Miami Beach drivers who skip paying at city surface lots could soon face citations in the mail no matter which lot they use.

The city's Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee voted unanimously Thursday, July 9, to recommend expanding an automated license plate recognition (LPR) parking enforcement program to every city lot. The pilot program at four lots generated $360,000 in new citation revenue over seven months, according to a Miami Beach Journal report on the committee vote.

The expansion now heads to the full City Commission for a binding vote. No date for that vote has been announced.

How the system works

Cameras at lot entrances and exits read every vehicle's license plate, record entry and exit times, and check them against the city's payment and permit database. If a vehicle hasn't paid or doesn't hold a valid permit, a citation is mailed to the registered owner.

The technology replaced a manual system in which Parking Department officers used handheld devices to scan tags at surface lots on patrol, according to city records. Garages are gated and self-enforcing, but surface lots previously had no round-the-clock monitoring.

The pilot's path

The program traces back to December 2022, when Commissioner David Richardson referred the idea to the Finance Committee. The City Commission approved Resolution No. 2023-32532 on March 27, 2023, authorizing a pilot with Pave Mobility, the company providing the camera technology. Pave Mobility bore all costs for installation, equipment, and integration.

The enforcement pilot launched at four surface lots: 900 Washington Ave. (P12), 1000 Washington Ave. (P13), 1262 Collins Ave. (P16), and 4621 Collins Ave. (P71). Commissioner Tanya Bhatt, who sponsored the enforcement phase, called it "a pilot program to test what could be transformative technology that would … capture people who are not currently paying their parking fees" at a City Commission meeting in spring 2025.

What drivers should know

If the full commission approves the expansion, LPR cameras would monitor all city surface lots 24/7. Residents can check the city's agenda portal at miamibeach.novusagenda.com for the date of that vote.

One detail worth noting: disabled parking permit holders are exempt from fees only if their permit is officially registered with the City of Miami Beach. Unregistered disabled permit holders who do not pay will receive a citation mailed to the vehicle's registered owner.