# ParkDC Permits — user reviews > 54 indexed App Store user reviews of ParkDC Permits by District Department of Transportation, rated 1.39/5 from 82 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parkdc-permits/id1557292714/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/parkdc-permits/id1557292714.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 4 · 4★ 2 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 10 · 1★ 65 ## Newest reviews (14 of 54) ### 1/5 — Utterly useless *2024-06-18, version 1.7* This is the most poorly designed and confusing app I have ever seen. It is utterly useless. ### 1/5 — Useless App *2024-05-16* No way to “schedule a vehicle”. When adding a vehicle, only times can be selected, not dates. Then the vehicle is NOT added to the permit. Also, no way to print an active permit. It states “permit not available”. Getting a paper permit allowed visitors to park for two weeks. This app requires me to renew visitor passes every day. DDOT website states residents can get a permit using the app. This is incorrect. This app only works for visitors. There is no clear way to renew or obtain the RPP (DC residential parking permit). Minor: when clicking on messages, you can see the beginning of the message but there is no way to open the message to read the whole thing. ### 1/5 — Not helpful *2024-04-27, version 1.7* The guest parking permits won’t print for me. ### 1/5 — What on earth is this app *2024-03-01, version 1.7* Without question one of the most nonsensical and useless apps I have ever used. How many tax dollars went into producing this trash? This is a national travesty. Who approved this? Everyone involved with this should be shamed, embarrassed, and prohibited from doing anything ever again. ### 1/5 — Does not work *2023-12-01* Cannot create an account. After entering name, address etc., the "next" button is always disabled. ### 1/5 — Horrible app, horrible system *2023-08-27* Exhibit A of DC government dysfunction. Extremely confusing, frustrating, non-intuitive, difficult to navigate, etc. Simple task, getting a visitor parking permit, cannot be done on app. Desktop hardly better. Printing requirement, insane, cannot be done at police station. System broken. DDOT 24/7 number=vacant. Just total utter breakdown at every possible level. Our tax dollars at work. ### 1/5 — Terrible App *2023-07-06, version 1.5* This is a terrible app. Needlessly complicated for both host and visitor. Wish we could still just go to the police station and pick one up. ### 1/5 — Horrible *2023-06-19* To describe this app as illogical would be a disservice. It simply does not function by any rational rules. The separate instruction found in the web show screen shots that do not confirm to the screens shown by this abomination of some incompetent creator’s fantasy. It should be used only as an example of bad development work. ### 1/5 — Cannot print from the app *2023-06-10* Confusing interface with too many steps to approve a visitor parking pass. And worst of all, the print pass function does not work. You have to go to the web site to print the pass. Sort of defeats the point of a mobile app. ### 1/5 — absolute trash *2023-04-06, version 1.5* this app is next level garbage. typical dc dmv style. ### 1/5 — THE WORST APP EVER CREATED *2023-04-06, version 1.5* This app doesn’t work, isn’t clearly laid out, is full of bugs and quite plainly is a piece of garbage. An 8 year old could set up a better app. FIX THIS OR RETURN TO PAPER RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMITS ### 2/5 — App Needs Significant Revision *2023-01-30* Idea and purpose of this App would be quite beneficial if significant improvements are made. First, developers need to add facial recognition to the app to log on especially since newer phones don’t use fingerprint for access. Second, the App printing function needs to be fixed. For the last couple of months when you try to print a permit from the App, it states it’s printing and can take a while but the system never displays the permit to print nor ask where to send the permit to print. Support was contacted about the printing issue but no action has been taken. A lot of works needs to go into debugging and updating this App. ### 1/5 — Terrible app *2023-01-13, version 1.5* Very complicated and doesn’t work. Please bring back the paper permits!!! ### 2/5 — Scheduling a permit is easy, printing is not *2023-01-09* I used to be able to print permits, but for the past 2-3 months could not print permits from the app. Which is a problem since DC tickets when a permit is not printed. Use the web version instead- this app is useless. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Atrocious app *2026-01-07, version 1.8.17* The information in the app contradicts itself in multiple places (e.g. “print and display this permit in vehicle dashboard” then not providing a file and the dc.gov website saying they no longer use printed permits and it’s all digital). Moreover, the app is glitchy, navigation and UX isn’t intuitive, and it’s exceptionally confusing. Overall, probably the worst app I’ve seen, which isn’t surprising because DDOT is the most incompetent government agency I’ve ever dealt with. ### 1/5 — Horrible design *2026-01-04, version 1.8.17* Is it possible to give negative stats? This is one of the worst apps ever designed. The login never saves, and if (if) you can get in, the system is designed to be as confusing as possible. Thanks DC! ### 1/5 — Might possibly be *2025-10-20* Might possibly be the single worst app ever to be made available for consumer use. Congratulations on getting almost every aspect of design completely wrong. This app fails to function even when you are able to successfully decode the absolutely bonkers and counterintuitive instructions. It must have taken real skill to build something so terrible, and whoever convinced DC to adopt it was a