Parking permits

Permit types and options

Whether you’re a student, employee or visitor, we offer a variety of parking options, including commuter permits, residential parking, overnight parking, disability accommodations and short-term parking.

All parking spaces on campus require payment for parking. Parking permits must be displayed and at least one license plate must be assigned to each permit in the parking account for the permit to be valid. Parking permits can be purchased online. Permit eligibility is based on residence location with residential permits valid for on-campus residents and commuter permits valid for those who do not live on campus.

Annual permit sales begin at noon on the second Tuesday of July and the most popular permits often sell out before fall classes begin.

Students are encouraged to purchase permits early and in advance of their arrival to campus. Permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Purchase date and time will be used to set priority in the event a desired permit type sells out.

Student permits

Most Vandals living on campus leave their personal vehicle at home and use alternative transportation to get across campus and around town. The Vandal Student Special is an excellent option for getting to and from campus for the academic year, and Vandal Break Bus is an affordable way to get home during scheduled academic breaks.

Students who bring a personal vehicle to campus should purchase a parking permit before they arrive.

How to purchase a parking permit

  1. Visit AIMS Parking.
  2. Log in with your U of I credentials.
  3. Select the permit that matches your needs.
  4. Complete the purchase and follow display instructions.
Commuter permits

Designed for students living off campus and employees, commuter permits allow parking in designated lots for daytime parking (6 a.m. to 2 a.m. the following day). Options include:

  • Orange ($360 for 2026-27) — Valid in Orange, Red and Blue lots. Not valid for overnight parking.
  • Red ($240 for 2026-27) — Valid in Red and Blue lots. Not valid for overnight parking.
  • Blue ($135 for 2026-27) — Valid in Blue lots only. Not valid for overnight parking.
  • Lot Specific Gold ($490 for 2026-27) — Valid for parking ONLY in Gold lots 19 and 56, in Red lots 34, 34W, 49 and 50, and in all Blue lots. Not valid for overnight parking.
Residential permits

For those living in residence halls, Greek housing or university apartments, residential permits provide overnight parking access in designated lots. Residential parking lots are enforced from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Residential permit options include:

  • Silver ($360 for 2026-27) — Valid for Wallace Residence Center, Theophilus Tower, Living Learning Community and McConnell Hall residents.
  • Green ($370 for 2026-27) — Valid for South Hill Vista Apartments, Vandal Village and Elmwood residents.
    • Green permits are valid only in the green lots designated by the permit name and in Blue lots only for daytime parking (6 a.m. to 2 a.m.). Green permits are required year-round.
  • Purple ($360 for 2026-27) — Valid for students who live in Greek chapters not located on Nez Perce Drive.
    • Chapter members who live off campus are not eligible for Purple permits.
  • Magenta ($360 for 2026-27) — Valid for students who live in Greek chapters on Nez Perce Drive.
    • Students registered for recruitment will be eligible to purchase Magenta permits starting at noon on the first Tuesday of August.
    • Chapter members who live off campus are not eligible for Magenta permits.
  • Economy ($135 for 2026-27) — Valid for overnight parking in Economy lots 57E, 81 and 82.
    • Economy permit holders must opt in for text messaging at the time of permit purchase to receive reminder texts about vehicle relocation requirements for weekends with home football games.

Employee permits

Board-appointed employees are eligible to purchase automatically renewing Vandal permits in Gold, Red or Blue. Payroll deduction is available for auto-renewing Vandal permits and for other annual commuter permits.

How to purchase an employee permit

  1. Log in to AIMS Parking using U of I credentials.
  2. Select the permit based on eligibility.
  3. Complete the purchase.
Employee permit options

Employees may choose from:

  • Gold ($490 for 2026-27) — Valid 24/7 in Gold lots, and for daytime parking between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m. in Orange, Red and Blue lots.
  • Orange ($360 for 2026-27) — Daytime parking in Orange, Red and Blue lots. Not valid for overnight parking.
  • Red ($240 for 2026-27)  — Daytime parking in Red and Blue lots. Not valid for overnight parking.
  • Blue ($135 for 2026-27) — Daytime parking in Blue lots only. Not valid for overnight parking.
Overnight parking for employees

Gold permit holders may park overnight in Gold lots. Other commuter permits do not allow overnight parking.

