Moving to Palo Alto: your checklist

Moving to Palo Alto involves the usual boxes and a few local quirks. The city runs its own electric, gas and water utilities, so there is no PG&E account to open. Many blocks near downtown and Stanford have two-hour parking limits unless you buy a permit. School enrollment happens at a central district office, not at the school itself. Get those three right and the rest of the move is ordinary paperwork.

This checklist puts each task in a sensible order and links to the official forms. Where we have a detailed guide, we point you there instead of repeating it. For a broader introduction to the city, its people and its neighborhoods, start with our guide to living in Palo Alto.

Before you arrive

A few tasks are easier to start while you are still packing.

• Choose your address carefully. Your street decides your elementary and middle school, whether you fall inside a residential parking district and even which day your carts are collected. Confirm each of these before you sign.
• Line up somewhere to stay. If your lease starts after you land, a furnished rental or long-stay hotel buys you time. You can compare short stays in Palo Alto and ask hotels about weekly or monthly rates.
• File a change of address with the U.S. Postal Service so mail follows you.
• Gather originals. School enrollment needs an original birth certificate or passport for each child. Copies are not accepted. Keep immunization records and any IEP or 504 plan in the same folder.

Renters should also read our renting in Palo Alto guide. Palo Alto has its own rules on lease terms, deposits and relocation help that go beyond state law.

Utilities and trash

City of Palo Alto Utilities provides electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater service. You open one account with the city and get one monthly bill. Garbage, recycling and compost collection from GreenWaste of Palo Alto is billed on the same statement.

1. Request service at least one business day ahead. Service starts only on weekdays that are not city holidays, so a Saturday move-in needs a Friday start date.
2. Have your ID ready. The city asks for the last four digits of your primary ID when you apply.
3. Expect a security deposit on your first bill.
4. Register for MyCPAU, the online account. Add a mobile number there for outage texts.
5. Check your trash day and cart sizes once the account is open. Palo Alto sorts strictly into blue, green and black carts.

Our utilities guide has the phone numbers, the bill explained and the city's electrification rebates. The trash and recycling guide covers what goes in each cart and how bulky item pickups work. Home internet is separate. The city sells fiber service in some areas under the Palo Alto Fiber name, so check your address before you sign up with a private provider.

Parking permits

Walk your block and read the signs. If you see a two-hour limit with a residential permit exemption, you are inside one of the city's six Residential Preferential Parking districts. Without a permit, your car and your guests' cars must move every two hours on weekdays.

Permits are sold online and tied to a license plate, so you need proof of address and a current registration for each car. That creates a small chicken-and-egg problem if you are bringing an out-of-state car: register it first or ask the parking program how to handle the gap. Our residential parking permits guide explains districts, guest permits and fees.

The DMV: license and car registration

The California DMV's new resident page sets out two obligations. If you live in California and drive here, you need a California driver's license. If you brought a car registered in another state or country, you must register it in California within 20 days of becoming a resident.

• Start online. The DMV says most transactions can be started or finished online. Create a MyDMV account and begin the license application there.
• Decide on REAL ID. Since May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID or another accepted document such as a passport to board domestic flights. Ask for a REAL ID when you apply so you do not have to return later.
• Book an appointment for anything that needs an office visit. The DMV site lists offices, hours and same-day check-in options.

See the DMV's New to California page for the document list. If you plan to live without a car, the two Caltrain stations and a flat street grid make that realistic for many households.

Enrolling in school

Palo Alto Unified School District handles all new enrollment through its central Registration Services office at 25 Churchill Avenue, next to Palo Alto High School. The district's enrollment process page says registration is not complete until every step is done.

1. Apply online through the district's Infinite Campus registration and pick the correct school year. You receive a confirmation code by email.
2. Gather documents from the district's required documents list.
3. Book an in-person appointment with Registration Services. A parent attends with all originals. Allow 30 to 45 minutes and arrive on time, since arriving more than five minutes late means rebooking.
4. Hand in prior records before school assignment. High school students past the first semester of ninth grade need an official transcript.

The required documents page asks for proof of age, official immunization records, a TB risk assessment, an original parent photo ID and three residency proofs. Those are a lease or property tax bill, a current utility bill and one more item in the parent's name, such as renter's insurance, a pay stub or DMV registration. Your new city utility bill counts, which is one more reason to open that account early. Questions go to Registration Services at (650) 329-3707.

Our guide to Palo Alto public schools covers the schools themselves. Families with younger children should also start preschool and childcare searches early, since popular programs keep waiting lists.

Registering to vote

A move means a new registration, even if you were registered elsewhere in California. Register or update your address with the California Secretary of State. Santa Clara County mails a ballot to every registered voter before each election. If you miss the regular deadline, conditional voter registration lets you register and vote at any county vote center through Election Day. Our voting and elections guide explains vote centers, drop boxes and how Palo Alto elects its council.

Library card and pet license

The library card is the most useful free thing in town. Any California resident qualifies. Pre-register online for a temporary account, then visit any of the five branches within 30 days with a photo ID and proof of a California address to make it permanent. The card unlocks e-books, streaming films, newspapers and online classes. Our library card guide lists what you get.

Dog owners have one more errand. Palo Alto requires dogs to be licensed through the Police Department's Animal Control Division. You need a current rabies certificate and, for the lower fee, proof of spay or neuter. Cats do not need a license. Our pets guide covers fees, leash rules and the nearest 24-hour animal hospital.

Your first month

Once the essentials are done, a few small steps make life easier.

• Sign up for AlertSCC, the county's free emergency alert system. Add your home and work addresses. Our public safety guide explains how alerts and police services work.
• Save the police non-emergency number, (650) 329-2413, which reaches the city's 24-hour dispatch center.
• Install PaloAlto311 to report potholes, graffiti, broken streetlights or missed street sweeping.
• Find a doctor before you need one. Learn where the nearest urgent care clinic is for evenings and weekends.
• Planning work on the house? Read our building permits guide before hiring anyone.

Frequently asked questions