Applying for a residents' parking permit – costs in five cities

The residents' parking permit (Bewohnerparkausweis, also Anwohnerparkausweis) is issued by the city in whose residents' parking zone you are registered. Köln, Düsseldorf, Essen, Dortmund and Duisburg offer online applications; one year costs between 25 and 120 euros there. We apply on paper with a power of attorney for 19 euros plus the city's fee.

Residents' parking permit: the essentials

Parking privilege
parking privilege in areas with a parking shortage (§ 45 (1b) no. 2a StVO)As of: 27.10.2026 · § 45 Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung
Official fee
one year €25 (Düsseldorf online) to €120 (Köln)As of: 27.10.2026 · Stadt Köln
Residence
Essen: main residence · Köln, Dortmund: secondary residence tooAs of: 27.10.2026 · Stadt Essen
Online application
online in all five citiesAs of: 27.10.2026 · Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf
All details (2)
Number of permits
one permit per person, only for your own zone
Behördenfix fixed price
€19 plus the city's fee

Fee and paper route in five cities

CityFeeRoute
Köln€100–120in person with power of attorney
Düsseldorf€30 on site, €25 onlinecitizens' office with appointment
More rows (3)
Essen€75written application
Dortmund€30.70in person with appointment
Duisburg€30.70online, advice centre

How we apply for your permit

  1. 1Give your detailsName, email, city.
  2. 2Pay the fixed price19 euros; the city's fee comes on top.
  3. 3Send documentsVehicle registration, ID, driving licence, power of attorney.
  4. 4We apply on paperBy post or at the counter, without your online account.

Applying for the permit yourself

The way without us, step by step

Without us you apply for the permit directly at your city. The five cities describe the route like this:

  • Köln: apply or renew online with integrated payment; after checking, the permit comes as a PDF by email. At the customer centre it is issued immediately.
  • Düsseldorf: online with electronic payment and printing at home for 25 euros a year, at the citizens' office with an appointment for 30 euros. Not by phone.
  • Essen: online application with uploaded proofs or a written application; the permit comes with the fee notice by post; one year costs 75 euros.
  • Dortmund: digitally only via the service portal as a registered user, not by email. One year costs 30.70 euros; delivery by post currently takes at least 14 days, says the city.
  • Duisburg: online with a BundID account; username and password are enough; the permit is then in your inbox to print. One year costs 30.70 euros, two years 61.40 euros.
  • Costs compared: the cities charge 25 to 120 euros a year. With us you pay 19 euros plus your city's fee; in Düsseldorf the fee for the citizens' office application applies, 30 euros.

Open the official page

The documents you need

  • Vehicle registration certificate.
  • ID card or passport; in Köln and Dortmund also the driving licence.
More documents (4)
  • If the car is not registered to you: the keeper's confirmation of permanent use, in Dortmund with a copy of the keeper's ID.
  • For company cars in Köln: keeper confirmation with company stamp. For rental cars: the rental agreement with the period of use.
  • Certificate of registration, if the city requires it (Essen names it).
  • If we apply: your power of attorney. Köln also wants copies of the driving licence and ID of the person granting it.

Why every city asks for something different

The fee is not set federally. Under § 6a (5a) of the Road Traffic Act the federal states issue their own fee regulations and may take the economic value of the parking space into account. That is why one year costs 30.70 euros in Dortmund and up to 120 euros in Köln.

All details (1)

Köln charges by vehicle length (up to 4,109, up to 4,709, from 4,710 millimetres) and only issues the permit if you have no private parking space.

When does help with the parking permit make sense?

You do not need it if you can apply online yourself. All five cities offer this; in Düsseldorf and Duisburg you then print the permit yourself.

It can help if you have to gather proofs for a company car, a rental car or someone else's vehicle, or do not want to create a service portal account. Then we apply on paper with your power of attorney, by post or at the counter, and do not use your BundID or service portal account.

What we do not do: we promise no parking space and no processing time; whether your street is in a residents' parking zone is decided by the city. Only Köln explicitly mentions representatives at the counter. The fee comes on top of our 19 euros.

Questions about the residents' parking permit

How much does a residents' parking permit cost?

Each city decides. For one year you pay 25 euros online and 30 euros at the citizens' office in Düsseldorf, 30.70 euros in Dortmund and Duisburg, 75 euros in Essen and 100 to 120 euros in Köln depending on vehicle length. Two years cost 61.40 euros in Duisburg, 150 euros in Essen and 170 to 210 euros in Köln.

What are the requirements?

You must be registered in the residents' parking zone, and the car must be registered to you or provably left to you permanently. Essen requires main residence; Köln and Dortmund also accept a secondary residence. Köln and Dortmund also require a valid driving licence, and Köln additionally that you have no private parking space.

Can I apply for the permit online?

Yes, in all five cities whose pages we read. Köln sends the permit as a PDF by email after checking, Düsseldorf and Duisburg for printing at home. Duisburg requires a BundID account, Dortmund registration on its service portal. Essen accepts the online application with uploaded proofs and sends the permit by post. We use no online account for you but apply on paper.

How do I renew the residents' parking permit?

Köln writes to you about three months before expiry; no renewal application is usually needed there; you transfer the fee and get the new permit. Essen accepts renewal at the earliest three months, Duisburg at the earliest 30 days and Dortmund one month before expiry. In Essen, Dortmund and Duisburg the remaining validity is not lost.

Does this also apply to company or rental cars?

Yes, with proof. For a vehicle not registered to you, the cities require the keeper's confirmation of permanent use; Köln with company stamp for company cars, Dortmund with a copy of the keeper's ID. For hire and rental cars from commercial providers, Köln issues the permit for the period in the rental agreement. Duisburg accepts notice of a loan car by phone or email.

What applies after a move or a new number plate?

The permit is then changed or reissued. This costs 10 euros in Köln, 12 euros in Duisburg, 12.50 euros in Düsseldorf, 15.30 euros in Dortmund as a replacement for the remaining period and 30 euros in Essen. In Köln, Düsseldorf and Duisburg the change is not possible online, only in person. Anyone moving away from Duisburg loses the permit's validity.

Official sources

Sources (4)

Reviewed by M. Gabal on 27.10.2026

Provided by Behördenfix (M. Gabal). Behördenfix applies for a residents' parking permit on paper with your power of attorney at your city, by post or at the counter, without your online account. We are not an authority, do not allocate parking spaces and promise no processing time. Our price of 19 euros is plus the city's fee.

Related services (4)
What we do and what we don't
  • We fill in applications based on your details, file them and follow them up.
  • We give no legal or tax advice and do not assess chances of success.
  • We are a private service, not a public authority.
Have your parking permit requested· 19 € + fee