genius, or paid bribes to do so. Amazing to think such horrible software still has a place in the market. Well done! You give hope to the incompetent. ### 1/5 — Zero stars. App is trash (Aug 2025) *2025-09-04, version 1.8* What the actual f is this app? The ParkDC website is decent and works pretty well on your phone. This app is like a draft version that the intern made in a day and no one finished. I wish I could post screenshots to show how bad it is. The buttons/options are like file names, like “HOMEPAGE.SCHEDULEVISITORVPAGE.TITLE” and not intuitive once you’ve selected the kind of parking permit you are trying to get. Zero stars. Waste of an app. ### 1/5 — This app does not work *2025-08-17, version 1.8* This app does not work ### 1/5 — This app is where hope dies *2025-08-07, version 1.8* The app is so inconsistent. And I mean user interface. It is impossible to print permits which is the entire point of this app. Only feel anger when using this app ### 1/5 — The worst *2025-05-16, version 1.7* Unbelievably stupid app. It could be so easy but DMV has screwed the pooch again. ### 1/5 — Worst App in Existence *2025-04-05* Most frustrating user experience ever. The worst thing is that all the buttons and software processed work but the app won’t create an actual permit. I technically created 4 separate permits for a single visitor in my system, but it refuses to create a single printable permit for me. Absolutely terrible. I do not have words for my frustration with this app. ### 1/5 — Just awful *2025-02-24, version 1.7* Says my address isn't in the RPP database which isn't true, using website instead ### 1/5 — Terrible app *2024-08-29, version 1.7* Terrible app, not intuitive at all, not user friendly at all, burn it down and start over pleas ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Five minutes and pass for out of town guest *2022-05-06* Awesome and just hit print, love it. ### 5/5 — Worked for me 🤷🏿‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️ *2022-02-24* I already had my account set up. I downloaded the app to print a permit and it worked fine. 👍🏿👍🏿 ### 5/5 — Tax money well spent *2021-06-19* Both the host and the guest have to download the app and set up accounts, but that doesn’t take long, and then the permit(s) come(s) through instantly. I’m very glad to see the city implement something that actually makes life better and easier. ### 4/5 — It’s OK *2025-11-26* It should always say that no printout is needed at the top. Went crazy trying to print something ### 4/5 — 2023 update is excellent *2023-04-27* We tend to have low expectations when it comes to government-related apps, but DDOT has figured this one out. With so many changes during the pandemic to rules about parking enforcement of course drivers and residents have every right to be frustrated but this app provides a streamlined and intuitive way to get parking permits (for visitors, contractors, cleaners etc). I had been using the desktop-based portal and was pleasantly surprised to see that all my past work (existing permits, info) was easily accessible in the app. Well done DDOT! (Just please keep the app fresh and bug-free!) ### 3/5 — Useful App for Visitors but… *2021-07-03, version 1.1* Getting a paper permit allowed visitors to park for two weeks. This app requires me to renew visitor passes every day. DDOT website states residents can get a permit using the app. This is incorrect. This app only works for visitors. There is no clear way to renew or obtain the RPP (DC residential parking permit). Minor: when clicking on messages, you can see the beginning of the message but there is no way to open the message to read the whole thing. ### 2/5 — Reinstall needed for password change to be accepted *2025-07-16* I reset my account password through the ParkDC web site using the Safari browser on a Mac. The new password was then correctly displayed in the iPhone app at login. But an error message still said login was invalid. The new password was not accepted until after I deleted and reinstalled the app. ### 2/5 — Unclear and functionality issues *2024-07-26* I use this app to approve visitor parking when out of town guests are staying at my place. However there are several annoying features that make it frustrating to use: 1) it is not intuitive. For example, for overnight guest parking you have to select “multi-day” and then set the recurrence to “daily” in order to have different start and end dates for overnight guests. This has confused every single guest that has tried to use the app to send me a parking permit request. 2) you cannot print permits from the app. It has a button to print, but the PDF it generates is a blank page. After approving in the app, you still have to log into the same account on a computer to be able to generate a pdf with the actual permit details on it. 3) you cannot have multiple accounts that can approve the permit for a single house. This can be extremely inconvenient for housemates or spouses who are not in the same place when coordinate plans with guests. ### 2/5 — Can’t register *2024-03-31* I can’t even get past the registration page as it doesn’t allow my address within the city. Are raccoons running this thing? ### 2/5 — Glitchy *2023-05-05* This app used to work really well. But then there were some updates and it can no longer generate a permit to print when using an iPhone. You can schedule a vehicle, which is nice. But when you go to print the permit, the app states “Printing….please wait, this could take a while” and then the dialogue box disappears without letting you see the actual permit to print. If you need to print the permit, you need to go to the website on your web browser and print from that. Also, the app tries to use FaceID but then fails, requiring you to manually input your password every time. It’s a crappy app. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-10.*