Artesia Updates Parking Program, Ends First Hour Free

HEAD: Artesia Updates Parking Program, Ends First Hour Free

By LCCN Staff Report

The Artesia City Council approved a series of changes to the city’s paid parking and residential parking permit programs aimed at modernizing parking management, simplifying the permit process, and creating more consistent regulations for residents, visitors, and businesses.

Beginning in September, all paid parking areas throughout the city will charge a standardized rate of $2 per hour. The city will also eliminate the “first hour free” parking benefit that was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic to help local businesses recover.

Drivers will be able to pay for parking using mobile applications linked to their vehicle license plate, eliminating the need to display printed parking receipts while making enforcement more efficient.

The city’s Preferential Parking Permit Program will also undergo significant changes.

Starting in January 2027, households will be eligible for up to three residential parking permits at a cost of $10 per permit annually. Residents will be able to apply for permits online rather than visiting City Hall, while the city transitions to a license plate-based permit system that eliminates the need for physical permits displayed inside vehicles.

Residents will also be able to purchase 24-hour guest parking passes for $4 each, with no limit on the number of guest passes that may be purchased as needed.

The ordinance formally incorporates the existing Alburtis Street Preferential Parking District into the Artesia Municipal Code and establishes a process for creating future residential parking districts.

Under the new process, residents may petition for a preferential parking district by obtaining signatures from all residents whose properties directly front the proposed district. After staff verification, petitions will be reviewed by the Public Safety Commission before being forwarded to the City Council for consideration. The City Manager or a designee may also initiate proposals that follow the same public review process.

“The City Council continuously seeks ways to make the customer experience easier for Artesia residents,” Mayor Rene Trevino said. “These updates are designed to improve the City’s service delivery, support more efficient parking enforcement, and ensure the City’s parking programs continue to meet the needs of the Artesia community as technology and parking demands evolve.”

The new parking rates, permit fees, and updated regulations take effect in September, when enforcement will begin. Residential parking permits issued for 2026 will remain valid through Dec. 31, 2026.

The city said additional information regarding implementation and online permit registration will be provided before the new program begins.