SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — 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 recently announced 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 second 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.
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