Parking a Moving Truck in Vancouver: Permits, Loading Zones and Street Rules

By In & Out Express · October 28, 2026 · 8 min read

Where the truck parks decides how your moving day goes. A truck parked right outside the door means short carries and a quicker load. A truck parked half a block away, or circling because every space is taken, adds time, effort and risk to every trip.

In the City of Vancouver, there is an official way to hold the space in front of your home: a temporary street occupancy permit. This guide explains how it works, what the City asks for, and the street rules that catch people out. It covers the City of Vancouver only. Burnaby, Surrey, the North Shore and other municipalities set their own rules, so check with your own city's engineering or permits office if you are moving there.

Rules and fees below are taken from City of Vancouver pages as of October 28, 2026. They can change, so confirm with the City before you rely on them.

The permit that reserves your curb space

A temporary street occupancy permit lets the City temporarily suspend the posted parking rules on part of a street. The City lists moving trucks for move-ins and move-outs (homes, condos and commercial moves) as one of the uses. Once the permit is issued, a City crew puts up temporary no-parking signs for your date and covers any meters.

Two limits are worth knowing up front. The City says these permits are not issued for crew parking, and a permit cannot be used to take over a space where someone is already legally parked.

How far ahead to apply

This is where most people get caught. The City's parking guide says to apply 7 days before moving day, but the permit page says the City needs a minimum of 7 to 10 business days from the time payment is received to process and issue the permit. Seven calendar days is not enough under that rule.

A safer plan is to apply two to three weeks ahead, and earlier for end-of-month dates. If you only have 5 to 7 business days left, the City asks you to email engineering.clientservices@vancouver.ca so staff can check whether it can still be done. There is no guarantee.

What you need before you apply

Gather this before you open the application:

• The location: the street address, or the hundred block, where the truck needs to park.
• The current parking rules there: time limits, residential permit parking, loading zones or other restrictions on the signs.
• Meter numbers, if there are meters: the City asks for the 6-digit meter ID on the meter itself, not the 5-digit pay-by-phone number.
• How much of the street you need: only the parking lane, or also a travel lane, a bike lane, a rush-hour lane, the sidewalk or the rear lane.
• The date, time and how long you need the space.

If you need more than the curb lane, the City asks you to contact Engineering Services first, because lane use fees can apply. Requests that close a sidewalk, travel lane or bike lane may also need a traffic control plan, and the City notes that missing plans and short lead times are common reasons for rejection.

Insurance: applications from businesses must include a liability insurance certificate that names the City of Vancouver. The City makes an exception for residents moving in or out of their own address, who do not need to provide insurance.

Applying and paying

You apply online by registering for an account in the City's permit system, or by emailing Engineering Client Services to book an in-person appointment. You are not charged when you submit. Staff review the request, set the fee under the Street and Traffic By-law, and email you a link to pay. The City says simple applications are generally approved right away, but remember that the processing clock runs from payment.

As of 2026, the City lists the no-parking signage fee as $138.46 for each 7-day period, or $138.46 as a one-time charge plus the meter rates if the space has meters or pay stations. Fees are set by Council and can change.

What happens before and on moving day

• Signs go up 1 to 2 business days before your date. If you do not see them the day before, the City asks you to email Engineering Client Services.
• Keep a copy of your permit with you on the day.
• If a car is in your reserved space, call 3-1-1 with its licence plate. If the car was not recorded as being there when the signs went up, it will be towed.
• If the car was there before the signs went up, it will not be towed, and the City will not refund the permit. There is also no refund if the signs are stolen or vandalized.

That last point is a good reason to walk past the space when the signs go up and again the evening before.

Street rules that apply without a permit

Moving trucks count as large vehicles

The City treats a vehicle as "large" when it is longer than 6.4 metres or taller than 2.2 metres, and, next to homes, parks, schools and churches, also when it weighs more than 5,500 kg. A 26-foot box truck is well over 6.4 metres long, so these rules apply to most moving trucks.

Without a street use permit, a large vehicle can generally park on the street for up to 3 hours between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., and not at all between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. In practice, this means you should not plan to load a truck the night before and leave it on the street overnight, and a long load or unload can run past the 3-hour mark.

Loading zones, commercial zones and lanes

• Regular loading zones can be used to load or unload materials for up to 30 minutes, and passengers for up to 3 minutes. Signs without times or days apply 24 hours a day, including holidays.
• Commercial loading zones and commercial lanes are only for vehicles with a City commercial vehicle permit. The City treats any lane next to a commercial property, such as a store, restaurant or parking lot, as a commercial loading zone. In busy areas such as Downtown, Broadway, West 4th Avenue, Kingsway, Kerrisdale and South Granville, those lanes do not need to be signed. The City lists the area bounded by Burrard Street, Coal Harbour, Stanley Park and English Bay as an exception to this no-stopping rule.
• Rented trucks: if you are driving a rental truck yourself and it has no City commercial decal, it cannot stop in a commercial lane or commercial loading zone, so do not build your plan around one.
• Meters are in effect from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, including holidays.

A seasonal trap: leaf removal

From mid-November to January, City crews clear fallen leaves from streets. When a block is scheduled, temporary "no stopping" or "no parking" signs go up, and vehicles must be moved by 7 a.m. on the date shown. Vehicles left in posted zones may be towed to a nearby location and fined $100, reduced to $60 if paid within 14 days. The City publishes a leaf removal map by area, but says the dates are only a guideline and can shift with weather and crew availability.

If you are moving between now and January, check the map for both addresses, and keep an eye out for new signs in the days before your move. Rain is also likely at this time of year, so our guide to moving in the rain is worth a read too.

Condos and towers: the street is only half of it

In many condo buildings, the truck will use a loading bay or parkade rather than the street. Those spaces are controlled by the strata, not the City, and usually need their own booking, elevator reservation and sometimes a moving fee or deposit. Check the clearance height of the loading bay too, because a large truck may not fit and may need a street permit after all. Our guide to strata move-in and move-out fees in BC explains where to find your building's rules.

Quick checklist

Planning a move in the Lower Mainland?

In & Out Express handles home moves with two movers and a 26 ft truck across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. When you request a move, tell us about parking, loading bays and building booking windows at both addresses so we can plan the day around them. You can also see our moving services or contact us with questions.

Sources: City of Vancouver, Reserve parking spaces and parking meters with temporary street occupancy permits; City of Vancouver, Guide to driving and parking; City of Vancouver, Large vehicles; City of Vancouver, Loading and passenger zones; City of Vancouver, Commercial loading zones and lanes; City of Vancouver, Leaf removal from City streets; City of Vancouver, Fall leaf collection underway (October 22, 2026) (all accessed October 28, 2026).