Seen these before? For the last two Fridays, somebody zip-tied laminated signs to the tree pits on my block in Woodside saying NO PARKING FRIDAY 7AM-4PM. No DOT logo, no permit number, just a phone number that goes to a Google Voice voicemail.

First week I moved my car because I didn't wanna get towed. This week I watched a flatbed tow a Corolla anyway. Is that even legal, or did someone just call a private tow? I called 311 and got bounced around. If you're gonna make a fake sign, at least steal a DOT template.

Ha, in Red Hook people don't even bother with signs—just a cone and a dirty bucket. No DOT logo means it's crap. But the tow part is weird. If they called a private company, that's a whole other problem. I'd take pics and send to the precinct's traffic email. Also check the number on the sign against DOT. If it's fake, the city can maybe fine the person. But yeah don't park there if you value your plates.

Wait, how do you tell a real temporary no parking sign? I saw one on my block in Dyker that looked printed from someone's apartment, but it had a case number. I didn't know fake ones were a thing. Is the phone number not enough? If the city tows, do they just go by the sign without checking? That's kinda scary.

Real temporary no parking signs are issued by the DOT Street Activity Permit Office, and they have to be posted at least 24 hours in advance for normal jobs (some emergency work can be shorter). The official ones are brightly colored, usually have the DOT logo, a permit number, the dates/hours, and a phone number. The key is the permit number and the format.

If it's a laminated printout with a Google Voice number, treat it as somebody's wishful thinking. But here's the caveat: NYPD and tow companies sometimes do act on a sign if a contractor or property owner calls and says cars are blocking an active permitted job. That's why the Corolla got towed—it may not have been the sign itself, more the caller.

You can call the local DOT borough office and ask for a permit verification; sometimes 311 won't have the exact block permit quickly. Photos help. If it's fake, the person is asking for trouble with the precinct, but it's low on their list.

Same junk uptown. Last month a guy put out a lawn chair and a 'no parking Tuesday' sheet for a U-Haul. Cops did nothing, but the U-Haul double-parked anyway. The trick is if the sign doesn't have the DOT logo, don't call the number—call the precinct and say someone is illegally reserving a spot. Sometimes they'll at least drive by. Or just leave your car and watch from a window with coffee. Better entertainment than the Knicks.

Update: I called DOT directly this morning. No permit for Friday on this block, confirmed. So somebody definitely phone-yanked a tow. I moved my car last night anyway because I need it for a Hudson Valley run. My neighbor stayed, got towed at 8am, had to chase it to the pound in Long Island City. He's filing a complaint. So yeah, fake sign but real consequences if the caller has a tow hookup. Take pics of every sign you see, especially the phone number.

Can you check permits online? I just moved to Astoria from Ohio and I'm still learning the alternate side signs, let alone fake temp ones. Is there an app or website where you type the street and see if there's a permit? My roommate says just don't park near any sign, but on my block that would mean parking in New Jersey lol. Thanks for this thread, I feel less crazy.

Good rule of thumb: if it doesn't have the DOT logo and a permit number, it is not a legal temporary no parking sign. The city will never issue a sign from a Google Voice number. That said, as zoning_zadie pointed out, a real tow can still happen if a contractor has an open permit and calls it in, or if a private towing company is unscrupulous enough.

The correct move is to photograph the sign, record the exact time and date, and file a request with 311 under 'illegal posted sign' or 'illegal parking reservation.' If your car gets towed, the tow receipt is your best evidence for a complaint. I've had to fight one in Queens a few years ago and the DOT permit verification is the thing they actually look at.

Also, this is basically the same enforcement gray area we were kicking around in the thread 21st St at 6pm: Has the loading-zone 'solution' just moved the double-parking one block north? 21st St at 6pm: Has the loading-zone 'solution' just moved the double-parking one block north? — official changes on paper don't always translate to what the tow truck driver or the contractor thinks is fair game.