Parking Regulations
Published: Aug. 15, 2025
Note: All links to additional information on the Penn State Transportation Services website found within these regulations are considered part of the official rules and regulations parking at the University Park campus.
A. General Regulations and Requirements:
1. Vehicles parked on campus are at the owner’s risk. The university assumes no liability for vehicles parked on Penn State property.
2. Every lot entrance has signage listing specific hours of reservation and parking restrictions. Lot users must comply with posted instructions.
3. All parking lots on campus are reserved 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for vehicles with the appropriate permits corresponding to the assigned lot’s designation (by color, location, or permit type).
4. All parking regulations apply year-round, regardless of whether classes are in session.
5. Transportation Services reserves the right to modify lot usage to accommodate special events, construction, or other circumstances. Permit holders, event attendees, and visitors will be given an alternative during these times if their parking area is reserved for other uses. The rules and regulations related to parking, including payment, still apply for relocated parkers.
6. Vehicles parked in violation of regulations will be ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense.
B. Parking Lot Classifications, Permits, and Paid Parking:
1. Permits:
a. Penn State Transportation Services has established eligibility and fees University Park campus parking permits. Visit the Student Parking, Faculty/Staff Parking, Visitor Parking, and Service/Delivery/Contractor pages on the Transportation Services website for eligibility, lot classifications, and fees for parking permits for all user types.
b. All permits are the property of Penn State and must be returned upon request.
c. Permits are specific to the registered employee or student and their vehicle.
d. Permits cannot be transferred, sold, or duplicated. Violations will result in fines, revocation, and potential legal action.
e. Permits will be deactivated upon leave without pay, termination, retirement, withdrawal from classes, or upon request by Transportation Services.
f. Lost or stolen physical permits must be reported immediately, with a $25 non-refundable fee applied.
2. Paid Parking: Selected areas also offer paid parking via hourly, daily, overnight, and/or event rates. Visit the Visitor Parking page on the Transportation Services website for information on hourly, daily, overnight, and permit parking options and rates for visitors.
C. Parking Enforcement via License Plate:
1. Parking on campus is enforced through License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology. This system enables efficient monitoring and enforcement of parking regulations based on vehicle license plate data.
2. All Credentialed Parkers: Vehicles must be parked so that the license plate is clearly visible from the drive aisle to ensure compliance with parking regulations.
3. Permit Holders:
a. Permit holders are permitted to park only vehicles whose license plates are registered with their parking permit.
b. It is each permit holder’s responsibility to ensure their license plate information is accurate and kept up to date using the online parking portal.
c. Failure to keep license plate information updated may result in ticketing and/or towing at the expense of the registered vehicle owner.
d. Parking permits are issued to employees and students at the University and are not transferable to other individuals for their use.
e. Permit holders may not have more than one vehicle assigned to a permit on campus at any time unless the additional vehicle has an additional parking credential (permit, paid hourly parking, etc.).
f. Penn State Transportation Services may issue a physical credential such as a front license plate or a physical permit. Only credentials issued by Transportation Services will be considered valid.
4. Hourly, Daily, and Event Paid Parking:
a. Drivers utilizing hourly, daily, or event-paid parking options must enter the correct license plate information at the time of purchase.
b. Failure to enter the correct license plate information may result in ticketing and/or towing at the expense of the registered vehicle owner.
D. Parking Violations and Appeals:
1. Parking Violations: Penn State Transportation Services has established parking violations to ensure compliance with the policy and regulations of parking on campus. These violations are posted on the Parking Tickets page on the Transportation Services website along with associated fees, violation descriptions, associated fees, and appeal procedures.
2. Appeals: Transportation Services has established an independent group comprised of faculty, staff, and students to review and adjudicate parking appeals. This group determines the validity of parking violations that have been appealed.
E. Abuse of Parking Privileges:
1. Revocation of Campus Parking Privileges:
a. Campus parking privileges will be revoked for a period of 30 days if a permit holder or registered vehicle owner accumulates eight (8) or more parking violations within a 365-day period. This revocation applies to the permit holder, the registered owner of the vehicle (if the vehicle is not associated with a permit), and all vehicles linked to the permit holder.
b. During the revocation period, no campus parking is permitted for any vehicle associated with the affected individual.
c. To reinstate parking privileges, the individual must:
i. Pay all outstanding parking violations or enter an approved payment plan with Transportation Services.
ii. Comply fully with the terms of any payment plan. Failure to do so will result in continued revocation, and full payment of all outstanding violations will be required before privileges are reinstated.
2. Fraudulent Use: Misusing permits (e.g., fraud, alteration) results in severe penalties, including fines, disciplinary action through student conduct, parking revocation, forfeiture of parking fees, and possible theft charges by University Police.
3. Non-Compliance: Failure to pay outstanding parking fees or ignoring Transportation Services directives or policies may result in the immediate revocation of parking privileges.
4. Inappropriate Conduct: Penn State Transportation Services upholds the Penn State Values and believes in creating a safe, inclusive environment for the employees, students, visitors, and guests of the University. In accordance with this practice, any parking patron found to be in violation of University policy AD91 Discrimination and Harassment and Related Inappropriate Conduct or University Policy AD88 Code of Responsible Conduct will have their campus parking privileges revoked and/or their access to specific parking facilities may be limited. When appropriate, these types of issues will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response and/or Human Resources for further review and action.
5. Revocation Conditions: No refunds are issued for revoked permits. Additional violations during revocation add penalties and towing fees.
F. Disabled Vehicles:
1. If a vehicle becomes disabled:
a. Weekdays (7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.): Notify Transportation Services at 814-865-1436 with your name, license plate number, and vehicle location.
b. Other times (weekdays 4:30 p.m.–7:30 a.m., weekends, and holidays): Notify University Police at 814-863-1111 with the same details.
2. A grace period of up to 12 hours may be granted, but no extensions are allowed. After 12 hours, owners must arrange towing at their own expense.
3. If the vehicle is in an area that Transportation Services or Police and Public Safety determine is creating a safety or operational issue, the vehicle may be towed by those departments at the owner’s expense.
G. Winter Weather/Midnight Clear Parking:
1. To ensure safe and effective snow removal during winter weather events, Penn State Transportation Services—working in coordination with the Office of Physical Plant—requires that vehicles be removed from designated surface parking lots across campus.
2. When a Midnight Clear is declared, Transportation Services provides alternative parking accommodations. Visit the Winter Weather Parking page on the Transportation Services website for full details on restricted areas and hours, alternative parking options, and ways to stay updated on Midnight Clear declarations.
H. Commonwealth Campus Parking at University Park:
Parking eligibility for Commonwealth Campus parking permits is determined by Transportation Services. Visit the Commonwealth Campus Parking page on the Transportation Services website for information on eligible permits and available lots and hours.
I. Disability Parking:
1. Penn State Transportation Services is committed to meet and exceed accessibility standards as it relates to parking on campus. Visit the Accessible Parking page on the Transportation Services website for full details on accessible parking access and procedures.
2. Additional Resources: Further information is available on Penn State’s Affirmative Action and Student Affairs websites.