Parking Lots
Parking Meters
Parking Decks
The Nittany Lion Inn & The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel

Please note that Penn State University students and faculty/staff members are required by University policy to purchase and display current parking permits at all times when parking a vehicle on campus. Penn State students and faculty/staff—including those from campuses other than University Park—are not considered visitors at any time. Several parking options are available at University Park for students and faculty/staff.

During announced “Midnight Clears” in the winter months, overnight parking (midnight to 7:00 a.m.) is only permitted in the enclosed areas of the parking decks. It is not permitted on the roofs of parking decks or in surface faculty/staff lots. Vehicles parked on the roofs of the decks or in surface faculty/staff lots will be ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense. Vehicles must be moved out of the decks by 8:00 a.m. the morning following a Midnight Clear.

Any vehicle parked in violation of regulations is subject to towing at the owner's expense.

Parking Lots
All Penn State parking lots are signed with visitor information indicating hours of lot reservation. During the reserved hours, parking is by permit only. No permit is required to park in some of these lots after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends. Check the signs at each lot for restrictions.

All lots are subject to additional hours of restriction based on special campus events or University needs as determined by the Parking Office. For example, during home football games, Penn State permits are not valid east of Bigler Road. During Bryce Jordan Center events, Penn State permits are not valid in Lot 44 (Jordan East) or Stadium West, but are valid in Orange E at the Shields Building.

There is no visitor parking at any time in resident student lots and the lot behind Old Main, and you need a permit to park in the Overnight Guest lot located directly in front of the Nittany Lion Inn. Unauthorized vehicles in these lots are subject to ticketing and/or towing at the owner’s expense, as stated on the lot entrance signs.

Getting a Permit – To obtain a visitor permit to park at Penn State, visit the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau located at the corner of Park Avenue and Porter Road, or the Parking Office in the Eisenhower Parking Deck to purchase a permit. Currently, the fee is $4.00 per day; daytime parking is in the commuter lots: Lot 44 (near the Bryce Jordan Center) and Stadium West (next to Beaver Stadium). There is no parking in the commuter lots from 2:00 to 4:00 a.m., and vehicles must be removed from the commuter lots by midnight on the Friday before home football games.

Several no-fare bus services are available to transport individuals from the commuter lots onto campus. No ID is required.

Parking Meters
Parking at meters is permitted provided there is time showing on the meter. All meters take U.S. quarters only (one quarter = 15 minutes of time). Each meter head is posted with hours of operation and maximum time allowed. Expired meter tickets are $11.00 each. Locations of metered spots are marked on our parking map - (pdf).

Parking Decks
Visitors may park in the HUB Deck (off Shortlidge Road), the East Deck (off Bigler Road), and the Nittany Deck (beside the Nittany Lion Inn) for $1.00 per hour. When entering the deck, you must take a stub from the machine at the Kiosk Information Booth at the entrance. You must give this stub to the attendant when exiting the deck. Parking decks only accept cash for payment. You must have a permit to park in the decks between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m.

Please note that parking at the decks is “head-in” only; do not back into the spaces. Only compact cars can park in the spaces signed “VEHICLE MUST BE WITHIN ALL LINES.” These spaces are located at the ends of each level of the decks and the ends of the rows on each level.

The Nittany Lion Inn & The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel
If you will be staying at The Nittany Lion Inn, you will be issued an overnight guest pass that is valid in the Nittany Deck. Currently, overnight guests of the Penn Stater do not need a pass or permit to park at The Penn Stater, which is located off campus.