Student Parking Regulations
A. VEHICLE REGISTRATION
1. GENERAL
All students (undergraduate, graduate, continuing education, part-time, full-time, or adjunct) wishing to use parking facilities at University Park campus (at any time, for any reason), including Innovation Park and the Technology Support Building, must register their vehicle with Transportation Services, and while parked on campus, properly display an authorized parking permit. Penn State students and employees are not considered visitors, except for Commonwealth Campus students not enrolled in classes at University Park. Commonwealth Campus student permits are not valid at University Park at any time. Providing false or misleading information on permit applications will result in immediate revocation of parking privileges and forfeiture of all fees paid.
2. REGISTRATION
a. Vehicle registration and payment of permit fees are processed through the Transportation Services Office, 1 Eisenhower Parking Deck. All permits remain the property of Penn State and must be returned upon request. Permits may not be transferred, sold, or duplicated. Violators will incur a fine, be referred to the Office of Student Conduct, and have their parking privileges revoked. Persons found using an unauthorized permit may also be cited for theft of services.
b. Vehicles must be registered by the first day of class each semester or by the first business day following arrival on campus.
c. Students may only register vehicles owned by them or by a member of their immediate family (parents or siblings).
d. If a permit is lost or stolen, report the incident to the Transportation Services Office immediately. A non-refundable processing fee of $25 will be assessed. The fee must be paid regardless of whether a new permit is issued.
e. Transportation Services is not responsible for permits lost in the mail.
3. ADDRESS AND LICENSE PLATE CHANGES
a. Permit holders are responsible for immediately reporting all address and license plate changes to Transportation Services. These changes may be made online by visiting the Manage Vehicle Information page.
b. Failure to report these changes may result in vehicles being towed from campus, issuance of a more expensive ticket, and unpaid tickets being sent to the registered vehicle owner.
B. ALL PARKING LOTS ON CAMPUS ARE RESERVED
1. Parking is authorized only in student lots corresponding to the location, color, and number of the assigned parking permit and designated as student parking. All parking regulations remain in effect, regardless of whether classes are in session. Vehicles parked in violation will be ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense.
2. Only vehicles with a service or delivery permit are permitted to park in service and delivery spaces. These spaces are designated by signs and/or yellow painted lines and are reserved 24/7. Only authorized service/delivery companies may purchase these permits.
3. Each lot entrance is signed, listing specific hours of reservation and restrictions.
4. After 4 p.m., most faculty/staff surface lots are open to students displaying a valid student permit. See map for specific restrictions. Resident student permit holders must be back in their assigned lot by 7:30 a.m. the following business day.
5. No parking is permitted by any vehicles in the Commuter lots between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. These restrictions are enforced seven days a week.
6. Vehicles parked on campus are at the owner’s risk. The university assumes no liability for vehicles parked on Penn State property.
7. Transportation Services reserves the right to change lot usage to accommodate special circumstances or events.
C. PARKING LOT CLASSIFICATIONS
1. COMMUTER - JORDAN EAST, STADIUM WEST, PORTER NORTH
a. Commuter permits are restricted to students residing in off-campus housing.
b. Commuter permits are valid in the Commuter lots all day, but between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday – Friday, they are valid only in the Commuter lots.
c. No parking is permitted in the Commuter lots between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., seven days a week.
d. Access to central campus is available via no-fare campus transit service. See CATA Loop and Link and Campus Shuttle schedules for times and stops.
2. OFF-CAMPUS STORAGE - PURPLE 43 PERMIT
a. Purple 43 permits are restricted to students residing in off-campus housing with at least 29.1 approved credits completed.
b. Purple 43 permits are not permitted in any other student lot. All permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
c. Purple 43 permit holders are not permitted to park in Commuter lots between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., seven days a week.
3. RESIDENT CORE - BLUE PERMITS 22, 42, 81, 82, 83, AND NDS/NITTANY DECK
a. Resident core permits are restricted to students with at least 29.1 approved credits completed living on campus at Eastview Terrace (Blue 22), Nittany Apartments (Blue 42), South/Pollock Halls (Blue 81), East/North/West Halls (Blue 82), and West Halls (NDS/Nittany Deck). Remote resident storage (Blue 83) permits are available to any resident student with at least 29.1 approved credits completed.
b. Each permit group is specific to a designated lot or group of lots and is not valid in any other student lot. All permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
c. Resident student permit holders are not permitted to park in the Commuter lots between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., seven days a week.
