Game-Day Parking on a Business Lot: Permits, Price, Setup

Yes, you can usually sell game-day parking on a business lot near a stadium, but many stadium cities require a permit first. Check your city's event parking rules, set one flat event price, and post a pay-by-phone sign so drivers pay before they walk to the game. Some cities set application deadlines, so start before the season does.

Rules differ by city and state. The examples below come from city pages, not from a single national law. Call your planning or business license office before you charge anyone.

Step 1: Check whether your city requires an event parking permit

Stadium and college towns often regulate paid event parking. Here is what three city pages say today:

• Arlington, Texas. The city runs a Special Event Parking Lot permit for its Entertainment District. The permit must be renewed every year. The property needs a verifiable non-residential primary use. Fines run up to $500 per violation, and each parked car counts as a separate violation.
• Gainesville, Florida. Residents who sell yard parking on designated event days need a yard parking permit. It costs $60 a year (August 1 to July 31). Parking may start at 8 AM on event day and must end by midnight or 3 hours after the event, whichever is later.
• South Bend, Indiana. For Notre Dame home games, a temporary parking permit costs $3 per space per day for 9 or fewer cars, or $50 a day for 10 or more. Applications are due by noon on the Wednesday before the game.

Two of these pages cover residential lawns, not business lots. They still show the pattern: cities that host big events tend to want to know who is charging for parking, how many cars, and when. Search your city's site for "special event parking," "event parking lot permit" or "game day parking." If nothing comes up, call the zoning desk and ask whether paid parking is an allowed use for your zoning district.

Step 2: Gather the documents a permit office will ask for

Arlington's checklist is a good model, because it is one of the most detailed. Its application asks for:

1. Contact information for the operator.
2. A valid Texas sales tax permit.
3. Proof of liability insurance.
4. A to-scale site plan showing the layout, entrances and exits, lighting, attendant spots and number of spaces.
5. A notarized permission form from the property owner if you are the owner's agent.

Arlington also requires lots to be paved, striped and lit to city standards. Operators must staff at least two attendants during parking, and one must stay until an hour after the event ends or the lot clears. A city sign showing the lot is approved must be posted.

Even if your city asks for less, build this packet anyway. Your insurer and your landlord will ask for most of it.

Step 3: Clear it with your landlord and insurer

A permit only answers the city's question. Two other parties can still say no, and your own customers still need room:

• Your lease. If you rent the building, your lease may limit parking use to your own customers and staff. Get written permission from the landlord.
• Your insurer. Charging the public for parking can change your liability exposure. Ask your agent whether your general liability policy covers paid event parking, in writing. Arlington asks for proof of liability insurance with the application.
• Your own business. If you are open on game days, decide how many spaces you hold back for customers. Mark them with a separate sign.

Step 4: Set one flat event price, then test it

Event parking is a short sale. Drivers come in a rush before the game and leave in a rush after it. A single flat price is easier to post, easier to explain and faster to pay.

Work it out like this:

1. Count sellable spaces. Subtract spaces for your staff, customers and any fire lane or ADA access you must keep open.
2. Find the going rate. Walk the blocks between your lot and the stadium on the next event day. Write down the posted prices and how far each lot is from the gate.
3. Price by distance. Lots closer to the gate can charge more. If you are farther out than most, price a little under them.
4. Do the math. Example: 40 sellable spaces at $20 is $800 gross if the lot fills. Subtract platform and card fees to get your net.
5. Adjust after each event. If you fill an hour before kickoff, raise the price next time. If you are half empty at kickoff, lower it.

The Park Graph parking price calculator can help you run the numbers for your lot.

Step 5: Plan arrival, exit and enforcement

Traffic is what cities care about most. Arlington says it can close any lot that interferes with traffic on nearby streets. A simple plan keeps you on the right side of that:

• One way in, one way out if your lot allows it. Put the pay sign where drivers have already parked, not at the entrance, so the line never backs into the street.
• Cones and a sandwich board for the event days only.
• Staff if required. Some cities require attendants no matter how drivers pay. Follow your city's rule, even if payment is fully by phone.
• Know your towing rules. Towing and booting from private lots is regulated by state and city law, and the sign rules vary by state. Check your state statute before you tow anyone. A cheaper option is to collect what is owed instead.
• Clean up fast. Gainesville requires trash and signs to be removed by 6 PM the day after the event. Budget an hour for cleanup either way.

Step 6: Handle taxes and records

Arlington requires a Texas sales tax permit to apply, which is a reminder that some states and cities tax parking fees. Rules vary by state. Ask your state revenue department or your accountant whether parking you sell is taxable where your lot sits, and whether your city adds its own parking tax.

Keep a simple record for each event: date, event name, cars parked, price and net payout. That log makes your tax filing easier and shows you which events are worth opening for.

How Park Graph runs game-day parking

Park Graph is paid parking without the gate. Here is how it fits an event lot:

• One QR sign is the setup. You create the lot with its address, spaces and rate, connect Stripe for payouts, and print the sign in 8.5 x 11, 12 x 18 or 18 x 24 inches. No meters, kiosks or gates.
• Drivers pay by phone with no app. They scan with the phone camera, enter a plate, pick a time and pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card. Park Graph says it takes under 30 seconds. See how QR payments work.
• You set the rate. Each lot has an hourly rate and an optional daily maximum. Pro and Enterprise plans add event, weekend and peak-hour pricing. Starter lots never surge. Change the rate and the same printed code keeps working.
• Check cars from your phone. Type a plate into Check plate and it answers PAID, EXPIRED or NO RECORD. For a car that did not pay, you can leave a Payment Notice with a QR code so the driver can pay your posted rate and late fee. Park Graph never tows or writes tickets.
• Payouts go through Stripe. Your first payout is released 7 days after your first payment, once your ID check is done. After that, payouts arrive 2 business days after each payment.

Starter has no monthly fee and covers up to 3 lots. Park Graph keeps 10% of each payment (minimum $0.75), and standard Stripe card processing applies on top. Full plan details are on the pricing page. For venue-scale operations, see event venue parking.

A one-week launch checklist

1. Day 1: Call the city. Ask about permits, zoning and signs for paid event parking.
2. Day 2: Call your insurer and landlord. Get both answers in writing.
3. Day 3: Draw a site plan. Count sellable spaces and mark the customer spaces you will keep.
4. Day 4: Walk the nearby lots on an event day and pick your flat price.
5. Day 5: Set up the lot and connect payouts. Print and laminate your signs.
6. Day 6: Buy cones and a sandwich board. Line up staff if your city requires them.
7. Event day: Post signs, watch the first hour of arrivals and check plates before kickoff.

Start free at https://parkgraph.com