High-Hanover Parking Facility
Parking Rules & Regulations
Curb Parking and Surface Lots
METERS – Parking meters are used by the city to create turnover (short-term) parking for downtown businesses. Continuously feeding a meter is prohibited - time limits are strictly enforced. The electronic meters are designed to accept nickels, dimes and quarters. Defective meters can be reported to the Parking and Transportation Division at 427-1530.
METER RATES – The rate at all metered parking spaces (on street, off street and in the parking garage) is 75 cents per hour.
METER TIME ZONES – Parking meters are in effect Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are 15-minute, 2-hour and 4-hour metered time zones downtown. The meter poles are conveniently color coded to indicate the 15-minute spaces (red) and 4-hour spaces (blue). Any meter pole in front of a parking spaces that is without a color notation is 2-hour parking.
UNMETERED FREE TIME ZONES – Unmetered zones are posted throughout the city on green and white signs. These zones allow you to park for free of charge for up to 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour and 2 hours as posted. After the posted time the vehicle must leave the parking space or be subject to ticketing. Parking in free municipal lots is limited to 72 hours, after which time the vehicle is subject to ticketing.
TRUCK LOADING ZONES – Truck Loading Zones are reserved for commercial vehicles that are 1) trucks and 2) actively loading. Commercial trucks that are actively loading can park in these zones free of charge for the time limit posted.
HANDICAPPED PARKING – Only people with authorized license plates, hangtags or placards issued to them may park in a designated handicapped parking stall. Unauthorized parking in a handicapped parking space carries a $250.00 fine in accordance with NH RSA. The registrant may park free of charge for up to 24-hours in the High-Hanover Parking Facility or in designated unmetered on-street parking stalls. Handicapped plates, hangtags or placards do not allow a vehicle to access restricted parking areas such as truck loading or no parking zones.
NO PARKING ZONES – Parking in a "No Parking Zone" is strictly prohibited. Your vehicle must be completely parked in a legal zone.
- Please do not take more than one parking space.
- Do not park on sidewalks or esplanades (the space between the curb and the sidewalk).
- Never park against the flow of traffic.
PARKING/NO PARKING SIGNS- Parking and No Parking signs are placed on the street so that they may be viewed from your vehicle while parking. To report a missing or damaged sign, please call the Parking and Transportation Division at 427-1530.
PARKING CLEAR ZONES – Unless otherwise posted, always park at least:
- 5 feet from both sides of a driveway
- 15 feet from a fire hydrant
- 20 feet from an intersection
- 25 feet from a crosswalk
High-Hanover Parking Facility (HHPF)
MONTHLY LEASE RATES
- 24-Hour Pass $100.00/month
- 12-Hour Day Pass (7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.) $ 80.00/month
- 12-Hour Night Pass (7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.) $ 50.00/month
- The minimum lease period is one month and there is no maximum.
- All leases are based on the calendar month and begin the first day of the month.
- Leases are initiated by appearing in person at the Parking Clerk’s Office located at City Hall, 1 Junkins Avenue and completing a Lease Agreement Form and remitting the 1st month’s payment plus a $35.00 pass card deposit.
- The pass card deposit is forfeited if the pass is lost, damaged or used beyond the paid agreement. The pass card deposit is refundable when the Lease is terminated and the pass card returned.
- You must contact the Parking Clerk’s Office in writing or personal appearance by the 1st of the month to end a lease. Cards used after the 1st will be subject to the monthly rate and loss of card deposit.
- If you wish to suspend your lease this also must be in writing by the 1st of the month and return your card to the Parking Clerk’s Office. Cards that are not returned by the 1st of the month will be subject to charges being assessed.
LEASE RENEWALS AND REMITTANCE
You are responsible for renewing your lease by the first of the calendar month. If the Parking Clerk’s Office does not receive your payment by the 1st day of each month your card number may be deactivated and rendered invalid for use. If your pass has been deactivated for non-payment and you have to take a ticket to park in the garage, you will be expected to pay for the ticket. To re-activate your pass, you must pay a $15.00 re-activation fee before the pass is re-activated. Please make your checks out to: The City of Portsmouth, and mail to: Parking Clerk’s Office/Garage Pass, 1 Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801
You may also remit payment in person at the Parking Clerk’s Office between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or place your payment (checks only) in the white municipal payment box found in the parking lot at the Municipal Complex.
If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact the Parking Clerk’s Office at 610-7229.
USE OF THE PARKING PASS CARD
- To avoid damage, do not place your pass card in the sun or leave it in the car on extremely hot and humid days. If a pass card is damaged or defective, please return it to the Parking Clerk's Office to receive a new one.
