Apply for a Moving Van Permit - City of Cambridge, MA

A moving van permit reserves space at a specific time and location to park a vehicle while moving materials in and out of a building. Permits cannot be issued on private ways or on blocks with no parking on either side.

How To Start

Apply for moving van permit using the online application form or stop by the Traffic,Parking and Transportation Department's (TP&T) office at 344 Broadway.
- When applying online, after submitting the permit application, you should be prompted to pay for your permit. If you do not see the payment screen or you cannot complete your payment, please call our office at (617) 349-4721. Your application will not be processed by our staff until payment is received.
- Permit applications must be submitted at least 7 calendar days (one week) before the installation date.
- To reserve space at a metered location, you must select the meter numbers from the dropdown on the permit application. View map of meter locations.
Once our staff approve your permit, we will send you a copy of your approved permit via email as a PDF attachment.
- In some instances emails will end up in spam or junk folders. Please check all email folders for your permit.
- If you do not receive this email by noon on the next business day after you have applied and paid for your permit, please contact our office to make sure that we have received your permit application and that your payment is complete
City staff will post signs at the requested location for your container once your permit is approved and paid for. Permits can only be posted in front of your residence and cannot be posted in spaces reserved for persons with disabilities, across driveways, within ten feet of a fire hydrants or in locations posted no parking or no stopping.

Fees:

Permit fees are per vehicle, per day, available in 20ft increments:

20ft or 40ft - $35.00
60ft - $60.00
80ft - $80.00
100ft - $100.00
120ft - $120.00
Meter Fee (if applicable) $10.00/day/meter
Moving van permits are effective 8AM to 4PM on the date requested. Vans may be kept on the street overnight if the space is reserved for two consecutive days.

Requirements

You must make provisions for pedestrian safety and/or emergency vehicles when necessary.
If the no parking signs we have posted are torn down, please call us at (617) 349-4721 right away.
All moving vehicles must use a rear ramp. Ramping from the truck cannot block the sidewalk. Please plan for sufficient ramp space when requesting your permit.
All moving vans must be temporarily relocated to accommodate street cleaning and snow emergencies.
Permits cannot be modified after signs have been posted unless due to extreme weather conditions. If you need to request a posting modification after signs are posted, the City cannot provide a refund and you must reapply and pay for a new permit.
Tractor Trailers/Semi Trucks are restricted on some roads in Cambridge and surrounding areas. If you are using these vehicles please contact us at (617) 349-4721 to find out if your move should be broken down into smaller moving vans.
The City does not allow trailers of any size to be un-attached from a vehicle and left on public property. Trailers left un-attached are subject to towing at the owners expense.
All City permits are subject to review and can be revoked at any time per order of the Traffic, Parking & Transportation Director.

Useful Documents & Resources

View Document Library »

Additional Information

If a vehicle is parked in the space posted for your move, please contact the Cambridge Police Department by following the instructions on your permit.

If you are leaving your moving van in a parking space overnight you must abide by the following City Ordinance. "Loading, unloading, opening, closing or other handling of boxes, crates, containers, building materials, garbage cans, or similar objects between the hours of nine p.m. and seven a.m. the following day on weekdays, or between the hours of nine p.m. and nine a.m. the following day when the following day is a Saturday, Sunday or holiday in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of fifty feet from the lot line of the lot on which such activity is located, or to be plainly audible within a noise sensitive zone” is prohibited.

Traffic, Parking, and Transportation

Contact 617-349-4700

344 Broadway

Cambridge, MA, 02139

Mon: 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.Tue - Thu: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

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Cambridge Police

Contact 617-349-3300

125 Sixth St.

Cambridge, MA, 02142

Mon: 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.Tue - Thu: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

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