4. WHITE COURSE APARTMENTS - BROWN 11 PERMIT
a. Brown 11 permits are restricted to residents of White Course Apartment complex. Any undergraduate students residing at White Course Apartments must have at least 29.1 approved credits completed to be eligible for White Course Apartments parking.
b. Brown 11 permits are not permitted in any other student lot. All permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
c. Brown 11 permit holders are not permitted to park in the Commuter lots between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., seven days a week.
5. GENERAL LONG-TERM STORAGE - YAS/WEST DECK PERMIT
a. YAS/West Deck permits are available to all students with at least 29.1 approved credits completed.
b. YAS/West Deck permits are not permitted in any other student lot. All permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
c. YAS/West Deck permit holders are not permitted to park in the Commuter lots between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., seven days a week.
6. EVENTS AND SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
All lots are subject to additional hours of restriction based on special campus events or University needs as determined by Transportation Services. Two primary special needs include (but are not limited to):
a. Home Football Games. Jordan East, Stadium West, Porter North, Porter South, Yellow V, Orange B, Orange O Meats Lab, Orange O Pavilion, Orange H (north of Hastings Road), Orange A (West of OPP, Katz, Arboretum), and all sections of Orange L and Yellow H are restricted from all parking from midnight Friday until the resumption of normal traffic patterns after the game. Any vehicle that remains in the lot after midnight will be towed.
b. Bryce Jordan Center/Pegula Ice Arena Events. Orange L East, Orange L South, and Yellow V are restricted from all parking beginning approximately three hours prior to the start of Bryce Jordan Center events. Silver J, Yellow H Shields, Yellow J South, and Yellow H Wagner are restricted from all parking approximately four hours prior to Pegula Ice Arena events. Faculty/staff and student permits are honored at no additional charge in general parking areas used for most Bryce Jordan Center and Pegula Ice Arena events.
D. REGULATIONS
1. PERMIT DISPLAY. PARKING PERMITS MUST ALWAYS BE PROPERLY DISPLAYED.
a. Automobiles - hang permit from rearview mirror, facing forward. Permit number and expiration date must be clearly visible from outside the vehicle. If windshield tint strip prevents clear display, permit hangers are available from the Transportation Services office. Printable temporary permits obtained online when registering for a student permit must be displayed on the dashboard and be visible from outside the vehicle.
b. Motorcycles - permit display is not required for motorcycles for daily parking, but the motorcycle must be registered as an authorized vehicle with a valid permit. A valid permit must be displayed with motorcycles for event parking.
c. Exceptions must be approved by Transportation Services in advance. Placing a note on a vehicle in lieu of properly displaying a valid student parking permit will be given no consideration by enforcement personnel.
d. Vehicle covers are strictly prohibited unless the permit and license plate can be clearly seen without moving or removing the cover. No exceptions.
e. Faculty/staff floating permits are not valid with student permits.
2. PARKING SPACES
a. All parts of the vehicle (not just the tires) must be inside the designated parking space, generally indicated by two white lines. Note: Some spaces also include a front and/or back line. Parking in grassed areas is not permitted unless at the direction of event parking staff.
b. Motorcycles registered with a valid permit may park in designated motorcycle spaces or regular vehicle spaces in the lot designated by lot color and letter on the permit. Permit holders are responsible for any lost or stolen permits displayed on motorcycles. No motorcycle parking is permitted at any time at the East, HUB, Nittany, and West parking decks.
c. Any vehicle not parked in a designated legal space is subject to ticketing and/or towing at the owner’s expense.
d. Any vehicle parked along curbs or sidewalks, hindering/damaging university operations or property, or obstructing roadways, designated disability parking spaces, wheelchair ramp laydown (hashed out) areas, bus pull-offs, fire safety lanes, or reserved spaces is subject to ticketing and/or towing at the owner’s expense. Vehicles are not permitted to park in any space that may have any type of obstruction. This includes, but is not limited to, snow piles.
e. Parking is not permitted in Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) spaces without a state-issued disability parking placard or license plate and a valid Penn State parking permit for the designated lot (additional fees may be assessed). The ramp laydown (hashed out) area adjacent to the space is considered part of the ADA space and will be enforced accordingly.
