Parking Permit Terms & Conditions

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Policy Number:
UW-6112
Old Policy Number:
TS-17
Responsible Office:
Transportation Services

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

Parking permits are available for faculty, staff, students, and affiliates with a valid Wiscard/UW Health ID whose work address is on campus. All faculty, staff, students, affiliates, and visitors are required to pay for parking a vehicle in a controlled parking facility or lot on campus during the posted hours of enforcement. UW-Madison Transportation Services is authorized to charge for parking under UWS 18.05(3)(b).  This policy outlines the appropriate use of a parking permit issued by UW-Madison Transportation Services. 

Scope:

Faculty, staff, students, and employees of affiliated agencies. Affiliated agencies include: State Historical Society, UW Health/Hospital/Medical Foundation, UW Foundation, Alumni Association, UW System Administration, University Research Park, and WARF (Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation). 

Policy:
    1. All faculty, staff, students, and visitors are required to pay for parking a vehicle in a controlled parking garage, ramp, or lot on campus.
    2. UW-Madison parking permits do not automatically renew every year. Some permits require an annual application, while others are available for direct purchase.
    3. Parking permits may not be transferred or sold.
    4. One permit (hangtag) will be issued per parking permit assignment.
    5. Parking permits are the property of UW-Madison Transportation Services and must be returned upon termination of employment or when no longer enrolled in classes.
    6. Parking permits must be properly displayed, and correct license plate numbers must be on file with UW-Madison Transportation Services. 
    7. Vehicles must meet all size restrictions for a parking facility or lot to be considered for a parking permit in that lot. Oversize vehicles may have their parking permit revoked or changed if they do not meet the size requirements for a parking facility or lot.
    8. An exchange fee will be charged for parking permits exchanged within the same parking year, which lasts from September 1 through August 31 of the following year. 
    9. The parking permit must be hung from the vehicle’s rearview mirror or displayed in a plastic pouch on the inside lower left-hand corner of the windshield. The full permit must be visible when the vehicle is parked on campus. An acrylic holder (shield) is available for permit holders with registered motorcycles, convertibles, or mopeds to secure the permit to the vehicle. 
    10. The parking permit holder is responsible for returning the parking permit and notifying UW-Madison Transportation Services when employment is terminated, or the parking assignment is no longer needed. 
      1. The parking permit holder will be charged for each day the parking permit is assigned to them. The cancellation date of a parking permit is based on the date the product is received by UW-Madison Transportation Services. Parking assignments and payroll deductions are cancelled on the date permits are received by UW-Madison Transportation Services. 
      2. Refunds or payroll deduction cancellations may only be processed within the same year in which the parking permit is valid and will not be processed until the parking permit is returned to UW-Madison Transportation Services. See UW-6151 Transportation Services Refunds for more information.
      3. Cancellation forms can be found on the Transportation Services website and at all UW-Madison Transportation Services offices.
      4. Permit holders are responsible for any remaining balance that may be owed to UW-Madison Transportation Services after a product is returned.
      5. If Transportation Services is notified that an employee is no longer employed at their agency, the parking permit will be administratively cancelled. Payroll deductions will be automatically stopped and permits paid in full will be automatically refunded to the original method of payment, subject to UW-6151 Transportation Services Refunds. Completed payroll deductions and payroll payments in process will not be refunded.
    11.  The parking permit holder is responsible for proper use of the parking permit, including the hangtag, pin codes, radio frequency identification (RFID) stickers, and other access credentials, to enter gated lots. UW-Madison Transportation Services collects information from the gate system and staff are not authorized to raise the gate for customers unless the gate system is malfunctioning. 
    12. Parking permit holders may receive a maximum of three temporary parking permits per parking year in instances including, but not limited to, if the issued permit is left at home or in another vehicle. 
      1. The timeframe during which a temporary permit is valid will not exceed one day.
      2. Carpool permit customers may receive more than three temporary parking permits. Please see UW-6116 Carpool Permits for more information.
