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Parking: How-To Parking Registration & Permits

All employee and student vehicles occupying University parking facilities, other than those in metered spaces, must have a valid and appropriate University parking permit. Each employee or student may apply for one permit only.

Parking permits cost $165 (or $105 with an EKU license plate) and are valid for the Academic Year. The fee is charged to your student account. You may register up to five (5) vehicles but are only allowed to have ONE (1) vehicle on campus at a time. If you have a motorcycle and a vehicle you will need to buy an additional parking permit if you choose to park both vehicles on campus at the same time.

To be eligible to acquire a parking permit, an employee or student must:

  • Possess a valid operator’s license for the type of vehicle to be registered.
  • Only register vehicles owned by the individual or a member of their immediate family. The Director of Parking and Transportation Services may waive this requirement when the owner of a vehicle has some other definable relationship to the student.
  • Obtain Permission for a valid license plate on the vehicle to be registered.

Students may not use employee permits. Employees that wish to have their vehicle registered as a student vehicle for use by a member of their family must have special permission from the Director of Parking and Transportation.

Parking Portal All Parking Regulations

How-To Purchase Permits Through the Parking Portal

  • Access the parking portal
  • Students and staff will select the EKU Login button and use their EKU credentials to log in. All others will select Guest Login and create a login and password.
  • To add a new vehicle select “VEHICLES” at the top of the page.
  • Select “Add Vehicle”
  • Enter your vehicle information and select “Next.” Be sure to enter the whole license plate, including any stacked letters.
  • Getting a Permit: If you need a regular student/employee permit you will select “Get Permits” from your portal home page.
  • Select “Next”
    Note: You will only be given the option to buy the permit that you are eligible for. B
  • Review the rules and regulations and refund policy. Choose that you agree to each term and select next.
  • Choose which vehicles you need to have on your permit and add any new ones, then select “Next.”
  • Review your cart and select “Pay Now” Student permits will default to the student’s billing statement as the payment method. Employees may choose between payroll deduction or credit/debit card.
  • Select “Pay Now” Employees may choose between payroll deduction or a credit/debit card. Student permits default to charging to the student’s billing statement on My EKU. Guests will have to enter payment information.
  • Once you have completed all of the steps you will receive a receipt.

Special Permit Requests

  • Select “Parking Requests”
  • Choose which permit option you need.
  • Select that you agree to abide by parking rules and regulations
  • For your reason enter which permit you are requesting (ex.: ADA/EKU Plate/Veteran).
  • upload the appropriate documentation.
  • (ADA) permit: upload BOTH the state hangtag along with the receipt from it showing it is registered to you
  • EKU plate discount: upload a picture of your EKU license plate
  • Veteran: upload a military ID or DD214.
  • Once finished select “Submit” at the bottom
  • You will receive a confirmation once submitted.

Parking Permits By Type

General Parking (Orange Lots): G Orange
General parking lots are open to all Eastern Kentucky University parking permit holders. Permits are required from 7:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Parking is permitted in general lots without a permit from 5:00 p.m. through 7:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, and all day Saturday and Sunday.

Handicapped Permits (Light Blue): H Light Blue
Parking spaces have been set aside in strategic locations for those who qualify for handicapped parking. A state handicapped permit is not valid for EKU handicapped spaces. To be eligible to use Eastern Kentucky University designated handicapped spaces, a person must obtain from EKU Parking and Transportation Services, the form to be completed by the Licensed Healthcare Provider. Qualified persons will be issued an EKU Handicap Permit. Permits for temporary disabilities are also available.

Residential students receive a Blue Zone R permit for parking in the Zone R lots. Grand Campus students receive a Zone GC permit for Grand Campus and General lots. Commuter students receive a Brown Zone C permit for parking in Zone C lots.

Commuter Permits (C Brown)
Zone C lots from 2:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Zone E lots from 4:30 p.m. through 7:00 p.m.
Jones Lot: from 9:00 p.m. through 2:00 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Residence Hall Permits (R Dark Blue)
Zone R lots 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
General Parking Lots (Orange) 7:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Zone GC lot is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Student Proxy Setup

The parking proxy service allows a student to give written permission for a proxy (guest) to speak or email with EKU Parking and Transportation Services about a student’s parking account. The proxy CANNOT make any changes. Any account changes must be made by the student. The student will need to fill out the below form via DocuSign.

Student Proxy Form

Zone E Lots (Yellow) from 2:00 AM through 7:00 PM Monday through Friday, with the exception of Jones Lot.
General Parking Lots (Orange) 7:00 AM through 5:00 PM Monday through Friday.

Employee Parking is limited to employees of the University only. Graduate assistants do not qualify for employee parking permits. Full-time students who are part-time employees are not eligible.

Pay-to-Park Spaces

There are paid parking spaces available at various locations for short-term parking. Pay to park are enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To take advantage of pay-to-park and locate all pay-to-park locations, download the ParkMobile app on your phone. If you do not have a smart phone you can call the number on the ParkMobile sign.

  • 3355 – Crabbe Street Lot – $1.25 an hour, up to $5.25 a day.
  • 3356 – Parking Garage – $1.50 an hour, up to $5.25 a day.
  • 3357 – Whitlock Lot – $0.75 for 20 minutes.
  • 3358 – Mattox Lot – $0.75 for 20 minutes.
  • 3359 – Park Drive – $3.25 for an hour and twenty minutes (80 minutes).
  • 3360 – Kit Carson Drive – $0.50 for twenty minutes.
  • 3361 – Keith Lot – $3.25 for an hour and twenty minutes (80 minutes).
Download ParkMobile for iOS Download ParkMobile for Android
Temporary Parking Permit

Visitors may also request a temporary parking permit online. Visitor permit are $5 a day and can be purchased online, or in the Parking Office. We accept checks and credit/debit cards. With a visitor permit you may park in the visitor spaces in the Powell Visitor Lot, Park Drive Visitor spaces or Alumni Coliseum.

