Pay By Plate

 

 

What is a Pay By Plate Meter? (Effective as of 12/27/19)

The City's existing Multi-space meters (blue kiosks) received a software upgrade (at no cost to the city) that now allows residents and visitors to pay for parking using their license plate number, eliminating the need to walk back to your car to place a ticket on your dash.  

A NOTE ABOUT PERSONAL DATA:

It is important to stress that, while Portsmouth and most other cities have been utilizing vehicle plates for enforcement purposes for years, the plate number in the Enforcement system is merely used as a unique placeholder for the vehicle's parking session.  AT NO TIME DOES ANY MEMBER OF THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT OR MANAGEMENT TEAMS HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACCESS ANY PERSONAL DATA ASSOCIATED WITH ANY PLATE NUMBER.  WE DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO LOOK UP USER NAMES, ADDRESSES, DRIVING RECORDS OR ANY OTHER INFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH A PLATE NUMBER.

The following diagram shows the step-by-step meter display screens:

Pay By Plate diagram

 

Pay By Plate Frequently Asked Questions

Q:        How will my parking experience change?

A:         When patrons approach the machine:

  • They are prompted to enter their license plate number (just the number; no state)

  • Next, the patron decides the length of time, and payment method. 

  • Upon completion of the transaction, the patron is prompted as to whether they want a receipt (optional)

  • There is no longer any need to place a receipt on the vehicle’s dash

 

Q:        How Does the Parking Enforcement Officer know I paid?

A:         Payment and plate information is automatically transferred to the Parking Enforcement Team in real time

 

Q:        If my license number is entered incorrectly, can it be corrected?

A:         Yes, before your transaction is completed, you can either use the backspace key to make corrections, or cancel the entire transaction by pressing the red “X” button to start over.

 

Q:        Is my personal or driving information included in the plate number?

A:         No.  While Portsmouth and most other cities have been utilizing vehicle plate numbers for enforcement purposes for years, the plate number in the Enforcement System is used only as a placeholder unique to the vehicle for purposes of indicating an active parking session. 

At no time does any member of the Parking Enforcement or Management Teams have the ability to access any personal data associated with any plate number.  We do not have the capacity to look up user names, addresses, driving records or any other information associated with a plate number.

 

Q:        Can I still use the ParkMobile App or my EasyPark Device?

A:         Yes.  This change only affects parking sessions initiated at the blue parking kiosks.

 

Can I use credit cards?

Yes. All meters accept coins and credit cards. There is a minimum purchase of 1 hour for credit card transactions.


What if I have a motorcycle?

Motorcycle riders still need to pay the meter. 


Will I get a ticket while paying the meter?

No. All of the meters are within view of the parking spaces, and our Parking Enforcement Officers know to look for you before issuing a ticket. 

 

What if a meter doesn’t work?

If a meter is malfunctioning, payment is still required.  Patrons are instructed to use a different nearby meter. Paystations are programmed to notify Parking Maintenance of any issues. 


How will parking spaces be reserved for construction activities?

Commercial Use Only: Meters can be rented per day for: $50.00 per space (high occupancy) and $35.00 per space (non-high occupancy). Interested contractors must go to the Parking Clerk's offices at 1 Junkins Avenue, Suite 233A.