All students (undergraduate, graduate, continuing education, part-time, full-time, or adjunct) wishing to use parking facilities at Penn State Altoona (at any time, for any reason), including Downtown campus buildings, must register their vehicle with The Parking Office, and while parked on campus, properly display an authorized parking permit.

Registration

  • Vehicle registration and payment of permit fees are processed through the Parking Office. 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.
  • Vehicles must be registered by the first day of class each semester or by the first business day following arrival on campus.
  • Students may only register vehicles owned by them or by a member of their immediate family (parents or siblings).
  • If a permit is lost or stolen, report the incident to the Parking 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.
  • The Parking Office is not responsible for permits lost in the mail.

Address and License Plate Changes

  • Permit holders are responsible for immediately reporting all address and license plate changes to The Parking Office. These changes may be reported to either the office via email at [email protected] or by stopping in the office.
  • 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.

  • Parking is authorized only in student lots corresponding to the location, 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.
  • Vehicles parked on campus are at the owner’s risk. The university assumes no liability for vehicles parked on Penn State property.
  • The Parking Office reserves the right to change lot usage to accommodate special circumstances or events.
     

Commuter—Ivy, Science, Hawthorn, Juniata Gap

  • Commuter permits are restricted to students residing in off-campus housing.
  • Commuter permits are valid in the Commuter lots all day, but between 7:30 a.m.–9:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, they are valid only in the Commuter lots.

Resident—Maple, Cedar, and Spruce Halls

  • Students living in Maple, Cedar, and Spruce must park in the Rider lot.
  • During the hours of 7:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, students can park in the Hawthorn lot and Downtown student parking spaces.

Resident—Oak Hall

  • The Juniata Gap lot, while also a lot available for commuter students, is the sole lot for Oak residents.
  • During the hours of 7:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, students can park in the Hawthorn lot and the downtown student parking spaces.

Events and Special Circumstances

All lots are subject to additional hours of restriction based on special campus events or University needs as determined by the Parking Office.

Permit Display

Parking permits must always be properly displayed.

  • Automobiles: hang permit from rearview mirror, facing forward. Permit number and expiration date must be clearly visible from outside the vehicle. If the windshield tint strip prevents a clear display, permit hangers are available from the Parking 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.
  • 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.
  • Exceptions must be approved by the Parking Office 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.

Parking Spaces

  • 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.
  • Motorcycles registered with a valid permit may park in 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.
  • Any vehicle not parked in a designated legal space is subject to ticketing and/or towing at the owner’s expense.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Disabled Vehicles

  • If a vehicle becomes disabled on a weekday between 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., the permit holder must notify the Parking office at 814-949-5400 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.–7:30 a.m. or any time on a Saturday or Sunday, the permit holder must immediately notify University Police at 814-949-5222 with the above-listed information. A grace period of up to twelve hours may be allowed. No extension. If twelve 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.
  • This grace period does not automatically exempt your vehicle from being ticketed; however, it may be used as a basis for appeal.
  • Notes left on a vehicle stating that the vehicle is mechanically disabled are given no consideration by enforcement personnel. Vehicles not properly reported to the Parking Office or University Police may be ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense.

Semester/University Holidays, Arrival, and Departure Periods

  • During the first week of each semester, finals week, and University holiday breaks, student or parent vehicles are authorized temporary (fifteen 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.
  • Resident students may be asked to use alternate parking areas during the move-in period.

Disabled Persons (Temporary or Permanent)

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 Parking 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 the Parking Office 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 on the University's Educational Equity website.

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • If loading or unloading in residence hall reserved lots is needed, parking is only authorized for fifteen minutes with flashers operating, and a resident student permit must be displayed.
  • Flashers are never valid at 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.

Payment

  • Tickets issued to vehicles registered with a valid parking permit through The Parking office 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 the Parking Office are the responsibility of the vehicle owner, regardless of who drives the vehicle.
  • Tickets can be paid online with a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express).
  • All payments are processed through the online system set up by the Parking Office.

Appeal

  • Parking violations may be appealed online. Frivolous appeals will not be accepted.
  • Appeals must be received within twenty 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.
  • 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.
  • Appeals committee decisions are final.

Abuse of Parking Privileges

  • Warnings are sent by email to permit holders after four tickets are written against a permit holder during a fiscal year (July 1–June 30).
  • If eight or more tickets are issued during a fiscal year (July 1–June 30), the assigned permit is revoked for thirty calendar days. No parking is permitted on campus at any time, for any reason, if parking privileges are revoked.
  • 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.
  • Failure to follow the direction of The Parking office personnel or blatant disregard of parking policies will result in immediate revocation of parking privileges.
  • There are no refunds of money paid for a revoked permit.
  • All revoked permits must be returned immediately to the Parking Office.
  • Additional tickets received while under revocation may result in any or all of the following actions: an automatic extension of the revocation period, an additional fine, referral to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response, and/or towing of the vehicle at the owner’s expense. A registration hold will be placed on the student account until all fines are paid, and all permits returned.
  • Appeals for revocations will not be accepted.