Parking

Parking meters allow short-term parking in key areas on campus. Metered areas and lots are enforced 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Meters are not intended for long-term parking and have time limits to ensure space availability. A list of meter time limits can be found  here.

All metered areas require payment before leaving the vehicle parked. Smart meters accept coins, credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay with the option of contactless payment. Drivers also have the option to pay by phone using the  Park Smarter  app. When paying by phone application, be sure to complete your transaction before leaving your vehicle parked. If you wait to complete your parking transaction, a citation may result. Vehicles must be parked with the license plate facing the drive lane.

If your meter fails, or if the phone application is not working, you must contact the Office of Parking and Transportation at  (309) 438-8391. Failure to notify our office of a meter/application malfunction will result in a citation. Vehicles must be removed from inoperative meters within 1/2 hour for 30 minute meters and within 1 hour for all other meters.

Download the Smart Meter brochure

How to Use the M5 Meter Video

At the Bone Student Center parking is available for an hourly fee. There is no overnight parking allowed in the pay lots, they are closed from 4:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Vehicles are subject to overtime charges and towing unless removed by 4:00 a.m. The ticket you take at the entrance is a license. No bailment is created. The ticket holder may park one automobile in the lot at their own risk of any fire, theft, damage to vehicle or contents of same. If you intend to pay your hourly parking charges with coins, no large amounts will be accepted unless they are rolled. No exceptions. If you cannot produce the time ticket you took when entering the lot, you will be charged from the time the lot opened.

At the South University Street parking garage, parking is available on a pre-pay basis. You must determine the amount of time you need and pay before leaving the vehicle parked. There are two pay stations on the east side of the lot that accept cash and credit/debit cards. If you have been provided with a parking validation, you will enter the information at one of the two pay stations. Note you must park with your license plate facing the drive lane.

There is also a pay by phone application (Park Smarter) available for download. If you pay for your parking using the phone application, you can elect one more parking session before your current session expires. This will provide you with twice the normal time limit.

Restricted for faculty-staff permit holders from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. After 5:00 p.m., anyone displaying a valid commuter permit can park in these lots until 4:00 a.m. Lots are closed from 4:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Restricted for commuter surface permit holders and faculty-staff surface permit holders from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. These lots are closed from 4:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.

These spaces are reserved for the reserved space permit holder from the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. These spaces are closed to anyone except the reserved space permit holder from 4:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. After 5:00 p.m. vehicles displaying a valid faculty-staff, other reserved space permit, reserved zone or commuter permit can park in a reserved space until 4:00 a.m. Any vehicle (other than those belonging to the specific reserved space permit holder) not removed from a reserved space by 4:00 a.m. will be subject to immediate tow.

These spaces are reserved for the department at all times, they are not included in after hours permit allowances, and are only to be used with the express consent of the department.

Located in the three parking decks on campus, these zones are reserved for the red reserved zone permit holders from the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. These areas are closed to anyone except reserved zone permit holders from 4:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. After 5:00 p.m. vehicles displaying a valid faculty-staff, reserved space, or commuter permit can park here until 4:00 a.m.

Storage lots are for residence hall students only. Students with blue permits may leave their car in these lots 24 hours a day. Note you may be asked to relocate your vehicle due to special events taking place on campus, especially if you park on west campus. You will be notified via email if you need to relocate and will be provided with an alternate parking option. Please pay careful attention to the instructions to avoid a citation.

If you can not find a spot in your lot, please contact the Office of Parking and Transportation at (309) 438-8391, between 7:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday. After hours, please contact the ISU Police Department at (309) 438-8631. Our office or the police department will find a temporary parking arrangement for you. If you fail to notify us and park in an area where your permit is not normally valid, a citation will result.

Motorized vehicles with no more than three wheels must display a valid motorcycle permit to park in campus parking lots. Parking is restricted to designated motorcycle areas only. Motorcycles and mopeds who park in the campus pay lots must park in the designated motorcycle areas and must enter and exit through the entry and exit lanes. Motorcycles and mopeds must pay the appropriate fees to park in the pay lots even if they hold a motorcycle permit. Motorcycles aren mopeds are not allowed to park in campus bicycle racks.

There is open parking in the red (faculty/staff) and green (commuter) surface lots Monday through Thursday beginning daily at 7:00 p.m. and ending at 4:00 a.m. the following day.

After 7:00 p.m. Friday to 4:00 a.m. on Monday, open parking is available in the red faculty/staff surface lots and the green commuter surface lots.

Open parking does not include meters, pay lots, reserved spaces, reserved zones, business spaces, service spaces or blue residence hall student storage lots.

Service vehicle spaces are designated for university vehicles displaying "U" license plates only, or by special permission from the Office of Parking and Transportation.

Business permit spaces are restricted to departmental business permit and/or vendor business permit holders only. These spaces have a two hour time limit and this limit is strictly enforced. Moving from one business permit space to another with the sole purpose of resetting the time allowance is not allowed and vehicles observed engaging in this behavior will be subject to citation.

Designated loading zone spaces will be located adjacent or as close to campus buildings as possible. These spaces are for loading and unloading only and will be limited to 30 minutes. Moving your vehicle from one loading zone to another with the sole purpose of resetting the time allowance is not allowed and vehicles observed engaging in this behavior will be subject to citation.