Permits

All vehicles parked on campus must display a valid parking permit. Vehicles not displaying a valid permit are subject to ticketing, booting and/or towing. Permits may only be displayed on vehicles the student, faculty or staff member has legally registered with the University.

Students are not permitted to display their permit on or register a vehicle whose owner/operator is another student, or the parent(s) or relative of another student.

Students or student employees may not be issued Faculty/Staff permits or be permitted to park in Faculty/Staff lots with the exception of certain student summer workers granted approval by the Director of parking and Transportation.

Permit Purchase

The Fall 2023 parking permits will be available for purchase beginning Saturday, July 1, 2023. Students eligible for a commuter, resident or University Ridge parking permit may purchase one through the MyESU Portal. For best results, students are encouraged to use Firefox or Safari as their browser when purchasing parking permits. Eligible students unable to utilize the portal may complete paperwork at the parking office authorizing the permit fee to be placed on their student account.

Full year permits are valid for both the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters.

Summer Parking

When the spring and fall semesters are not in session, parking permits are not required when parking in a legal non-reserved space in any commuter or resident lot. However, a valid faculty/staff parking permit is required to park in any faculty/staff space or lot 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout the calendar year.

Faculty and staff must continue to park in designated faculty-staff lots when the spring and fall semesters are not in session leaving the student lots open for guests, campers and large groups staying on campus in residence halls.

Permit Types/Costs

Faculty/Staff Permits

Each Faculty or Staff member of Emeritus retired employee who wishes to park a vehicle on University property must have a valid faculty/staff parking permit for the vehicle at all times. There is no charge for the permit, which may be picked up at the Security/Parking Office during regular business hours.

• Vehicle registration, eCard or driver’s license is required. Retired Emeritus employees need also present their ESU eCard/ID or copy of the ESU letter appointing them Emeritus
• Faculty/Staff (F/S) permits are exclusively for use by the members of the University and are not transferable. The employee’s spouse or significant other and dependents attending class on campus may not park a vehicle on University property displaying a Faculty/Staff permit
• Faculty and Staff may only park in the following designated F/S lots 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout the calendar year: FS1, FS2, FS3, FS4, FS5, FS13, FS14, FS19, FS20, FS21, FS22, FS24, FS36, FS39, FS50, FS55
• Students or student employees may not be issued Faculty/Staff permits or be permitted to park in Faculty/Staff lots with the exception of certain student summer workers granted approval by the Director of Parking and Transportation
• Faculty and staff members are not permitted to leave their personal vehicles on campus overnight unless it is for ESU business or if granted approval by the Director of Parking and Transportation. The Parking Office must be contacted for approval of overnight parking, to obtain the appropriate parking pass and provide emergency contact information

Commuting Student Permits

Commuting students who wish to park on campus are required to purchase and display a valid commuter parking permit. Commuter permits are valid daily from 7:00 am to 2:00 am.

• To be eligible for a commuter permit, the student must live off campus. If the student later becomes a resident student then he/she has 48 hours to report to the Security/Parking Office to turn in the commuter parking permit and obtain a resident permit
• Commuter students purchasing a permit on or before August 11, 2023 at 4:00 pm will be offered the discount rate of $100 for a full year permit or $70 for one semester.
• Commuter permits purchased before August 11, 2023 at 4:00 pm will be mailed out. Any permits purchased after August 11, 2023 at 4:00 pm must be picked up at the Parking Office.
• The cost for a commuter permit purchased after August 11, 2023 at 4:00 pm is $150 for a full year permit or $100 for one semester.
• Commuter students with a valid permit must park in the following designated commuter lots: C6, C7, C8, C9, C10, C11, C12, C23, C25, C31, CR38, CR40, CR52, and CR53
• From 3:30 pm to 2:00 am midweek and weekends from 3:30 pm Friday to 2:00 am Monday, commuters with a valid permit may also park in FS20 (Faculty/Staff Lot 20)
• Students with a valid commuter permit wanting to park a vehicle on campus between the hours of 2:00 am and 8:00 am may only park in the following non-core area commuter lots: CR40 and R42
• Commuters may park in any student lot from 3:30 pm on Friday evening until 2:00 am on Monday morning. All posted parking signs still apply

University Ridge Student Permits

Students who live at the University Ridge Apartments are required to have a valid parking permit if parking a vehicle on campus.

• The cost for a University Ridge Apartment parking permit is $100 for a full year permit or $70 for one semester.
• University Ridge permits purchased on or before August 11, 2023 at 4:00 pm will be mailed to the student's home address. If purchased after August 11, 2023 at 4:00 pm, the permit must be picked up at the Parking Office.
• If the student later becomes a resident student on main campus or moves out of the University Ridge Apartments and becomes a commuting student, then he/she has 48 hours to report to the Security Parking Office to turn in the University Ridge permit and receive the appropriate permit
• University Ridge permits allow the operator to park at the University Ridge Apartments at any time and on campus from 3:30 pm to 2:00 am midweek and from 3:30 pm Friday until 2:00 am Monday in any commuter lot

Resident Student Permits

Students residing in main campus housing who wish to park their vehicles on campus are required to have a valid resident parking permit.

