NYC Alternate Side Parking: Today's Status, Rules and Calendar

What Is Alternate Side Parking in NYC?

ASP regulations allow the city to clean the streets. According to NYC 311, the rules are posted on signs with a "P" crossed by a broom, and those signs state the days and times when parking is not allowed ^[1]. When ASP is in effect, you cannot park on the side of the street that is being cleaned.

Two details trip people up. First, the rules apply for the entire time posted on the sign, even if a street sweeper has already passed ^[1]. Second, the rule belongs to a specific side of a specific block. The opposite curb can have different days and hours, and that is the whole point of "alternate side."

Street cleaning rules are not a single citywide schedule. Each block has its own sign, so a friend's answer from another neighborhood tells you nothing about yours. If you are parking somewhere new, read the sign before you walk away from the car.

How Do You Read an NYC Street Cleaning Sign?

Look for the broom symbol. A sign with a "P" crossed by a broom is the street cleaning rule, and the lines of text beside it give the days of the week and the time window. Other signs on the same pole, such as meter rules or "No Standing" rules, are separate regulations and each one applies on its own.

The "EXAMPLE" days and hours in the drawing are made up for illustration. Your block may have one window, two windows or a different pair of days.

When Is ASP Suspended?

NYC DOT says the city suspends ASP rules on specific legal and religious holidays, and also because of weather and emergencies ^[2]. Planned holiday suspensions are published in advance each year in a calendar. Emergency suspensions, such as snow operations, are announced as they happen.

NYC 311 describes the timing this way: "When ASP is suspended, it applies from midnight the day before until midnight the day of the suspension" ^[1]. The drawing below shows that timing, so you can see which hours of the suspension day are covered.

Do not treat a suspension as a blanket permission. Only the street cleaning rule is suspended on most holidays; every other regulation stays in effect ^[2]. A hydrant, a bus stop or a "No Standing Anytime" sign still means exactly what it says.

For the full list of planned suspensions, use the ASP calendar. We keep dates there rather than in this article so they are always checked against the official source.

Do Sundays and Holidays Turn Off ASP and the Meters?

No. NYC 311 states that on Sundays, ASP is not in effect and you do not have to pay the parking meters ^[1]. That is a standing rule, not a holiday suspension, so it will not appear on the suspension calendar.

A Sunday exemption covers street cleaning and meters. It does not cancel signs that apply seven days a week, such as "No Standing Anytime." If a sign lists a day and hour that includes Sunday explicitly, treat it as a separate rule and read it carefully.

On holidays, it depends on the day. The calendar marks some holidays as major legal holidays. NYC 311 lists New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day with an asterisk, and says parking meters are not in effect on major legal holidays ^[1].

On a major legal holiday you may also stop, stand or park at a "No Stopping," "No Standing" or "No Parking" sign when that rule is not normally in effect seven days a week. Rules that apply at all times, for example "No Standing Anytime," stay in force ^[2].

On every other holiday, DOT says only street cleaning rules are suspended and all other regulations remain in effect ^[2]. In plain terms, a suspended ASP day usually means you can leave the car, but you may still need to feed the meter. Check the calendar entry, which marks whether meters are in effect.

How Do You Check ASP Status Before You Move Your Car?

Use an official source, not a neighbor's text message. NYC 311 points drivers to the NYC Today calendar, the NYC311 online and app status pages, and the @NYCASP account ^[1]. NYC DOT adds that Notify NYC carries emergency suspension information ^[2]. 311 also offers email alerts for unplanned suspensions and a SweepNYC tool for street cleaning status.

Emergency suspensions need extra care. They can be announced the same day, so confirm the current status before you rely on one. If you cannot confirm it, treat ASP as in effect and read the sign.

NYC DOT also notes that when the Department of Sanitation changes street cleaning rules, DOT may suspend ASP temporarily so signs can be updated. After new signs go up, the city allows a grace period during which no summonses are issued ^[2]. When you see fresh signs on your block, check the current rules before you assume the old ones.

How Can You Plan Around ASP If You Park on the Street Every Day?

Planning ahead beats checking in a hurry. NYC 311 lets you download the yearly suspension calendar as a PDF, in English and in 15 other languages, and as a calendar file (ICS) for Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook ^[1]. Importing the file puts planned suspensions in the calendar app you already open every morning. You can also request a copy by calling 311.

Three habits cover most situations:

• Know your own days. Write down the days and hours on the sign for the side where you usually park. Those are the only moments the broom rule matters on your block.
• Sign up for alerts. 311 offers email notifications for unplanned suspensions, and Notify NYC carries emergency information. Planned holidays are on the calendar, but a snowstorm is not.
• Check the sign after any change. If new signs go up, the rules for your block may have changed, so read them again.

Visitors and renters face the same rule. If you are driving in from an airport or arriving for a weekend, the sign beats any app, including ours. See our guides for other parking basics, or compare options in the parking vs rideshare calculator if leaving the car at home is simpler. Flying in or heading to a game? Our airport parking guides and venue parking guides cover the lots, and street parking near either is a separate decision with its own signs. A short trip is also a good moment to ask whether a car is needed at all: ASP only matters while a car sits on the street, and the sign for the block you choose is the only authority on when it must move. If the plan changes mid-trip, you can still re-check the status in a minute, which is far cheaper than a ticket or a tow.

What Happens If You Get an ASP Ticket?

Street cleaning is violation code 21 on the Department of Finance (DOF) list, described as no parking where parking is not allowed by sign, street marking or traffic control device. DOF lists the fine at $65 in both Manhattan below 96th Street and the rest of the city, a figure it says took effect in 2020 ^[3]. Fines can change, so check the DOF page for the current amount.

Double parking is a different violation. DOF lists it as code 46, standing or parking on the roadway side of a vehicle stopped, standing or parked at the curb, with a $115 fine in the same list ^[3]. Double parking is illegal, and being "just for a minute" during street cleaning hours is not an exception.

If you believe a ticket is wrong, use the official routes. DOF says you can request a hearing online, through the Pay or Dispute app, by mail or in person, and that you must request a hearing within 30 days after the ticket was issued to avoid late penalties ^[4]. Contacting anyone other than DOF does not change the deadline. A ticket that is neither paid nor disputed goes into judgment about 100 days after issuance, according to the same page. A late request still gets a hearing, but you owe late penalties if the judge finds you guilty. DOF also says that going to a hearing in person does not improve your chances of dismissal, so the online and mail options are worth considering. This site does not give legal advice, and we do not suggest ways around the rules: if you were parked legally, say so at the hearing and bring what the sign and your photos show.