Undergrad Student Parking

Freshmen/Sophomore Parking Prohibition
First and second-year students with less than 90 units that reside in University housing facilities, including University Town Center, are not eligible to purchase a permit (except motorcycle permits) to park on-campus. Detailed information is available on the Residential Freshmen/Sophomore Parking Prohibition page. Also see the R Remote Lot Parking Permits for Eligible Undergraduate Students section below.

Leave Your Car at Home
Because parking is such a limited resource at UCSC, it is strongly recommended that students who are not eligible to purchase an on–campus parking permit not bring vehicles to Santa Cruz. Residential streets near campus and in downtown Santa Cruz have strictly enforced parking permit requirements managed by the City of Santa Cruz Permit Parking Program.

Off-campus paid parking options are extremely limited, and are usually sold out by mid-September. Detailed information is available on the Off-campus Parking Lots page.

R Remote Lot Parking Permits for Eligible Undergraduate Students

We have reached the upper limit for R parking capacity for 2023/2024, and have therefore suspended long-term R permit sales. We'll monitor utilization in our remote lots; if utilization allows, we will consider releasing additional permits for sale to those on the waitlist.

Daily R Permit Sales
Daily R permits may be available to parking-eligible students if lots have capacity. A certain number of daily R permits are offered on a first come, first serve basis each day. Stop by the TAPS Sales Office (starting at 7:00am Monday – Friday) to check availability.

Other Permit Options
Long-term NC Night Commuter permits are currently available and 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. The cost is $39 quarterly, or $5 nightly. To purchase a quarterly NC permit apply here. Nightly NC permits must be purchased at the TAPS Sales Office (7:00am to 5:00pm Monday – Friday).

Short-term Medical Parking
To obtain a short-term Medical permit you need to submit medical documentation to Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS). The documentation must be from a medical professional (e.g., physician, surgeon, chiropractor, optometrist, etc.), and should include the duration of the Medical parking need. Students can submit documentation for up to one month in duration directly to the TAPS Sales Office (tapssales@ucsc.edu), or call the Sales Office at (831) 459-4543 for 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.

Parking Appeal for Commuting Students with Critical Need

Commuting or residential first- and second-year students with critical need for an R parking permit can submit an appeal for consideration by exception. Carefully read the instructions and eligibility requirements before filling out an appeal form and uploading documents. For questions regarding appeals, email Patrick Randolph.

 

Permit Eligibility status for residential students is determined by the number of units (90 units) completed by Fall 2021. 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 2022 or Spring 2022 are ineligible for parking, but may pursue parking through an appeal process. 

All commuting students (except those that live in UCSC Housing facilities) regardless of grade level, and Junior, Senior, and Transfer students (with a minimum of 90 units at the beginning of Fall Quarter in the year they wish to purchase a permit) that reside in University housing are eligible to apply for an R Remote Lot parking permit valid in the East and West Remote lots on campus, as available. Being eligible to apply does not guarantee securement of a permit when permit sales are suspended due to high demand. 

Please note that the West Remote lot is often filled with vehicles of campus residents, and is not a reliable parking resource for those who commute to campus. 

When available, R permits can be purchased for the academic year, quarterly, or on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Annual, Academic year, and Quarterly R permits can be ordered online; R Monthly, R Weekly, and R Daily permits, must be purchased from the TAPS Sales Office.

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.

C Parking Permits

C permits are lot-specific. On your application, you may specify up to three lots (in order of your preference) where you would be willing to park. Most C permit parking is in lots that are shared by A, B, and C permit holders, unless otherwise indicated. TAPS will monitor permit sales in order not to “oversell” 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 (see map):

  • C111 Crown - SOLD OUT for 2023-2024 Academic Year
  • C119 Merrill - SOLD OUT for 2023-2024 Academic Year
  • C150B North Perimeter - SOLD OUT for 2023-2024 Academic Year
  • C152-155 Crown/Merrill - SOLD OUT for 2023-2024 Academic Year
  • C158-159 Redwood Grove (RGA residents only) - SOLD OUT for 2023-2024 Academic Year
  • C162 Oakes/Carson - SOLD OUT for 2023-2024 Academic Year

TAPS will create and maintain wait lists for each C lot. Campus residents will be given first priority for C permits; after September 1st, any remaining C permits will be allocated to commuting students. When your name reaches the top of the wait list, TAPS will check the availability of the lots you specified on your application. If all of those lots are sold out, you will automatically be issued and charged for a remote (R) permit.

Buying a Parking Permit Online
Eligible undergraduate students may order these types of parking permits online:

  • Annual, Academic Year, and Quarterly R Remote Permits
  • Academic Year and Quarterly R Carpool Permits
  • Academic Year C Permits   
  • Quarterly B Carpool Permit with grad student
  • Quarterly A Carpool Permit with employee
  • Academic Year and Quarterly NC Night Permits
  • Annual and Academic Year MC Motorcycle Permits
  • Free Remote Motorcycle Permit (no charge for permit; application is required)
  • Supplemental MC Motorcycle with Annual or Academic Year R or C Permit

Note: Annual permits are valid 7/1 through 6/30; Academic Year C, R, NC, and MC permits are valid 9/14/22 through 6/15/23.

Eligibility requirements apply to all online permit purchases.

Payment options include Visa, Mastercard or Discover. Payroll deduction for most types of permits is available to employees who qualify. Students may elect to pay through their UCSC Student Account (excludes all types of Temporary permits) by selecting the UCSC Student Account button in the Payment and Authorization section of the online application. Account charges will not be subject to late fees until after the scheduled Fall disbursement of financial aid.

Buying a Parking Permit at the TAPS Sales Office

The TAPS Sales Office is located in the H Barn on the lower campus (map of location). Sales Office 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.

Buying a Parking Permit at the Main Entrance Kiosk
Students enrolled during the academic year may not buy any type of parking permit at the Main Entrance Kiosk.

Family Student Housing Parking 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 that 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 be used 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.

See Also