San Francisco Moving Permit: How to Reserve Curb Space for Your Truck

The Short Answer

If your moving truck has to park on a San Francisco street, you need a San Francisco moving permit. SFMTA calls it Temporary Tow-Away No Stopping signage, or TANS. The signs hold a stretch of curb for your move and warn drivers that any car left there will be towed.

We're JH Moving, a licensed mover based in Richmond (Cal-T201700). Our crews run moves in San Francisco all the time, and the permit is the step that trips people up most. This guide covers the official SFMTA rules, the timing, and the building steps that go with them. It should help you whether you hire us or not.

When an SF Move Needs a Permit

SFMTA says its temporary signs are for "commercial or residential moves," along with events and a few other uses. You'll want one when:

• The truck will park on a public street at either address
• Your block has meters, residential permit parking, or packed curbs
• Your building has no off-street loading dock or driveway that fits a truck

You may not need one if your building has a loading dock the truck can use. Ask your property manager. Still not sure? Ask us. At booking, we tell every customer whether they need a permit, which address it covers, and the last day to apply.

The signs are not for parking your own car. SFMTA is clear on that. They also don't cover a moving container sitting on the street. That's a different permit, covered below.

Who Applies

You do. The request is filed in your name, as the person moving. We don't file it for you. We give you the move date, the hours the crew will be at each address, and the deadline to apply. With that in hand, the form takes a few minutes.

How to Apply, Step by Step

1. Lock in your date and hours. You need both before you apply. SFMTA says moving requests must start no earlier than 7am and end no later than 10pm.
2. Choose how to file. Apply online through the SFMTA online portal. First time? Click "Not a Member?" and register with your email address. SFMTA uses that email to reach you. You can also call 311, or 415-701-2311 from outside the city.
3. Request your zone. Tell SFMTA the address, the dates, and the hours. Ask for enough curb for the truck plus room to work at the back of it.
4. Wait for the email. Temporary Sign staff look at the block in person, then email you. The email says if you're approved, the exact fee, how to pay, and how the signs will be posted.
5. Pay the fee. SFMTA takes credit cards, cashier's checks, company checks, and money orders. It does not take personal checks.
6. Save your Service Request number. It's in your SFMTA paperwork. You'll want it if anything goes wrong.
7. Check the signs. Walk by before move day. Make sure the signs are up and the dates and hours are right. If something is off, tell SFMTA at least 24 hours ahead so they can repost.

Timing: The Rules That Matter

Processing takes at least 5 business days

SFMTA asks for at least 5 business days between the day you apply and the first day of enforcement. Weekends and legal holidays don't count. Apply on a Friday, and your five days are Monday through Friday of the next week.

Treat that as the floor, not the goal. We tell customers to apply as soon as the date is firm. Give yourself extra room in summer and at the end of the month, when moves pile up. The official rules are on the SFMTA Temporary Signage page, and that page is the final word if anything changes.

Signs go up 72 hours or 24 hours ahead

• Unmetered streets: signs must be posted at least 72 hours before enforcement starts.
• Metered spaces: signs must be posted at least 24 hours before enforcement starts.

On an unmetered block, that means the signs should be up 3 days before your move. Plan your application with that in mind.

Port streets take 15 calendar days

Some streets near the waterfront are under the Port of San Francisco. SFMTA says requests there need at least 15 calendar days. If you're moving near the Embarcadero, ask SFMTA early whether your block is Port property.

Metered Spaces and Fees

SFMTA sets the fee and updates it, so check its page for the current amount. We won't quote a number here because it changes. Here's what drives the price:

• Number of signs. Staff look at your block and decide how many signs the zone needs.
• Meters. Each metered space adds a meter fee for every day the zone is active.
• Days. Zones are billed in 5-day blocks for metered spaces and 7-day blocks for unmetered ones.
• Extras. Some options add a fee, like a 311 request for 4 to 7 days or a design change.
• Changes. If you filed through 311, you have 24 hours after the approval email to cancel or change for free. After that, changes cost extra.