    13. If a customer has more than one parking permit in their vehicle and multiple parking permits are charged by the gate equipment in parking facilities, UW-Madison Transportation Services will not be responsible for refunds of double charges or value deductions to those parking permits. RFID blocking sleeves are available from UW-Madison Transportation Services offices to help prevent multiple permits from being read by campus gate equipment. 
    14. There are snow removal restrictions for the period beginning November 15 through April 15:
      1. No on-street parking from 2:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m., regardless of weather conditions
      2. Overnight parking is restricted to designated areas on campus
      3. Refer to the UW-Madison Transportation Services website for updated parking restrictions for snow removal. 
    15. Parking permits are not valid in restricted areas, such as: fire lanes, timed parking stalls (with exceptions for press and government permits and UW Accessible permits in timed stalls greater than 30 minutes), reserved stalls, disabled stalls without a state DOT permit, disabled stall access aisles, loading zones, construction areas, sidewalks, driveways, and grass areas. Unless otherwise noted, those parking with permits in restricted areas may be subject to citation and/or tow at the owner’s expense.
    16. Vehicles parked on campus must display a state-issued license plate and/or vehicle identification number (VIN). The VIN must be fully visible and not altered in any way or made impossible to read. Any vehicle that Transportation Services cannot identify by license plate and/or VIN may be subject to citation and/or tow at the owner’s expense. Please refer to UW-6118: Transportation Services Citations and Violations for further information.
    17. UW-Madison Transportation Services has the right to reserve lots/ramps for special event parking on campus. Parking may be sold in advance or at the lot entrance on a first-come basis. Permit holders may be relocated. Lots restricted for an event will be posted at lot entrances and/or lot restrictions will be emailed to permit holders who will be affected by an event, whenever possible.
    18. UW-Madison Transportation Services has the authority to close a lot for construction, maintenance, or safety issues. Permit holders will be notified in advance of lot closures, whenever possible. Permit holders may be relocated at any time.
    19. If a permit holder’s assigned lot is full, they may relocate to a non-reserved permit stall (stall without a sign) in the next closest non-gated lot. Upon relocating, the permit holder must immediately report to UW-Madison Transportation Services which lot is full, their vehicle information, and the reason for relocating. Afternoon and Night Surface Lots permits may only relocate to lots listed in the respective policy.
    20. Permit holders may only park one personal vehicle with a permit on campus at a time. Permit holders are not permitted to park multiple personal vehicles on campus utilizing service permits or other permit products.
    21. All citations and other unpaid fees due to UW-Madison Transportation Services must be paid before applying for or accepting a parking assignment.
    22. Report lost/stolen permits or passes to UW-Madison Transportation Services immediately. Customers may be assessed a fee for replacing lost or stolen permits.
    23. Vehicles using altered or counterfeit permits are subject to citation and tow at the owner's expense.
    24. Vehicles may not be stored (parked) in a parking facility without exiting for more than 72 hours without permission from UW-Madison Transportation Services. Stored vehicles may be subject to citation and/or tow at the owner's expense.
      1. Vehicle storage applies to an entire parking facility. Vehicles moved from stall to stall within a facility are considered stored if they remain within the facility for 72 hours. The vehicle must leave the parking facility with payment before returning to the facility.
    25. Failure to follow UW-Madison Transportation Services policies may result in revoked parking privileges, referral to OHR, or the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. See UW-6118 for details. 
    26. Special Base Lot Restrictions - The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Transportation Services may designate lots for “special access only” with appropriate notice to the campus community. The following lots are restricted to approved staff, with limited availability for other staff:
      1. Lot 11
      2. Lot 23
      3. Lot 53
      4. Lot 65
      5. Lot 72
      6. Lot 74
      7. Lot 95
Related UW-Madison Policies:
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Assistant Vice Chancellor of UW-Madison Transportation Services
Policy Manager:
Director of Parking Operations
Contact:
Assistant Director of Parking Services -- David Berland, david.berland@wisc.edu, (608) 263-6667
Effective Date:
04-01-2001
Revised Dates:

03-01-2002, 03-01-2003, 03-01-2004, 03-01-2005, 03-01-2006, 03-01-2007,05-19-2022, 10-06-2022, 06-21-2023, 07-01-2025

Retrieved:
07-28-2025 23:43:34