Undergraduate Parking
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Fall 2025 Undergrad Permits
All Fall 2025 undergrad permits are sold out. You may still join the wait list, or submit an appeal if one of the situations applies to you.
Frosh/Sophomore Parking Prohibition
Because parking spaces are a limited resource on campus, UCSC has a parking permit prohibition for first and second-year residential students. The parking permit prohibition applies to those who live in any on- or off-campus University Housing facility, and covers all types of campus parking permits (including temporary daily, weekly, and monthly permits) except for motorcycle permits.
All students can buy a temporary campus parking permit during the following periods:
Off-campus paid parking options are minimal and are usually sold out by mid-September.
Check out the Biking & Walking, Buses & Shuttles, Car & Ride Share, and Traveling & Commuting pages to find out how you can get around without your car.
On rare occasions, first- and second-year residential students may be granted a parking exception by submitting an appeal.
Undergrad Permit Eligibility
Permit Eligibility status for students who reside in University Housing is determined by the number of units (90 units) completed by the fall quarter of the current academic year. This status remains in place and does not change throughout the academic year. Residential students who have completed less than 90 units or achieve this threshold by Winter or Spring of the current academic year are ineligible for parking, but may pursue parking by appeal.
All commuting students (except those who live in UCSC Housing facilities), regardless of grade level, as well as eligible Junior, Senior, and Transfer students who reside in University housing, are eligible to apply for an R or C permit. Being eligible to apply does not guarantee a permit.
Academic Information System (AIS) Standing
NOTE: TAPS staff only see your standing in the Academic Information System (AIS), and cannot see your actual units. If AIS does not show your actual credits, please contact the Registrar’s Office so that they can email TAPS directly with confirmation.
Undergrad Permit Options
Remote Lot (R) Permits
Permits are valid only in the East Remote (104) and West Remote (127) parking lots (parking map). Permits are available for the following lengths of time:
Academic Year R Permits
Valid only during the current Academic year (mid-September to mid-June)
Cost: $378.72
- Billed to your student account or paid in full with a credit card
- Permits purchased after the start of the academic year will be prorated based on the start date.
Quarterly R Permits
Valid only during the specified quarter
Cost: $140.25
- Billed to your student account or paid in full with a credit card
- Permits purchased after the start of the quarter will be prorated based on the start date
Monthly R Permits
Valid 30 days from the date of purchase
Cost: $90
- Must be paid in full with a credit card
Weekly R Permits
Valid 7 days from the date of purchase
Cost: $27
- Must be paid in full with a credit card
Daily R Permit
- Valid only on the specified date (either the date of purchase or the next day).
- Available to parking-eligible students if lots have capacity.
- A certain number of Daily R permits are available daily on a first-come, first-served basis.
Cost: $6
- Must be paid in full with a credit card
Close-in (C) Permits
Most C permit parking is in lots shared by A and C permit holders unless otherwise indicated. TAPS will monitor permit sales to avoid “overselling” the lots; however, when a parking lot is full on any given day, the C permit holder will have to park in a remote lot.
The following lots are C Permit lots (parking map):
- Lot 111 Crown
- Lot 119 Merrill
- Lot 150B North Perimeter
- Lot 152-155 Crown/Merrill
- Lot 158-159 Redwood Grove (RGA residents only)
- Lot 162 Oakes/Carson
Academic Year C Permits
On your application, you may specify up to three lots (in order of your preference) where you would be willing to park. If all of those lots are sold out, you will automatically be issued and charged for a remote (R) permit.
Cost: $515.95
- Billed to your student account or paid in full with a credit card
Night Commuter (NC) Permits
These permits allow eligible commuting undergraduates access to the Core West parking structure, the East Field House, and most college parking lots, after 4:30 p.m. (parking map). NC Permits are available for the following lengths of time:
Academic Year NC
Valid only during the current academic year (mid-September to mid-June)
Cost: $101.25
- Billed to your student account or paid in full with a credit card.
- Permits purchased after the start of the academic year will be prorated based on the start date.
Quarterly NC
Valid only during the specified quarter
Cost: $39
- Billed to your student account or paid in full with a credit card.
- Permits purchased after the start of the quarter will be prorated based on the start date.
Nightly NC
Valid only on the specified date (either the date of purchase or the next day).
Cost: $5
- Must be paid in full with a credit card.
Motorcycle (MC) Permits
All undergrad students, regardless of status, are eligible for Motorcycle (MC) permits. Motorcycle permits are not valid for passenger vehicles (e.g., SUVs, two-door, four-door, trucks, and vans).