Purchase parking permits

Find and purchase University parking permits.

Purchase parking permits

Parking permits prices and refunds

The price of parking permits changes throughout the year.

View the Price and Refund Schedule

Other permit types

Disability

Before purchasing an annual Disability permit ($135 for 2026-27) online, email a photo or scanned image of the phot ID and state disability permit/plate to parking@uidaho.edu. Vehicles parked in accessible parking accommodations must display both a U of I Disability permit and a state-issued disability placard or license plate. Learn more about disability permit options.

Early morning parking options

Overnight parking is available only for those who live on campus. See “Residential permit,” above. Students who require parking options between 2 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. who meet specific requirements are eligible for additional permits. An application for this special permit type is required. Contact parking@uidaho.edu for additional information on how to apply. If parking after 7:45 a.m. is necessary, a valid annual permit for the same lot type is required. During snow and ice conditions, parking is restricted to designated areas.

Early morning permits cannot be combined with Gold, Orange, Red or Blue to imitate residential parking privileges.

  • Commuter Early Morning — For use by commuters who need to park on campus between the hours of 2 a.m. and 7:45 a.m., for activities, academics or work reasons.
  • Athletic Early Morning — For Vandal athletes to park in Orange, Red or Blue lots to attend coach-mandated, team, early morning practices and workouts. Valid for parking in lot Gold 56 ONLY during home and away games.
  • ROTC — For use only by ROTC students, this permit is valid in Orange, Red or Blue parking lots between the hours of 2 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. for required ROTC activities.
Retiree parking

Complimentary permit for honored status retirees and emeritus U of I retirees. Valid in Gold, Orange, Red and Blue lots. Not valid for overnight parking or use in disability spaces. Not valid for overnight parking, including in Gold lots. Your initial Retiree permit and any subsequent renewals are available online.

Vendor parking 

Annual, One-Day and 10-Day Vendor permits are available for individuals' providing services on campus. Vendor permits must be purchased at the Parking and Transportation Services office.

Temporary and short-term parking

Short-term access permits are available for those with temporary mobility needs or other access concerns. Short-term access permits can be purchased at the Parking and Transportation Services office.

WSU reciprocal parking

University of Idaho and Washington State University (Pullman) have developed a cooperative parking arrangement for the purpose of enhancing the accessibility to either campus for students and employees participating in cooperative programs and cross listed courses. Selected parking permits from each university have been deemed valid in specific parking areas. Read detailed information about the parking agreement. Apply for WSU Reciprocal Parking.

Visitor permits

How to purchase a visitor permit

Visitors can purchase daily or short-term parking permits online or at the Parking and Transportation Services office, located on campus at 1006 Railroad St.

Visitor parking locations and rates

  • Visitor parking permits — $4/day, purchased online or at the PTS office. Valid in Gold, Orange, Red, Blue, Purple, Silver and Green lots. Ten-day visitor permits with flexible dates are available for $40.
  • Pay-to-Park areas — Available for short-term parking with credit card or mobile payment with the AMP app.
  • Disability (ADA) parking — As a visitor, feel free to park in any pay-to-park space at no cost with no time limit; simply be sure your placard is visible. To park in an ADA parking space on campus, purchase a Visitor Parking Permit (online or in person) and display it on your driver’s side dashboard. Exception: during an academic break, an academic holiday, on the weekend or after 5 p.m. on a weekday when class is in session, there’s no need to purchase an online permit.

Special event parking

Parking for large campus events may be subject to special pricing and restrictions. Contact the event organizer for specific instructions or email us at parking@uidaho.edu to learn more.

Office hours

Monday through Friday:

  • 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (during academic breaks)