A parking system includes a portable parking tag for each vehicle and a reading device. The portable parking tag includes a non-contact data communications circuit for effecting data transfer by mutual electromagnetic coupling with the reading device, a memory coupled to the data communications circuit for storing at least one parking parameter, and an antenna coupled to the data communications circuit for transmitting a first signal representative of each parking parameter. The reading device includes an antenna for receiving a first signal, a reading circuit coupled to the antenna and responsive to the first signal for reading each parking parameter stored in the parking tag memory, a validity verification circuit coupled to the reading circuit and responsive to the first signal for generating a validity signal, and output circuit coupled to the validity verification circuit and responsive to the validity signal for producing a visual or audible output signal.