Employee Permits

This is the place to find information on employee parking permits. If you're a student, please visit the Student Permits Page.

Parking on Campus

Parking on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods is extremely limited and parking regulations are strictly enforced. A valid WWU parking permit is required to park in all Western parking lots.

We recommend that employees commute to campus by riding the bus, walking, biking, or carpooling. There are only 1,356 employee parking spaces on campus for Western’s approximately 3,000 employees.

Calculate the Cost of Your Commute

Use this Commute Cost Calculator to determine how much it costs you to drive to and from work. Reduce the number of days per week that you drive to campus and see your savings add up

Employee Parking Permit Rates for 2023-2024

Lot and Permit Type
Lot Permit Type
Pay-by-Day Quarterly Academic Annual Summer
G $3* $119 $357 $458 $101
G (Part-Time) $3* $62 $186 $234 $48
A $3* $106 $318 $403 $85
A (Part-Time) $3* $50 $150 $193 $43
11G Carpool $3* $119 $357 $458 $101
26CP Carpool $3* $106 318 $403 $85
Motorcycle N/A $23 $69 $88 $19
Lincoln Creek N/A $31 $93 $109 $16

*There is $0.35 ParkMobile transaction fee on each Pay-by-Day transaction. 

Pay-by-Day Parking Permit - New!

Transportation Services introduced a new Pay-by-Day parking permit in the summer of 2020 which was designed for employees who park on campus intermittently. The Pay-by-Day parking permit replaces the Commuter Coupon Code.

To sign up for a Pay-by-Day parking permit, you will need to add yourself to the waitlist for your desired parking lot. If you are awarded a permit for that lot, you will receive instructions to email transportation@wwu.edu to request that your award be converted to a Pay-by-Day award.

Employees who already have a Pay-by-Day parking permit and want to continue using it do not need to request another Pay-by-Day parking permit for intersessions or subsequent quarters, but annual renewal offers will be sent out for future academic years.

For employees who have not used this option, the Pay-by-Day parking permit uses the ParkMobile app and is available in all employee campus parking lots through the existing employee waitlist system. Employees parking with the pay-by-day permit will pay $3.35/day ($3.00 for parking and a $0.35 ParkMobile transaction fee).

Commuter Coupon Code

Commuter Coupon Codes have been replaced by the Pay-by-Day parking permit.

Sign Up for a Long Term Parking Permit

To obtain a parking permit add yourself to the waitlist for your desired parking lot. You can do this through the Parking Portal. Permits are awarded from the waitlist based on availability and waitlist position is ordered based on seniority (the number of days employed). If you are awarded a permit you will receive an email notification with instructions on how to purchase your parking permit.

Parking Permit Renewals

Quarterly parking permits are eligible to be renewed throughout the academic year. Anyone who purchases a quarterly parking permit will automatically be sent a renewal offer without needing to reapply through the waitlist. Renewal offers are sent out approximately 3 weeks before the end of each quarter.

Academic parking permits are also able to be renewed for summer quarter.

Employee permits can also be renewed for the next academic year. Permit renewal offers are sent out each year in May for the following academic year.

Pay or Appeal a Parking Citation

Citations can be paid through the Parking Portal. From the home page, enter the citation number or the license plate number to locate the citation.

If you believe that your citation was issued in error, you can appeal the citation through the Parking Portal. Citation appeals must be made within 7 days of issuance, with the first day being the day following the citation’s issue date. All days, including weekends and holidays, are counted when determining the appeal deadline.

Transfer Your Parking Permit to a Different Parking Lot

If you have a permit and wish to transfer to a different lot, you can add yourself to the waitlist for your desired lot. If you are awarded a permit for a new lot, you can transfer the credit from your original permit and use it to pay for your new permit. Payment would be required or a refund would be generated if the two permits differ in price.

Park with a State Disability Placard

Daytime hours (Monday – Friday, 7:00am – 4:30pm): A WWU permit is required along with your state disability placard. You can obtain a permit in lot C or 6V at the pay station or by using the ParkMobile app. This permit, along with your disability placard, will allow you to park in any disability space on campus. If the disability space nearest your destination is full, you can park in an adjacent, non-reserved, space.

After hours (Monday – Friday after 4:30pm, all day Saturday and Sunday): During these hours a WWU permit is not required as long as you are hanging your state disability placard. You can park in any available disability space or adjacent space.

