The national trend is digitalization, and the paper booklet or printed card is falling out of use. Some cities, usually smaller ones, still use the printed card bought at newsstands and shops, but that picture changes fast. That is why there is no fixed, reliable list: what matters is checking directly what your city uses today. (Zona Azul is Brazil's paid rotational street parking.)
Why you can't pin down a list of cities
Rotational parking is a municipal service. The Brazilian Traffic Code (CTB), in Article 24, item X, gives municipalities the authority to regulate and operate Zona Azul [1]. In practice, each city hall decides the model, opens a public tender and changes suppliers over time. A city that used paper cards can migrate to an app from one month to the next when it signs a new contract.
Putting together a list of "cities that still use paper" would be inaccurate by the following week. Instead of a list that ages quickly, the safe path is to understand the trend and know how to check the right source.
How Zona Azul went digital
The paper card required the driver to buy the booklet in advance, fill in the date and time by hand, and leave the printout visible on the dashboard. Any filling error or forgetfulness led to a ticket.
Digitalization removed that friction. Areatec, through the Digipare app, moved activation to the phone: the driver activates the time from wherever they are, gets an alert before the period expires, and extends the stay without returning to the car [2][3]. There is no paper to buy, fill in, or lose. This is the model that is replacing the physical booklet across most of the country.
Paper vs. digital
| Aspect | Paper booklet or card | Digital Zona Azul |
|---|---|---|
| Where you buy it | Newsstands, shops, authorized posts | The app, with no trips |
| Activation | Manual filling of date and time | On the phone, in seconds |
| End-of-time alert | None | Notification in the app |
| Extending time | Buy and fill in another card | Directly in the app |
| Risk of error | High (filling and validity) | Low |
How to find out what your city uses
- Look at the R-6b sign on the street. Regulated-parking signage usually indicates the operator or the official app.
- Look for the website of city hall or the company that operates the system. It lists the current model, the rates and the charging hours.
- Check whether there is an official app. If your city is already served by Digipare, activation is digital and you can skip the paper card [3].
- Check the post-use fee (TPU), if any. When the time expires, some cities offer the TPU as a window to settle before a fine. It is an administrative fee, not a traffic fine, and adds no license points. Its existence, amount and deadline vary by municipality, so check the local law.
When the booklet no longer protects you from a fine
Regardless of the model, paper or digital, failing to keep your parking in order constitutes the violation under Article 181, item XVII, of the CTB. It is a serious violation, with a fine of R$ 195.23, 5 license points and removal of the vehicle [1]. The advantage of digital is reducing the forgetfulness that leads to that ticket, with an alert before the time runs out.
In short, paper still appears in some cities but loses ground with each new tender. To avoid mistakes, check the signage and the official source for your city before parking.