How to Whitelist Employees / Residents

Whitelisting allows you to grant free parking access to specific license plates. Perfect for employees, residents, VIP customers, and service vehicles. This guide shows you exactly how to manage whitelisted plates in the Ovlo mobile app.

What Problem This Solves

You need to give certain vehicles free parking access, but you don't want to:

• Manually override violations every time
• Risk accidentally ticketing authorized vehicles
• Lose track of who has access
• Deal with expired access manually

The whitelist system handles all of this automatically. Whitelisted plates bypass payment requirements and are excluded from violations entirely.

Before You Start

Make sure you have:

• The Ovlo mobile app installed and logged in
• Access to your parking lot in the app
• License plate numbers you want to whitelist
• Optional: Driver names, company info, expiration dates

Step 1: Navigate to Whitelisted Plates

1. Open the Ovlo mobile app
2. Navigate to the Lot Management screen
3. Select your parking lot from the dropdown (if you manage multiple lots)
4. Tap the "Settings" tab at the top
5. Scroll down to the "Whitelisted Plates" section

You'll see the "Whitelisted Plates" panel with your existing plates (if any) and a "+" button in the top right corner.

Step 2: Open the Whitelist Form

Tap the "+" button in the top right corner of the Whitelisted Plates panel. A modal will slide up with the form titled "New Whitelisted Plate".

Required Fields

1. License Plate Number (required)

   • Enter the plate number (e.g., ABC123)
   • The system automatically converts to uppercase
   • Enter exactly as it appears on the vehicle

2. Expires At (required)

   • Date: Tap to select the expiration date (must be in the future)
   • Time: Tap to select the expiration time (defaults to 11:59 PM)
   • This is when the whitelist entry will expire
   • Note: All whitelist entries require an expiration date. For long-term access, set a date far in the future (e.g., 10 years from now)

Optional Fields

Fill in these fields to keep better records:

3. First Name (optional)

   • Driver's first name

4. Last Name (optional)

   • Driver's last name

5. Company Name (optional)

   • If it's a company vehicle

6. Vehicle Type (optional)

   • e.g., Sedan, SUV, Truck

7. Region (optional)

   • State/province code (e.g., CA, NY, TX)
   • Automatically converts to uppercase

Step 3: Add the Whitelist Entry

1. Review all information:

   • ✅ License plate number is correct
   • ✅ Expiration date/time is set (required)
   • ✅ Optional information is filled in (if desired)

2. Tap the "Add Plate" button at the bottom of the form

The plate is immediately whitelisted and active. You'll see a success message confirming the plate was added.

Managing Existing Whitelisted Plates

View All Whitelisted Plates

The whitelist panel shows:

• License plate number
• Driver/company name (if provided)
• Vehicle type and region (if provided)
• Expiration date/time (or "Never expires" if no expiration)
• Date added and who added it

Search Whitelisted Plates

Use the search bar at the top of the panel to quickly find plates by:

• License plate number
• Driver name (first or last)
• Company name
• Vehicle type
• Region

The search automatically converts your input to uppercase to match plate numbers.

View Expired Plates

If you have expired whitelist entries, a history icon (clock) appears in the top right corner. Tap it to view all expired plates sorted by expiration date (most recent first).

Common Whitelisting Scenarios

Scenario 1: Employee Parking

Setup:

• Plate: ABC123
• First Name: John
• Last Name: Doe
• Company: Your Company Name
• Expiration Date: 2035-01-01 (10 years in future)
• Expiration Time: 11:59 PM

Result: Employee parks free every day. Set expiration far in the future for effective permanent access.

Scenario 2: Resident Parking (Apartment Complex)

Setup:

• Plate: XYZ789
• First Name: Jane
• Last Name: Smith
• Expiration Date: 2035-01-01 (10 years in future)
• Expiration Time: 11:59 PM

Result: Resident has long-term free parking access. Update expiration if they move out.