Part-Time Parking Permits

Part-time parking permits are available for employees who only need to park half of the day. These permits function the same as full day permits but are only valid for half of the day.

Part-time permits are available in two time frames:

  • AM Permits: 7:00am – 1:00pm
  • PM Permits: 11:00am – 5:00pm

To obtain a part-time permit add yourself to the waitlist for your desired parking lot. You can do this through the Parking Portal. Permits are awarded from the waitlist based on availability and waitlist position is ordered based on seniority (the number of days employed). If you are awarded a permit you will receive an email notification with instructions on how to purchase your part-time permit.

Carpool Permits

Employee carpool assignments are available in 11G and 26CP.

Two or more people may share a carpool parking permit by meeting the following criteria:

  • One carpool member is designated as the permit holder.
  • At least two people must arrive together on all trips to campus.
  • Each member must read and sign an agreement to comply with the carpool policy.
  • No carpool members are eligible to purchase another full-time or part-time permit.

Only valid carpools may park in carpool lots. On days when special circumstances prevent carpool members from riding together, the carpool permit holder may park alone and follow the appropriate procedure below:

  • Carpool member driving alone must park in parking lot 12A.
  • Employee carpool permits are honored in lot 12A with no call-in necessary.

Instances of parking alone will be monitored to ensure that the carpool system is not being abused.

Motorcycle Permits

Motorcycle parking is available in many parking lots. Check the Parking Map for their locations. Purchasing a motorcycle parking permit allows you to park in any motorcycle parking space on campus.

If you purchase a parking permit for a car or truck in the G lots and you have a motorcycle, you can add the license plate number of the motorcycle to a G lot parking permit at no additional cost. Note that only one permitted vehicle may be parked on campus at a time.

After Hours Permits

After hour parking types and times
Weekday After Hours Parking Weekend Parking
4:30 p.m. - 7:00 a.m. (M-F) All Day
  • This is a free parking permit that allows employees who do not have an active parking permit to park in lots 5G, 7G, 9G, 11G and 19G (NO OTHER LOTS) in the evening and on weekends. You can sign up for an After Hours permit in the Parking Portal by clicking on the "get permits" button.
  • Parking permits are not required in the C and 12A lots between 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Monday through Friday and all hours on weekends.
  • Employees who have an active parking permit may park in lots 5G, 7G, 9G, 11G, and 19G (NO OTHER LOTS) in the evening and on weekends without an After Hours Permit.
  • Temporary permits purchased through ParkMobile or the pay station are only valid for the lot in which they were purchased and cannot be used to move to another lot after hours.
  • After Hours Permits are not valid in:
    • Reserved spaces
    • Lots reserved for an event

Intersession Permits

Intersession permits are available for students and employees who either do not have a current permit or those who like to park in a larger selection of lots during intersession.

Parkers with a current permit who do not purchase an intersession permit should continue to park in their assigned lots.

Intersession permits are valid in lots: C, 12A, 19G, 7G, 9G, 22G, 33G, 32G, 24G

Personal Reserved Permits

Employees interested in purchasing a personal reserved parking permit can fill out an application online.

The cost of a personal reserved permit for the 2022-2023 school year is $973.00.

The cost of a personal reserved permit for the 2023-2024 school year is $1041.00

Retiree Permits

Western Washington University retirees are eligible for a no-cost annual parking permit. Please contact Transportation Services if you are interested.

Permit Refund Information

Excerpts from WAC 516-12-460 Fees.

(3) Refunds will be made based on the valid time remaining according to the parking services refund schedule. Refunds may be made if unpaid fines and fees have been paid.

(a) The permit holder must return the permit to Parking Services before a refund will be authorized or a payroll deduction will be terminated. (Note: This is no longer true. License plate numbers now serve as parking permits.)

(b) Unused quarters may be refunded in whole at respective rates.

(c) Refunds will not be made upon permit revocation by the public safety director

Additional Notations for Processing Permit Refunds

  • Any employee who requests to cancel their permit after the first 30 days of any quarter will pay the same permit fee (See (3)(b) above). Permits purchased via payroll will be charged for the quarter until the quarter fee has been paid in full. Payroll deduction is an option that an employee voluntarily chooses to allow the employee to purchase the permit in payments rather than pay the entire amount up front.
  • Permit refund requests made after an extended personal/emergency leave do not qualify for a retroactive refund. Unused quarters left on the permit will be refunded.
  • Permit refund balances are calculated from the date the refund is requested.