f. All reserved spaces, such as ADA, service/delivery, manager spaces, etc., are reserved 24 hours per day, seven days per week unless otherwise noted on the sign. This includes holidays and times when the university is not in full operation.
g. Head-in parking is required at the East, Eisenhower, Nittany, and West parking decks and all surface lots with 90-degree angled spaces. In all other parking areas, vehicle license plates must face the drive aisle when parked. Special Penn State front license plates may be purchased at the Transportation Services Office to allow for vehicles to back into spaces in areas without 90-degree angled spaces. Any vehicles backed into 90-degree angled spaces and vehicles without a valid state-issued or Transportation Services-issued front license plate backed into spaces in all other areas are subject to ticketing and/or towing at the owner’s expense. Most end spaces and compact spaces are also signed “Vehicles must be within all lines.”
3. DISABLED VEHICLES
a. If a vehicle becomes disabled on a weekday between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., the permit holder must notify Transportation Services (814-865-1436) immediately with their name, the vehicle's license plate number, and location. If a vehicle becomes disabled on a weekday between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. or any time on a Saturday or Sunday, the permit holder must immediately notify University Police (814-863-1111) with the above-listed information. A grace period of up to 12 hours may be allowed. No extension. If 12 hours is not sufficient time to remove the vehicle, the owner is required to contact a towing company to have the vehicle removed at their expense.
b. This grace period does not automatically exempt your vehicle from being ticketed; however, it may be used as a basis for appeal.
c. Notes left on a vehicle stating that the vehicle is mechanically disabled are given no consideration by enforcement personnel. Vehicles not properly reported to Transportation Services or University Police may be ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense.
4. SEMESTER/UNIVERSITY HOLIDAYS, ARRIVAL, AND DEPARTURE PERIODS
a. During the first week of each semester, finals week, and University holiday breaks, student or parent vehicles are authorized temporary (15 minutes) parking in faculty/staff lots to facilitate moving in or out of residence halls. Flashers must be used, or the vehicle attended. Vehicles must be moved to an appropriate parking area immediately after loading/unloading has been completed. All parking regulations remain in effect, regardless of whether or not classes are in session.
b. Resident students may be asked to use alternate parking areas during the move-in period.
5. MIDNIGHT CLEAR/WINTER PARKING
a. All resident and off-campus storage lot permit holders must remain in their assigned student lots during a Midnight Clear. No parking is allowed in any faculty/staff surface lot on nights of announced “Midnight Clear” activity. The snow restriction hours are 12 a.m. to 7 a.m. in most lots. Check lot entry signs for specifics. Midnight Clear activity is announced on the Transportation Services website, social media pages, and email listserv, as well as the Penn State News website.
b. Due to the difficulty of removing snow around vehicles, only the service drives and parking lot aisles are plowed in resident student lots and student storage lots. Each permit holder is responsible for clearing snow from around their vehicle. Transportation Services staff cannot shovel out any vehicles.
6. DISABLED PERSONS (TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT)
a. Transportation Services offers a campus-wide, ADA-compliant mass transit system. In most cases, transit services provide closer access to destinations than available parking spaces. Schedules are available at the Transportation Services office and from the Campus Transit section of the Transportation Services website.
b. Individuals who require access to marked disability parking spaces must apply for a state-issued disability parking placard. Applications for Pennsylvania ADA placards and information for obtaining the placard are available from the Transportation Services office. Penn State is not authorized to issue disability parking placards. All disability parking placards, permanent or temporary, must be obtained through the student’s home state. Students in need of disability parking on campus should contact Transportation Services prior to parking to discuss University requirements. An additional fee may be charged for access to core faculty/staff parking areas. Students must display all three permits together. (ADA placard, Penn State base student permit, and core upgrade permit). More information is available at the Student Affairs website.
E. PAY STATIONS/METERS
1. Pay stations and ParkMobile are available for short-term parking provided time has been purchased from the pay station or ParkMobile.
2. Pay stations accept coins, credit cards (VISA, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX), or LionCASH+. ParkMobile requires credit card payment.
3. Use of flashers is not permitted at pay stations or ParkMobile spaces at any time or for any reason.
4. Hours of operation are posted on each pay station and in the ParkMobile app. All pay stations and ParkMobile must be paid during the posted hours of reservation on the lot entrance sign. A valid permit does not negate the need for payment in pay-by-space parking spaces during reserved hours.
