You can:
You can park in included car parks, for an unlimited stay. You can park all day without doing anything at the machine or in the app. We will check your registration on our devices and see your permit.
Unlimited‑stay locations include large car parks such as: Dorchester Fairfield, Weymouth Swannery, Wimborne Allenview, and many more included car parks.
Additional car parks, one session up to 3 hours per day. In these locations you must start a free 3‑hour session in the MiPermit app when you arrive.
3‑hour session locations include town‑centre sites like: Dorchester Acland Road, Sherborne Newland North, Weymouth Harbourside, Wimborne Hanham Road, and other additional car parks.
You cannot use the flexi stay permit in excluded car parks, for example: Weymouth Cosens Quay, Dorchester History Centre, or country park car parks and other excluded car parks.
The flexi stay permit can be used in the following car parks for an unlimited stay.
The Flexi Stay permit allows you a single parking session for up to 3 hours every day in the following car parks by booking a session on the MiPermit App (download the app for iPhone or Android). Find out how to activate your 3 hour session using MiPermit.
You cannot use your permit for:
You can apply if you are:
Your vehicle must be roadworthy, taxed, insured and have a valid MOT.
Each Flexi permit is limited to one registered vehicle.
Common confusion
People sometimes think one permit can cover multiple vehicles. For Flexi, it cannot. It is one permit, one vehicle.
You can choose a monthly or a yearly payment for your permit:
Flexi permits cannot be used the day you apply. Plan ahead. Approving your permit usually takes about 3 days. See your MiPermit account to check the date your permit is active from.
If you are a new user, register for a MiPermit account:
Register for a MiPermit account
You will need to sign in to your MiPermit account to buy a permit:
Common confusion
Applicants often expect a paper permit or dashboard pass. Our Flexi stay permit is virtual. You will not receive anything in the post. We will check your registration on our device and see your permit.
The flexi stay permit is a virtual one. This means there is nothing to display in your vehicle, we do not send out a paper version of this permit.
To use your permit in:
Check our 'where you can use a flexi stay permit' page.
Permits cannot be used with other concessions and do not guarantee a space.
If a car park has its own restrictions (these will be written on the car park charges boards at the car park), those apply above the rules of the permit. For example, each car park has rules about the type of vehicle it allows. If you have a permit for a motorhome, but the car park does not allow motorhomes, you cannot park there.
Frequent mistakes to avoid
Parking in an additional car park without starting a 3‑hour MiPermit session
Flexi permits do not cover every car park. Check our 'where you can use a flexi stay permit' page
This permit is managed by MiPermit.
You will need to sign in to your MiPermit account to manage your permit:
If you are a new user, you will need to register for a MiPermit account.
To change your vehicle, you will need to go to the MiPermit website (you cannot update your vehicle from the mobile app).
You need to go to 'Buy digital permits' then 'Car Park permit vehicle change'.
Update your registration in your MiPermit account before you park your new vehicle. You will need to provide a car ownership document (V5C), an insurance document showing your Dorset address or the new car owner slip as long as you send a picture of the completed slip, with the address details showing. Approval of your new vehicle usually takes around 3 working days.
To update your address details, you will need to go to 'Manage digital permits' and click the relevant option.
If you are having account or app issues, contact MiPermit for support and permit queries.
To update your payment details:
Common confusion
It usually takes around 3 days for a new vehicle to be approved for use with your Flexi stay permit.
If you park with your new vehicle before it is registered, you may be issued a parking fine.
This permit is managed by MiPermit. Permits will automatically renew if the auto-renewal option has been selected on your account. If this has not been set up, you will need to renew the permit yourself each time it expires.
You will need to sign in to your MiPermit account to renew your permit:
If you have added an email address to your MiPermit account, we will email you to let you know that your permit is expiring.
For monthly permits, you will get an email approximately 2 weeks before your permit expires.
For annual permits, you will get an email approximately 1 month before your permit expires.
You need to contact us in writing to cancel a permit or request a refund. You can do this by emailing: [email protected]. You will need to confirm the date you wish to cancel it by.
We can only provide refunds for whole months left on your permit. For example, if you have used 3.5 months of an annual permit, your refund would be an 8 month refund. A monthly permit cannot be refunded.
We may withdraw a permit that is misused or if you do not meet the eligibility rules. See our terms and conditions for more information.