- The pass card is issued to a tenant, not a particular vehicle. It is your responsibility to use the pass in accordance with the terms of its issuance. The pass card is not transferable to other users.
- If a leaseholder overstays the allotted time according to the lease agreement, 75 cents will be charged at exit for every hour or portion thereof that the leaseholder remains in the facility past the agreed upon time. When this occurs, you must use the exit with the attendant since your card will not activate the gate.
- LOT FULL - Specific parking spaces will not be marked for private use by individuals, however, parking will always be available for leaseholders. In the event that the "LOT FULL" signs illuminate, tickets will not be disbursed to cash paying customers. However, leaseholders will still be entitled entrance using their pass card.
- Posted Speed Limits and Stop Signs must be obeyed. Failure to obey may result in the loss of parking privileges.
Violations
 |
|
|
| VIOLATION |
>FINE |
>After 30
Calendar Days |
| 15-minute parking violation |
$15.00 |
$30.00 |
| 30-minute parking violation |
$15.00 |
$30.00 |
| 1-hour parking violation |
$15.00 |
$30.00 |
| 2-hour parking violation |
$15.00 |
$30.00 |
| 4-hour parking violation |
$15.00 |
$30.00 |
| 72 hour parking violation |
$50.00 |
$100.00 |
| Expired Meter |
$10.00 |
$25.00 |
| Parked within 15 ft. of a Fire Station |
$15.00 |
$30.00 |
| Parked on Sidewalk |
$25.00 |
$50.00 |
| Obstructing Traffic During Construction |
$15.00 |
$30.00 |
| Double Parking |
$15.00 |
$30.00 |
| Parked Wrong Direction |
$15.00 |
$30.00 |
| Back to Curb |
$15.00 |
$30.00 |
| Distance from Curb |
$15.00 |
$30.00 |
| Parked in No Parking Area |
$20.00 |
$40.00 |
| Parked Too Close to Intersection |
$20.00 |
$40.00 |
| Emergency Snow Ban Violation |
$25.00 |
$35.00 |
| Parking within an Intersection |
$25.00 |
$50.00 |
| Parked in Crosswalk |
$25.00 |
$50.00 |
| Blocking Fire Hydrant |
$25.00 |
$50.00 |
| Parked Blocking Driveway |
$25.00 |
$50.00 |
| Obstructing Street |
$25.00 |
$50.00 |
| Parked in a Fire Lane |
$25.00 |
$50.00 |
| 20 or More Parking Violations in One Year (July 1 to June 30) |
$25.00 |
$50.00 |
| Parked in a Handicapped Parking Space |
$250.00 |
$300.00 |
| Resident Parking Only |
$25.00 |
$50.00 |
TOWING/BOOTING – If you have $125.00 in unpaid parking violations per registered owner, your vehicles will be subject to towing or immobilization.
PAYMENT OF FINES – Parking fines must be paid within 30 calendar days by mail or personal appearance at City Hall, Parking Clerk, 1 Junkins Avenue, P.O. Box 6746, Portsmouth, NH 03802-6746. Any person receiving more than twenty (20) parking violations in any one year (July 1 to June 30) shall forfeit an additional sum of $25.00 for each subsequent violation. The city holds the registered owner accountable for accumulation of violations.
Appeals
PARKING APPEALS – Appeals may be made to the Parking Clerk at Portsmouth City Hall within 20 calendar days of issuance. Click here to download the Parking Appeal Form 
PARKING APPEALS FOR OUT OF STATE RESIDENTS
If you live out of state you may appeal by mail. The appeal must be sent within 20 calendar days of the parking ticket date of issue. Please address your appeal to: City of Portsmouth, Attn. Parking Clerk, 1 Junkins Ave. Portsmouth, NH 03801.
Construction Permits/Meter Bags
Permits may be issued to the public for the parking of a vehicle or other equipment that is engaged in construction, repair work or the moving of household goods. Permits may be purchased at the Parking Clerk’s office for the following fees:
- $5 for initial permit purchase
- $20 per day per parking space
Meter bags will be issued to the permittee for use on traditional meters. Dashboard permits will be issued for Pay & Display metered spaces.
In the event that the permittee secures the use of a permit/meter bag through misrepresentation, the permittee shall be subject to a fine of fifty dollars ($50). Additionally, any person using a permit/meter bag other than at the times or in the manner specifically authorized by the Department of Public Works shall be subject to a fine of one hundred dollars ($100) per day, per permit/bag of such unauthorized use.