F. FLASHER RULES FOR STUDENT VEHICLES
1. Students with a valid student parking permit are permitted to park in posted short-term parking spaces, provided flashers are operating. Signage is posted indicating the requirement of flashers.
2. Students without valid student parking permits are not permitted to park with or without flashers at any time, for any reason. Permits are required 24/7.
3. Flashers must be used to drop off children at Bennett and Hort Woods childcare facilities (Bennett – must use designated spaces; Hort Woods - valid childcare facility permit required).
4. If loading or unloading in residence hall reserved lots is needed, parking is only authorized for 15 minutes with flashers operating, and a resident student permit must be displayed. Vehicles must be parked in a legal non-reserved space or in the loading dock. This time is allotted for things such as unloading groceries, laundry, etc.
5. Flashers are never valid at pay stations/meters, along curbs, or on sidewalks. They also do not authorize parking while a vehicle is hindering/damaging university operations or property or while obstructing roadways, designated disability spaces, wheelchair ramp laydown (hashed out areas), bus pull-offs, fire safety lanes, or reserved spaces. Violators will be ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense.
G. PARKING TICKETS
1. PAYMENT
a. Tickets issued to vehicles registered with a valid parking permit through Transportation Services are the responsibility of the permit holder, regardless of who drives the vehicle. Tickets issued to vehicles not registered with a valid parking permit through Transportation Services are the responsibility of the vehicle owner, regardless of who drives the vehicle. Tickets are held for 30 days for payment. After 30 days, responsibility for all tickets resides with the registered vehicle owner, and tickets are sent to a collections agency, where additional fees will be assessed.
b. Tickets can be paid online with a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express). Payment may also be made by mail or in person with a check or money order payable to: The Pennsylvania State University. Cash payments are not accepted.
c. If payment is NOT received within 30 calendar days from date of violation, the penalty will be increased by $3.00, and a hold may be placed on registration for current permit holders. Please note that the ticket date is counted as day one.
d. All payments are processed through Transportation Services, 1 Eisenhower Parking Deck, University Park, PA 16802-2116.
e. Transportation Services is not responsible for payments, permits, or correspondence lost in the mail.
2. APPEAL
a. Parking violations may be appealed online or by submitting a written appeal with full payment to Transportation Services. Frivolous appeals will not be accepted. Not all tickets can be appealed online.
b. Appeals must be received within 20 calendar days of the date of the violation in order to be accepted and processed to the Appeals Committee. Please note that the ticket date is counted as day one.
c. Payment in full must accompany all appeals. If the appeal is decided in favor of the appellant, the full amount of the ticket will be refunded. If the appeal decision is in favor of the University, the ticket will be considered paid in full, and the matter closed.
d. Transportation Services submits appeals to the appropriate Appeals Committee for independent review. The appellant is notified of the committee's decision by email to their Penn State email address. Note: The ticket history (if any) and any photos associated with the violation are included with appeals for the committee's consideration.
e. Appeals committee decisions are final.
3. ABUSE OF PARKING PRIVILEGES
a. Warnings are sent by email to permit holders after two tickets are written against his/her permit in any semester or during summer sessions.
b. If four or more tickets are issued during a semester, the assigned permit is revoked for 30 calendar days. No parking is permitted on campus at any time, for any reason, if parking privileges are revoked.
c. All tickets written for fraudulent/altered/unauthorized use of permit carry severe penalties that include but are not limited to a large fine, referral to the Office of Conduct Standards, and revocation of parking privileges. It is also possible that theft of service will be filed by University Police. These matters are not taken lightly and are immediately addressed.
d. Failure to follow the direction of Transportation Services personnel or blatant disregard of parking policies will result in immediate revocation of parking privileges.
e. There are no refunds of money paid for a revoked permit.
f. All revoked permits must be returned immediately to the Transportation Services Office.
g. Additional tickets received while under revocation may result in any or all the following actions: an automatic extension of the revocation period, an additional fine, referral to the Office of Student Conduct, and/or towing of the vehicle at the owner’s expense. A transcript and registration hold will be placed on the student account until all fines are paid, and all permits returned.
h. Appeals for revocations will not be accepted.