container that will sit in the street, DOTI says the container company is responsible for pulling that permit, not you. If a container company tells you otherwise, the city recommends talking to that company's local representative.

3. How to Apply, Step by Step

Applying takes about half an hour once you have the details in front of you. DOTI's Street Occupancy page says right of way permits are submitted online through the city's E-Permits system, along with a DOTI Street Occupancy Request Worksheet and a traffic control plan (the city publishes standard plans, including a "Street - No Parking" plan). The FAQ also lists email contacts for each request type. Forms and portals change, so follow whatever the current DOTI page tells you. Here's what to have ready:

• Your exact address and the side of the street where the truck will park
• Move date plus a start and end time (we suggest padding at least two hours on each side)
• How much curb you need: ask your mover for truck length plus room to open the ramp and liftgate
• Whether the spaces are metered, and the meter numbers if they are
• The completed Street Occupancy Request Worksheet and the matching traffic control plan for non-metered streets
• Payment method for the permit fee once the city invoices or calculates it
• Your building's loading dock or elevator confirmation if you live in a condo or apartment

If you're not sure which form fits your block, call Denver 3-1-1 (or (720) 913-1311 from outside Denver) and ask for help with a right of way request. For the bigger picture of what to line up and when, our Denver moving day checklist puts the permit on the right week.

4. Lead Time, Review Times, and Fees

Plan on applying one to two weeks before move day, since city review is not instant. DOTI states that the normal minimum review time for Street Occupancy permits is 5 days, and notes the office gets well over 100 requests a day. For meters, DOTI says requests take up to 72 hours to process and should be submitted at least one week before you need the space.

Waited too long? DOTI says it may be able to move an application up in line for an expedited fee, typically $500. That's a steep price for a parking spot, so getting the request in early is the cheapest move you can make.

As for the regular permit fee, it varies with the permit type, how many meters or how much curb you reserve, and how many days you need it. We're not going to quote a number that may be out of date. Check the current fee on the city's permit page, where DOTI provides a Street Occupancy Request Form that calculates permit costs for you. Whatever it comes to, add it to your moving budget alongside the numbers in our pricing page.

5. No Parking Signs and Move-Day Curb Etiquette

Your permit only works if the space is actually empty when the truck shows up, and that depends on signage. On metered blocks, the city's "No Parking" meter bags do the job. On non-metered streets, the traffic control plan attached to your Street Occupancy permit spells out the signs or barricades required and where they go. Depending on the plan, you may place them yourself or hire a traffic control company to do it. Read your approved permit carefully for when signs must be in place, because that timing matters if a car is still parked there on move morning.

• Keep a copy of the approved permit on your phone and a printed copy in the window on move day
• Post signs as early as your permit allows so neighbors have time to move their cars
• Leave a friendly note on nearby doors the week before: most neighbors are happy to help
• If a car is parked in your permitted space, call Denver 3-1-1 rather than confronting the owner
• Keep sidewalks clear: the crew should never block the full walkway or a curb ramp
• Remove signs promptly once the permit window ends

One more Denver detail: the city sometimes pauses or limits right of way permitting around major holidays and events. If you're moving near Thanksgiving, the end of the year, or a big downtown event weekend, check DOTI's page for any posted restrictions before you lock in a date.

6. HOA and Apartment Loading Docks

If your building has a loading dock, book it first, because it may save you from needing a street permit at all. Most Denver high-rises and larger apartment communities control their docks and freight elevators with a reservation calendar, and popular weekend slots at the end of the month go fast.

• Ask for the dock's clearance height and maximum truck length before move day
• Confirm the reserved window and whether the freight elevator is included in it
• Find out if the building requires a certificate of insurance (COI) from your mover
• Ask about move deposits, required floor and wall protection, and allowed moving hours
• Check whether the dock is shared with deliveries or trash pickup during your window

No dock, or a dock too small for a moving truck? Then you're back to the street and a city permit. Our condo moving guide and apartment moving guide go deeper on HOA rules, elevators, and building logistics. If you're in a complex, our apartment movers deal with these buildings every week.

7. Aurora, Lakewood, Boulder, and Other Metro Cities

Denver's process only applies inside the City and County of Denver, and every other metro city runs its own. Aurora, Lakewood, Boulder, Englewood, Littleton, Arvada, and the rest each have their own right of way, street use, or parking rules, and the forms, lead times, and fees are different from Denver's.

The safest approach is to call or check the website of that city's transportation or public works department a couple of weeks out and ask a simple question: "Do I need a permit to park a moving truck on my street for a day?" The answer varies by city and by street, so don't assume Denver's rules carry over. HOAs in suburbs like Highlands Ranch and Parker frequently have their own rules on where trucks can park and for how long, so check your HOA documents too. If you're moving across the metro, our local moving crews know the quirks of each city, and for out-of-state moves our long distance moving team plans for parking at both ends.

8. What ELM Coordinates for You

We handle the parts of parking that depend on the mover, so all you have to do is file the request in your name. Here's what we take care of when you book with us:

• Tell you exactly how much curb length our truck needs, including ramp space
• Help you decide whether you need a meter request, a street occupancy request, or nothing at all
• Call your property manager to confirm dock times, elevator access, and building rules
• Send a certificate of insurance (COI) to your building at no extra charge
• Plan our arrival window around your permit hours so the truck is never there without a spot
• Scout tricky streets ahead of time when parking looks tight

Good parking saves real money. Our local rates start at $449 for a studio, $599 for a one-bedroom, $749 for a two-bedroom, and $949 for a three-bedroom, with extra time at $165 per hour for two movers or $225 per hour for three. Every block the crew walks with a dresser adds minutes, so a permitted spot right out front usually pays for itself. Want to know more about who we are first? Read our story.