New Students

Parking on the UW-Stout campus requires valid authorization throughout the year unless that requirement is waived by the Police & Parking Office.
In this Section

Permits should be purchased before parking - your license plate is your permit.

Online permit sales begin the first week in August.  For permit options go to Permit Information.  Then Log-on to the Parking Portal.

Yearly permit cost is $240 plus tax for those who live in campus housing (overnight parking) (there are also reserved options at a higher cost) and $150 plus tax for those who live off campus (day parking only).  The annual permits are valid August 16 through August 15 of the following year. You must be signed up for classes and have your housing assignment (if living in a residence hall) prior to purchasing a permit.

Commuter Parking Basics

All campus parking is regulated throughout the year.

Regulation means that a vehicle must be authorized to park on campus legally.

Authorization is by valid permit, paid pay station, or compliance with posted time limit, where applicable.

This means that, wherever a vehicle is parked, it must either be authorized by valid permit (your license plate is your permit), purchase time at a pay station, or honor a posted time limit.

Any area that is not specifically identified as a parking space/lot/area, is never considered a legal parking space.

Reserved parking spaces are typically identified by special signage and are restricted to authorized vehicles only.  Examples of reserved parking spaces are A-zone spaces, Disabled spaces, Physical Plant spaces, X permit spaces, NC permit spaces and Service areas.

Purchasing a Commuter Permit

  • Permit Application
  • A Commuter permit is valid for the entire school year, including the summer session or by semester.
  • Commuter permits may be purchased thru the Parking Portal. You must provide accurate vehicle information.
  • A valid permit is required throughout the year.  There is no grace period at the beginning of the semester.  Students are strongly encouraged to arrange for purchase of a permit prior to arriving on campus.
  • If you have not purchased your permit before the beginning of the semester, go to the Parking Portal to purchase your permit.  You must park in either a pay-by-plate space or on a City street until you have a valid permit.

Commuter Lot Locations

A commuter permit is valid in parking lots (Lot 1, 10, 14, 18, 20, 24, 27, 29, 30) near academic buildings.  Although a permit is valid in almost all center campus parking lots, it is not valid in every space in these lots.  Consult the parking maps before parking.

Valid Parking Spaces

  • A valid parking space is within the striped stall markings in a paved lot or head in against a bumper block in a gravel lot.  Any area that isn't striped or that doesn't have a bumper block in front of it is not a legal parking space.
  • Campus, "C" permits are only valid in standard parking spaces.  Standard spaces are not signed.  Any space that is signed is reserved for another permit and a "C" permit is not valid there.

Hours of Regulation

  • Commuter parking spaces are regulated from 7 AM to 4 PM Monday through Friday.
  • Overnight, 2 AM - 7 AM, parking is prohibited in commuter lots.
  • Commuter lots do not require an authorized permit in a standard space during the evening hours or on weekend days.
  • Commuter lots are regulated throughout the year.  Parking regulation is not suspended during non-class periods.

Disabled Parking

  • Students with a physical disability are eligible to purchase a disabled parking permit.
  • Students with a disability, either permanent or temporary, should contact Police & Parking Services to obtain accessible parking.
  • A UW-Stout disabled permit is required to park in a university lot.  The state disabled permit is not sufficient.
  • UW-Stout disabled permits are valid in both signed, disabled spaces and any standard commuter space.

Overnight Parking for Commuters

Regular commuter lots do not permit overnight parking.  Commuter permit holders who need to park overnight may check with Police & Parking Services for options.

Other Commuter Parking Options

Although a UW-Stout commuter permit offers, by far, the best parking options, there are other options available.

  • Pay-By-Plate, there are pay stations available on campus at a rate of $1 per hour.
  • City Street Parking is an option on streets adjacent to campus.  Take care to read the posted parking regulation signs and adhere to local ordinances with respect to legal distance from fire hydrants, driveways, and intersections.

Summer Commuter Parking

  • Parking is regulated during the summer and requires authorization of a permit.  Summer permits are available to purchase by going into the Police & Parking Office after the first week in May.  If you had already purchased the year permit it is valid thru August 15.