• The cost for a resident parking permit is $100 for a full year permit or $70 for one semester.
• If the permit is purchased on or before August 25, 2023, the permit will be distributed to the student's on campus mailbox prior to move in weekend. If purchased on or after August 25, 2023, the permit must be picked up in the Parking Office.
• If the student later moves off campus and becomes a commuter student or moves out to the University Ridge Apartments, then he/she has 48 hours to report to the Security Parking Office to turn in the resident parking permit and receive the appropriate permit
• Resident students must park in the following designated resident lots Monday through Friday: R26, R27, R30, R32, CR38(A), R38(B), CR40, R42 CR52, and CR53.
• From 3:30 pm to 2:00 am midweek and from 3:30 pm Friday until 2:00 am Monday, residents with a valid permit may also park in any non-reserved student space and FS20 (Faculty/Staff Lot 20)

Persons with Disabilities Permits

Students with physical disabilities may request accommodations. There are two different processes in registering a vehicle for a physically challenged permit.

• Students, faculty and staff members who have been issued a state Persons with Disabilities placard and/or license plate are required to bring into the Security/Parking Office the vehicle registration, state identification card for the Persons with Disabilities placard and their ESU eCard
• Students with a physical disability but who do not have a state Persons with Disabilities placard or license plate issued to them may request accommodations through the disabilities office. For further information contact OASIS (Office of Accessible Services Individualized for Students) at (570) 422-3954
• Once the request is approved, bring the approval letter to the Security/Parking Office for issuance of a physically challenged permit
• The cost for a Physically Challenged parking permit is $70/semester, and students must apply each semester
• Physically challenged permits allow students to park in any legal student (commuter or resident) lot on campus or Visitor Lot #29 except spaces designated for police vehicles, facilities management vehicles, reserved spaces, Persons with Disabilities Accessible spaces (unless the individual is the owner of a Persons with Disabilities state placard or license plate), and spaces near residence halls posted for Apartment Resident Directors, which are enforced 24 hours a day

Motorcycle Permits

For the purpose of these guidelines, the term “motorcycle” includes mopeds, motor scooters and all other two and three wheeled vehicles operated by motor.

• Parking permits are required for all motorcycles. Bring your registration and eCard to the Security/Parking Office for a permit decal
• There is no cost for a motorcycle permit decal
• Motorcycles are not permitted to be parked in University buildings, or behind Stroud Hall. Motorcycles found inside University buildings or parked under Stroud Hall will be ticketed and removed by the University Police Department or Security/Parking Office. Any expense incurred will be charged to the operator of the motorcycle
• Motorcycles with a current parking permit decal must park in the following designated motorcycle parking areas: across from the entrance to Lot C8, Lots FS5, C23, R30, and FS55

Vendors

A valid parking permit for your vehicle is required at all times when parking on University property.

• Representatives of service companies and contractors may apply for a parking permit via email from the department they are visiting or through the Security/Parking Office
• Vendors with highly recognizable vehicle logos performing routine deliveries/pick-ups at University buildings and requiring less than 30 minutes temporary parking are exempt from any permit requirement
• Government vehicles displaying municipal, state or federal license plates are exempt from the permit requirement

Alternate Vehicles

Faculty, staff, commuter students, resident students, and University Ridge Apartment students who operate an alternate vehicle when a registered vehicle is temporarily not available need only transfer his/her permit (hang tag) to the new car.

• If use of an alternate vehicle is needed for longer than 48 hours, then the vehicle must be registered with the Security/Parking Office
• If you forget to transfer the permit, a one-day permit may be picked up at the Security/Parking Office during regular business hours. These permits, which must be displayed on the front dash with all entries visible, allow the same parking privileges as the registrant’s regular permit

Lost or Stolen Parking Permits

It is the responsibility of the registered owner of a permit to report the loss or theft of such permit to the University Police Department and Security/Parking Office and to complete a Parking Permit Loss or Stolen Report.

• There is a non-refundable $20 replacement fee for lost or stolen permits.
• Any person found in possession of a lost or stolen permit may have his/her parking privileges suspended or revoked for a period of not less than six (6) months or more than one (1) year and also faces the possibility of having charges filed against them under the most appropriate sections(s) of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code and referred to University Student Conduct
• It is also a violation of Pennsylvania Law for a person to make a false report to law enforcement authorities. Violators may be prosecuted under section 4906 of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code: False Reports to Law Enforcement Authorities

Display of Parking Permits

All vehicles parked on campus property must properly display a valid parking permit. Vehicles without a valid parking permit or with an expired permit are considered to be on an unregistered vehicle and are not permitted to park on campus, except for ESU approved special events, at metered spaces and the first two weeks of classes when parked in non-core area student lots. Please review our Parking the First Two Weeks of a Semester page for more details.

• Faculty/Staff and Student Parking Permits – All faculty, staff, commuter, resident, University Ridge parking permits must be displayed hanging from the rearview mirror with the permit number and date facing the windshield in clear view from the outside of the vehicle
• Motorcycle Permits – Faculty, staff and student motorcycle permit decals must be displayed on the front fork by the inspection sticker
• Visitor Parking Permits – A visitor to the University must display a visitor parking permit on the front dash with all entries visible. This permit can be picked up at the Security/Parking Office during normal business hours or via email from the department you are visiting
• Vendor Permits – Vehicles operated by persons doing work for or contracting with the University must display a vendor’s parking permit. The permit must be displayed on the rearview mirror with the expiration date facing the windshield. If a day pass is issued then it must be displayed on the front dash with all entries visible. Parking permits can be picked up at the Security/Parking Office during normal business hours

Vehicles not properly displaying a valid permit are subject to ticketing and/or booting.