Purchase Visitor Permit

Requests must be submitted two (2) full business days in advance. Currently these permits are being offered to your department free of charge. This is subject to change in the future.

Department Visitor Permit Request Form

Model School students may obtain parking permits with written permission from the principal. Students must comply with all University regulations, rules, and registration procedures concerning vehicle use at Eastern Kentucky University.

Bicycles are permitted to park in the racks that are provided for that purpose and are available around most buildings and facilities. Bicycles are not permitted to be attached to any object other than a bicycle rack. Bicycles may not be left in bicycle racks between the end of summer term and the start of fall term without special permission from the EKU Police Department. Bicycles that are in violation of these regulations are subject to impoundment and disposal according to law.

All motorcycles must park in legal spaces to match their assigned permits. A motorcycle that is registered in addition to a primary vehicle will be considered a second vehicle and assessed a fee of $165 to park within the assigned zone. There is no charge for a General motorcycle permit. Under no circumstances are motorcycles permitted to park on sidewalks, grass, or areas not assigned for parking.

For purposes of these regulations, a MOPED is not considered a motorcycle and must use appropriate bicycle facilities. A moped is defined as: “A pedal bicycle with a helper motor rated no more than two brake horsepower, a cylinder capacity not exceeding fifty cubic centimeters, an automatic transmission not requiring clutching or shifting by the operator after the drive system is engaged, and capable of a maximum speed of not more than thirty miles per hour.”

Bus parking is prohibited in many parking areas on campus. Arrangements for bus parking may be made by contacting the Parking Office (859-622-7275) or Police Department (859-622-1111).

Marked University vehicles may park in Zones E, C, R, Z or G when on official University business. These vehicles may park in metered spaces but must pay the fee. Any parking violations or towing charges are the responsibility of the driver.

Vehicles without a parking permit may park in the Alumni Coliseum from 4:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, and all day Saturday and Sunday.

Vehicle Information Changes

Faculty, staff and students can now change their vehicle information using the self-service parking portal anytime a registered vehicle is replaced or its license plate is changed.

Permit holders can also contact the parking office at: 859-622-PARK (7275) or email parking if they are unable to perform this change.

Purchase Visitor Permit

Prohibited Actions

Skateboarding, roller-skating, and rollerblading are prohibited in all areas of campus.

Storage parking is prohibited. Parking facilities are designed and intended to provide parking for operational vehicles only, and reasonable turnover is expected. If you plan to store your vehicle for any length of time, you must receive written permission from the Director of Parking and Transportation Services.

Permit Refund Policy

Refunds for Fall must be made before the add/drop date.

Refunds for Spring must be made before January 31st, and a 50% refund will be refunded to the student’ s billing statement.

Refund requests must be emailed to Parking at parking@eku.edu. Be sure to include your EKU ID number.

Parking at the Beginning of the Fall Semester

Our Richmond campus vehicular load experiences ebbs and flows throughout the course of the week. This is especially pertinent for the first 2-3 weeks of classes during the Fall semester. History dictates that there is a high parking demand Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., especially in the area of John Hanlon Drive/Van Hoose Drive (close to Fitness & Wellness and the parking garage). The commuter sections of the Alumni Coliseum Lot and Lancaster Lot will experience times when they are completely full and parking on the south side of campus is the best option.

We have a few suggestions to help you have a good experience:

  • Give yourself plenty of time to park and travel to your destination on campus. Do not expect to find parking close to buildings during peak use days and times.
  • Do not attempt to go to peak-use lots during peak use times.
  • Park on the periphery of campus and use the Big E Transit. The Big E Lot is a great option.
  • Commuters should park with your exit strategy in mind. Know a few tips about peak areas:
  • Model Lab School releases students at 3:00 p.m. This will cause congestion when exiting the Alumni Coliseum Lot from 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
  • The employee section of the Whitlock Lot typically experiences a back-up from 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Avoid this area.
  • Exiting the John Hanlon/Van Hoose Drive area onto Kit Carson is a naturally congested area with vehicles and pedestrians.
  • Kit Carson Drive typically experiences congested traffic on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.. We recommend avoiding this during peak travel times.
  • The left turn lane onto Roy & Sue Kidd Way from the Eastern Bypass experiences backs-up Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (same peak use times as previously noted). We recommend that you avoid this area and choose other available travel routes.

Parking Lot Safety

When you are traveling in a parking lot, please be mindful that there are pedestrians present. As motorists, we need to be mindful that we are traveling in the middle of pedestrian pathways. Put down your phones, stay focused on driving, and do not attempt to arrive 10-minutes before classes start expecting to find a space close to your building.

As pedestrians, we need to be mindful that drivers are focused on finding a space and that they may choose to be distracted by something other than your personal safety. Vehicles are required to travel slowly in parking lots but hazards do exist which include:

  • Vehicles traveling in multiple directions (i.e. 2-way aisles)
  • Vehicles backing into spaces
  • Vehicles pulling out of spaces unexpectedly
  • Drivers illegally parking their vehicles in the right of way causing confusion and delay