Scenario 3: Temporary Contractor

Setup:

• Plate: DEF456
• Company: ABC Construction
• Expiration Date: 2025-02-15
• Expiration Time: 5:00 PM

Result: Contractor has free parking until February 15 at 5 PM, then access automatically expires.

Scenario 4: VIP Customer

Setup:

• Plate: VIP001
• First Name: Important
• Last Name: Customer
• Expiration Date: 2035-01-01 (10 years in future)
• Expiration Time: 11:59 PM

Result: VIP customer has long-term free parking access.

Scenario 5: Service Vehicles

Setup:

• Plate: SVC123
• Company: City Maintenance
• Vehicle Type: Truck
• Expiration Date: 2035-01-01 (10 years in future)
• Expiration Time: 11:59 PM

Result: Service vehicle has long-term free access.

Tips for Long-Term Access

Since all whitelist entries require an expiration date, here are best practices for permanent access:

• Employees/Residents: Set expiration 10 years in the future (e.g., 2035-01-01)
• Company Vehicles: Set expiration 10 years in the future
• VIP Customers: Set expiration 5-10 years in the future
• Temporary Access: Set expiration to the actual end date

You can always update expiration dates later if needed. When someone leaves or access should end, you can delete the whitelist entry or update it to expire immediately.

How Whitelisting Works

Payment Bypass

When a whitelisted plate is detected:

• Payment page shows: "This license plate is whitelisted and does not require payment"
• No payment is processed
• No violation is created
• Access is granted immediately

Violation Exclusion

Whitelisted plates are automatically excluded from:

• Violation detection
• Violation reports
• Violation notifications

Even if a whitelisted plate exceeds the grace period, no violation is created.

Expiration Handling

When a whitelist entry expires:

• Plate automatically loses whitelist status
• Plate becomes subject to normal parking rules
• Entry moves to expired/history view
• No notification is sent (plate just stops being whitelisted)

Best Practices

1. Use Clear Naming Conventions

When adding notes or company names, use consistent formats:

• "Employee - [Department]"
• "Resident - [Unit Number]"
• "Contractor - [Project Name]"
• "VIP - [Tier Level]"

2. Set Appropriate Expiration Dates

Since expiration is required:

• Employees/Residents: Set 10 years in the future for effective permanent access
• Contractors: Project end date + buffer
• Visitors: Expected departure date
• Event Parking: Event end date
• Long-term Access: Use far future dates (e.g., 2035-01-01) and update if needed

3. Keep Records Updated

• Remove plates when employees leave
• Update information when vehicles change
• Review whitelist quarterly to remove outdated entries

4. Use Optional Fields

The optional fields (First Name, Last Name, Company Name) help you remember:

• Who the plate belongs to
• Why someone is whitelisted
• Department or role (use Company Name field)
• Contact information (use Name fields)

5. Monitor Your Whitelist

Regularly review your whitelist to:

• Identify expired entries
• Remove outdated plates
• Ensure only authorized vehicles are whitelisted
• Maintain accurate records

Troubleshooting

Plate Not Getting Free Parking

Check:

1. Plate number matches exactly (including spaces/dashes)
2. Whitelist entry is active (not expired)
3. Correct parking lot is selected
4. Plate was added to the right lot (if managing multiple lots)

Can't Find a Whitelisted Plate

Try:

1. Use the search bar at the top of the panel
2. Check if entry expired (tap history icon to view expired entries)
3. Verify you're looking at the correct parking lot
4. Check spelling of plate number (search is case-insensitive)

Expired Entry Still Showing

Expired entries are automatically excluded from the active list. To view them:

1. Tap the history icon (clock) in the top right corner
2. View all expired plates sorted by expiration date
3. Expired entries don't grant access but remain for record-keeping

Related Articles

• How to Set Up Your First Parking Lot in the Mobile App
• How to Manage Multiple Parking Lots from One Dashboard
• How to Configure Grace Periods for Different Scenarios

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Ready to whitelist your first plate? Open the Ovlo mobile app, navigate to Lot Management, tap the Settings tab, and scroll to Whitelisted Plates. Tap the "+" button to add your first plate.