Motorcycle A Permits
Eligible to park in all lots that allow MC permits (parking map)
Academic Year Motorcycle A
Valid only during the current Academic year (mid-September to mid-June)
Cost: $168.75
- Billed to your student account or paid in full with a credit card
- Permits purchased after the start of the academic year will be prorated based on the start date.
Monthly Motorcycle A
Valid 30 days from the date of purchase
Cost: $40
- Must be paid in full with a credit card
Weekly Motorcycle A
Valid 7 days from the date of purchase
Cost: $18
- Must be paid in full with a credit card
Daily Motorcycle A
- Valid only on the date of purchase
- A certain number of Daily Motorcycle A permits are available daily on a first-come, first-served basis.
Cost: $4
- Must be paid in full with a credit card
Remote Motorcycle Permits
Eligible to park only in East Remote (104), West Remote (127), and Lot 118 (parking map)
Annual Remote Motorcycle
Valid from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. Must be renewed each year.
Cost: Free
Special Situations
Short-term Medical Parking
Students who have a temporary need (one month or shorter) for close-in parking due to medical reasons may request short-term medical permits.
To obtain a short-term Medical permit, you must submit medical documentation to Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) that meets the following criteria:
- Must be from a medical professional (e.g., physician, surgeon, chiropractor, optometrist, etc.)
- Includes the duration of the Medical parking need (one month or less).
Email your document to the TAPS Sales Office or call (831) 459-4543 to make other arrangements.
Documentation for longer than one month of Medical parking must come directly from either the Student Health Center or the Disability Resource Center.
Permit Appeals
Commuting or residential first- and second-year students with critical need for an R parking permit can submit an appeal for consideration by exception (applications available in early September). Carefully read the instructions and eligibility requirements before filling out an appeal form and uploading documents. For questions regarding appeals, email the Appeals Panel.
Purchasing a Permit
Purchasing a Permit Online
- Update your contact information if prompted.
- From your dashboard, select “Order Permits.”
- Log in to ucsc.aimsparking.com with your Cruz ID and Gold password.
- Select the group for the permit you would like to order (Undergrad Permit Options).
- Select the permit for your desired time frame.
- Select “Add Vehicle.”
- Add your vehicle information (up to 4 vehicles)
- When finished adding vehicle(s), select “Confirm.”
- You will be prompted to upload a copy of your vehicle registration. Select “Add Attachment” to upload and select “Confirm” once completed.
- This is for verification only. The vehicle MUST be registered to you or an immediate family member.
- Select “Add Permit to Cart.”
- Complete the verification step if prompted.
- Select payment type.
- Fill in the requested payment information and select “Checkout.”
- A copy of your receipt will be sent to your email address on file. Please keep this for your records.
You will not be able to park with your license plate until you receive an email from TAPS that your permit is active.
Wait List
- Once a permit type sells out, you will see the option to join the waitlist next to it. Click to join that waitlist.
- You will be able to view your position on the waitlist on your dashboard at ucsc.aimsparking.com after joining it.
- You will be notified when you can purchase your permit after you reach the top of the waitlist.
- If you no longer wish to purchase a permit, you can remove yourself from the waitlist:
- Log in to ucsc.aimsparking.com.
- Select “Permits” from the menu on the left.
- You will see your waitlisted permit under “All Active Waitlists.”
- Click the red “X” next to your waitlisted permit to remove yourself from the waitlist.
- C permits
- If you are on the waitlist for a C permit, you may reapply for an R permit. You will have the opportunity to upgrade to a C permit if you reach the top of the waitlist.
It is very important that you check your email regularly in order to retain your place in line for a parking permit. You will be notified by email if we need additional information from you. You will also be notified by email if/when a permit has been processed.
Purchasing a Permit at the TAPS Sales Office
The TAPS Sales Office is located in the H Barn on the lower campus. The hours are Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Please note that the Sales Office closes promptly at 5:00 p.m.; customers still in line at 5:00 p.m. will need to return the next business day to conduct their transaction.
Family Student Housing Permits
Family Student Housing residents should contact the Family Student Housing Office to obtain their FSH parking permit; parking is included in the monthly rental fee.
Undergraduate student residents who have more than one vehicle may purchase an R Remote permit to park in the nearby West Remote parking lot.
Each Family Student Housing unit is assigned one parking space to park a car or motorcycle belonging to the resident or their visitor; visitors must display a valid FSH permit to park in the resident’s space. All Family Student Housing parking spaces are enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please check the parking designation signs for all Family Student Housing spaces to avoid a parking citation.