Skipping the permit rarely saves money. Without a zone, the truck may end up a block away. We don't charge extra for long carries, but they take time, and time is what you pay for. A ticket or a tow on top of that makes it worse.

Permits at Both Addresses

Moving from one SF address to another? Plan on a zone at each one. Set the hours to match when the crew will be there. That might be morning at the old place and afternoon at the new one.

Moving across the bay? Only the San Francisco side goes through SFMTA. Each city has its own process. Oakland, for example, uses an Obstruction Permit from OakDOT, and our Oakland moving permit guide walks through it.

Street Cleaning, Red Curbs, and White Zones

Temporary signs don't wipe out the street's normal rules. SFMTA says they do not replace street cleaning signs, No Stopping signs, No Parking signs, or red curbs. Look at your block's street cleaning day before you lock in a date. If sweeping falls in your move window, pick different hours or a different day.

White zones (passenger loading) work differently. You can include one if the zone's owner gives written permission. That's often a business or building next door. Email the permission to temporarysign@sfmta.com with the owner's name, the date and time, and your Service Request number.

If a Car Is Parked in Your Zone

It happens. Someone ignores the signs or doesn't see them. SFMTA's signs warn that cars in the zone will be towed to clear the space. Here's what to do:

1. Check the sign. Make sure the date and hours on it cover right now.
2. Call 311. From outside SF, dial 415-701-2311. Say a car is parked in your posted temporary tow-away zone. Give the address, the license plate, and your Service Request number.
3. Tell your movers. The crew can plan where to stage while you wait.
4. Take photos. Get the car, the plate, and the posted sign with its dates in the shot. That helps if anything is disputed later.

Don't try to move the car or block it in. Let the city handle it.

High-Rises: Freight Elevators and COIs

In a big building, the street permit is only half the job. The other half happens inside.

Book the freight elevator. Most SF high-rises and newer condo buildings have a move-in process. You reserve the freight elevator and loading area for a set window. Book it at both buildings if both have one. Then match your permit hours to the elevator window, with a cushion on each side.

Get the Certificate of Insurance done early. Many buildings want a Certificate of Insurance (COI) from your mover before move day. It names the building or its management company, often with exact wording. Some buildings won't confirm your elevator time until the COI is approved. Send us your building's requirements and we'll get the certificate issued and sent to your property manager. We're fully insured, and elevators never add a fee. They only add time.

Get the rules in writing. Ask each building for move hours, elevator booking steps, COI wording, deposits, and floor protection rules.

Living in a walk-up or a tower? Our apartment moving service explains how we work inside elevator windows. If you'd rather have everything boxed before the crew arrives, our full-service packing crew usually packs the day before, so move day is all loading. Moving a business? Commercial buildings are stricter, and our office relocation team handles that paperwork. You can also see how we plan San Francisco moves from start to finish.

Moving Container or POD? Different Permit

TANS signs are for moving trucks. A mobile storage container or POD on the street needs its own permit from San Francisco Public Works, Bureau of Street-Use & Mapping. Start with the Public Works storage container page or call (628) 271-2000.

Your SF Moving Permit Timeline

• 3 to 4 weeks out: Book your mover. Ask the building at each address for its move rules, elevator booking, and COI needs.
• As soon as your date is firm: Apply to SFMTA for every SF address. Check the street cleaning schedule.
• 2 to 3 weeks out: Send COI requirements to your mover. Book freight elevators.
• 5 business days out: SFMTA's minimum. Applying any later puts the permit at risk.
• Within 24 hours of approval (311 requests): Last chance to change or cancel for free.
• After approval: Pay the fee. Save the approval email and your Service Request number.
• 3 days out (unmetered) or 1 day out (metered): Signs should be up. Walk by and check them.
• Move morning: Look at the zone. If a car is in it, call 311.

Plan Your SF Move With Us

We'd rather you hear about the permit from us at booking than from a parking officer on move day. Call (510) 495-1884 or request your free estimate. We'll tell you which addresses need a permit and the date to apply by. We have 300+ five-star reviews, we're licensed under Cal-T201700, and Hablamos Español. For more local planning help, browse our Bay Area moving guides.