With all University Park full-time faculty/staff parking permits scheduled to expire June 30, Transportation Services has announced that virtual permits will replace physical permits for most permit holders beginning with the 2024-25 academic year.

With license plate recognition (LPR) technology already being used for parking enforcement and to facilitate entry and exit from each of the gated parking decks on campus (East, HUB, Nittany, and West), there is no longer a need to issue physical permits to most users. The elimination of most physical parking permits will reduce costs, lessen the workload for departments to issue permits, and support the University’s sustainability goals. For individual permit holders, virtual permits will simplify the parking experience by moving permit registration online, making parking access active immediately available upon completion of the registration, removing the need to check that a permit is displayed or has been switched between vehicles, and eliminating the opportunity for a permit to be lost or stolen.

Permit holders will be able to access their permit via the online parking portal to print or save on their mobile device for use as a parking credential for the gated decks and special event parking when needed. Permit holders are encouraged to use the new Penn State id+ Card as their backup credential for accessing the gated parking decks if license plate recognition does not work.

More information will be shared in the coming weeks, but faculty/staff permit holders will be emailed in mid-June with a special link to accept their new virtual permit online, which can be done through Sept. 3. However, as current permits will expire June 30, those who do not accept their new permit by that date will not have access to on-campus parking through their permit until they do.

Current physical permits should continue to be displayed until the new virtual permit acceptance has been completed. Permit holders are encouraged now to review their license plate information on the online parking portal to verify it is up to date.

Faculty/staff permit holders who have been temporarily assigned different parking access for this summer (such as Yellow F permit holders) will still need to complete the virtual permit assignment process in June when prompted even though they will not be able to resume parking at the permit’s assigned facility until a later date. Those for whom a physical permit will still be issued will be emailed directly in June with details on their upcoming permit exchange process.

If there are any questions, please email [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions (updated 6/12/2024)

• Will I keep my same permit location with the change to virtual permits?

Yes - current permit holders will be able to claim their 2024-2025 virtual parking permit based on the location of the permit currently assigned to them.

To inquire about your parking location eligibility, please contact your department's parking chair. If you do not know who this is, please contact the Transportation Services Office.

• What are the deadlines for claiming my new virtual permit?

Faculty/staff permit holders will be emailed in mid-June with a special link to accept their new virtual permit online, which can be done through Sept. 3. However, as current permits will expire June 30, those who do not accept their new permit by that date will not have access to on-campus parking through their permit until they do.

• What should I do with my current physical permit?

Physical permits will not be collected by Transportation Services, but Penn State Sustainability is formulating a plan to facilitate recycling of expired permits. More information will be shared when available. Until then, please keep your current permit.

• Will the ADA registration process change with the new virtual permits?

No - ADA parking placard information must be shared with Transportation Services for access to ADA parking in areas not covered by their assigned permit. If a new ADA parking placard is issued, a copy of the ID card that accompanies the placard must be emailed to [email protected]. Transportation Services must also be notified by email or phone if any changes to vehicle information are made to a permit associated with an ADA parking placard.

• Will my permit still allow me to park for special events?

Yes - Using our online parking portal, you will be able to print a copy of your virtual permit or save a copy on your mobile device to use as a backup credential at the gated decks or to show an attendant to park for a campus events where permits are honored.