Visitor Parking Regulations

A. VISITOR PARKING

1. Visitors, including contractors and service providers, wishing to use parking facilities operated by Transportation Services on the University Park campus, or any property owned or leased by The Pennsylvania State University, must obtain a permit or pay for time at a designated visitor parking area during posted lot reserved hours.

2. Students and employees of any Penn State location or campus are not considered visitors at any time.

B. ALL PARKING LOTS ON CAMPUS ARE RESERVED

1. All parking regulations remain in effect, regardless of whether or not classes are in session. Vehicles parked in violation will be ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense.

2. Vehicles with a service/delivery permit are required to park in service/delivery spaces. These spaces are designated by signs and/or yellow painted lines and are reserved 24/7. Only authorized service/delivery companies can purchase these permits.

3. Each lot entrance is signed, listing specific hours of reservation and restrictions. 

4. No parking is permitted in the Commuter lots (Jordan East, Stadium West, Porter North) between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., seven days a week.

5. Vehicles parked on campus are at the owner’s risk. The university assumes no liability for vehicles parked on Penn State property.

6. Transportation Services reserves the right to change lot usage to accommodate special circumstances or events.

C. PARKING CLASSIFICATIONS

1. OVERNIGHT

Overnight guests should park at the East, HUB or Nittany parking decks, where visitor parking is available at the rate of $1 per hour ($16 daily maximum fee). Payment is required 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

2. WEEKDAYS

Visitors may use single space (accept U.S. quarters only) or multi-space pay station/ or ParkMobile parking (accept coin, credit card, or LionCash+) or obtain a visitor parking permit from the Transportation Services Office. Hourly parking is available at the rate of $1 per hour ($16 daily maximum fee) in the East, HUB, Nittany, and West parking decks, with payment required 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

3. WEEKENDS

Most parking areas remain reserved on weekends. No overnight parking is permitted between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. at the Commuter lots. Check individual lot restrictions posted on the lot entrance signs. Parking is not permitted in 24/7 reserved lots.

4. PERMITS

Visitors may purchase one-day or monthly parking permits at the Transporation Services Office. One-day permits are valid for parking through midnight at Red A, Eisenhower Deck, Orange lots, and the Commuter lots. Monthly permit options include Commuter permits ($12 per month). Other options require approval from a Transportation Services manager.

5. RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

RV parking is not permitted on campus. Special parking facilities are available near Beaver Stadium during home football weekends. For more information, please contact the Athletic Ticket Office at (814)-863-1000 or 1-800-NITTANY.

D. REGULATIONS

1. PERMIT DISPLAY. PARKING PERMITS MUST ALWAYS BE PROPERLY DISPLAYED.

a. Automobiles - hang permit from rearview mirror, facing forward. Permit must be clearly visible. 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, but the motorcycle must be registered as an authorized vehicle with a valid permit.

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.

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. No motorcycle parking is permitted at any time at the East, HUB, and Nittany 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 and a valid PSU 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. Parking in the East, Eisenhower, Nittany, and West decks is head-in only. Lot entrance signs and multiple signs throughout these facilities clearly indicate this restriction. Vehicles backed into spaces 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.” Violators will be ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense.

3. DISABLED VEHICLES

a. If a vehicle becomes disabled on a weekday between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., the owner must notify Transportation Services immediately with their name, the vehicle's license plate number, and location. If a vehicle becomes disabled on a weekday between 5 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. or any time on a Saturday or Sunday, the owner must immediately notify University Police 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 appropriate parking area immediately upon completion of the act of loading or unloading. All parking regulations remain in effect, regardless of whether or not classes are in session.

b. Visitors may be asked to use alternate parking areas during the move in period.

5. MIDNIGHT CLEAR/WINTER PARKING

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.

Each vehicle owner is responsible for clearing snow from around their vehicle. Transportation Services staff cannot shovel out any vehicles.

6. DISABLED PERSONS (TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT)

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.

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 must be obtained through the state. A permit or payment of the hourly fee will also be required during reserved hours.

E. SINGLE/MULTI-SPACE METERS

1. Single/multi-space meters are available for short-term parking provided time has been purchased from the machine. Single space meters accept U.S. quarters only.

2. Multi-space meters accept coins, credit cards (VISA, Mastercard, Discover), or LionCASH+.

3. Use of flashers is not permitted at single/multi-space meters any time, for any reason.

4. Hours of operation are posted on the back of the single space meter head or on each multi-space meter machine. All meters must be paid during the posted hours of reservation on the lot entrance sign.

F. USE OF VEHICLE FLASHERS

1. Visitors with a valid Penn State 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. Visitors without valid Penn State parking permits are not permitted to park with flashers at any time, for any reason.

3. If loading or unloading in residence hall reserved lots is needed, parking is only authorized for 15 minutes with flashers operating. 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.

4. Flashers are never valid at single/multi-space meters or 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 handicap spaces, wheelchair ramp laydown (hashed out areas), 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 Penn State 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). 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. All payments are processed through Transportation Services, 1 Eisenhower Parking Deck, University Park, PA 16802-2116.

d. 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 by 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. Note: The ticket history (if any) is attached to the appeals form for the committee's consideration.

e. Appeals Committee decisions are final.

3. ABUSE OF PARKING PRIVILEGES

a. While all vehicles parked in violation of campus parking regulations are subject to ticketing and/or towing, vehicles not registered with a valid parking permit through Transportation Services that receive three or more tickets within a fiscal year (July 1 - June 30) will be towed with each subsequent ticket. This will continue until the fiscal year has ended, except during any periods of time when the vehicle is registered with a valid permit.

b. Written warnings are sent by email to permit holders after four tickets are written against his/her permit in a fiscal year (July 1 through June 30).

c. If eight or more tickets are issued during a fiscal year (July 1 through June 30), the assigned permit will be revoked for one month. No parking is permitted on campus at any time, for any reason, if parking privileges are revoked.

d. 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 and Public Safety. These matters are not taken lightly and are immediately addressed.

e. Failure to follow the direction of Transportation Services personnel or blatant disregard of parking policies will result in immediate revocation of parking privileges.

f. There are no refunds of money paid for a revoked permit.

g. All revoked permits must be returned immediately to the Transportation Services Office.

h. Additional tickets issued while under revocation, or subsequent to revocation within the same fiscal year, will result in an additional month added to the revocation period, an additional fine, and/or towing of the vehicle at the owner’s expense.

i. Appeals for revocations will not be accepted.