Obtaining a Parking Permit

• Permit sales begin August 1st.
• Student permits are delivered to your campus mailbox if purchased prior to the beginning of classes. Permits purchased after the start of classes are held at the Welch Hall Public Safety Office for pickup.
• Employees may request an E permit.
  • Student-workers are not eligible for E permits.
• Second-year+ students are eligible to purchase one of the following permit types based on their residence location:
  • S-North ($175) - On-campus residents living north of Oak Hill Ave.
  • S-South ($175) - On-campus residents living south of Oak Hill Ave.
• First-year students are eligible to purchase FY permits ($175).
  • Transfer students classified as sophomores are not considered first-year students.
  • Students who have college credit from high school are still considered first-year students, regardless of class rank.
• Commuter students are eligible to purchase C permits ($175).
  • Your designation as a commuter must be officially recognized by the university for you to be eligible to purchase a commuter permit. Students who have on-campus housing and also sometimes commute from another location are not eligible for a C permit.
• Students may purchase a permit mid-academic year – defined as the first day of classes during spring semester – for 50% off ($87.50).
  • No other pro-rated cost or discounts will be applied, regardless of the time of purchase.
• Students may register one vehicle.
  • Oversized vehicles that require multiple parking spaces are not permitted.
  • Due to limitations on parking availability, motorcycles may register for a permit only if the permit holder has not already registered another vehicle. Sticker permits must be displayed in a prominent area visible to parking enforcement personnel.
  • Electric bicycles are not considered motorized vehicles for the purpose of OWU parking policies and do not require a permit. But electric bicycles may not be parked in parking spaces and should use available bike racks instead.
  • Trailers or other non-motorized items may not be stored in parking lots.
• All sales are final – refunds are not issued for unused permits.
• Students who lose parking privileges from excessive fines and/or improper behavior are not eligible for refunds.
• Owning a permit does not mean that you will always get to park in the closest lot to your building.
• If you believe you may qualify for a free permit based on financial hardship and demonstrated need, please contact deansoffice@owu.edu to request additional information. Place "Parking Permit" in the subject line.
• You are responsible for knowing and abiding by all OWU parking rules.

Request Your Parking Permit

Where Am I Allowed to Park with my Permit (Peak Hours)?

Use the interactive OWU campus map to view lots and their primary parking designation. 

Always look for signage within lots that restrict parking. For example, there are a few E spaces within residential lots for Residential Life Coordinators (RLCs). Their spaces are restricted 24/7 because they live and work on campus 24/7.

As noted in the Buying a Permit section, owning a permit does not guarantee you will always get to park in the closest lot to where you want to be. Overflow parking at the Jay Martin Soccer Complex is always available and no more than a 10-minute walk to any residence hall. Feel unsafe walking for any reason? Use the new OWU safety app to have a virtual escort, take a Safe Ride (when operating), or call the Department of Public Safety for an escort home.

Off-Peak Parking

Outside of the busy parking times, we loosen up some of our parking regulations to allow you more options to park on campus. This is known as off-peak parking.

Off-peak parking occurs:

• Weekday evenings from 3:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. (unless otherwise marked).
• Weekends from 3:30 p.m. Friday through 8 a.m. Monday.
• Holidays from 3:30 p.m. (the day before the holiday) through 8 a.m. (the day after the holiday).
  • Example: For the Fourth of July, off-peak parking starts July 3 at 3:30 p.m. and ends July 5 at 8 a.m.

Any permit holder may park in any E or C space during off-peak hours, as long as the space does not have additional rules affixed to signage at the lot entrance or individual space (such as "Reserved" parking). 

Examples of locations where off-peak parking does not apply: (This list is not comprehensive; always watch lot signage.)

• Residential zones that do not match your permit. Example, a Student South permit may not park in a Student North permit zone at any hour or day of the week.
• Any space marked “Reserved.”
• Health Services spaces.
• Residential Life Coordinator parking spaces.
• Accessibility spaces, commonly referred to as handicapped spaces.
• Loading zones.
• Grassy areas. (Parking on grass is never permitted.)

Non-Permit Holders

Non-permit holders will be subject to fines, vehicle immobilization, and/or towing depending on the location and nature of the parking violation. 

Visitor Parking & Temporary Permits

Got a friend coming to visit Ohio Wesleyan? We’ve got you covered.

• A temporary visitor permit can be obtained for up to three days at a minimal cost. Contact the Public Safety Department at 740-368-2222 during normal business hours to obtain a permit.
  • Excessive temporary permit requests or evidence that they are being used by an OWU student in an attempt to avoid purchasing a permit will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
• There is a catch. Visitors are your friends, so it’s your responsibility to make sure they know where they can and cannot park on campus. The sponsoring OWU student is responsible for any parking citation(s) received by the visitor.
• In rare cases, a long-term temporary permit may be issued for a maximum of 14 days during the academic year at a minimal cost through the Department of Public Safety. You may apply for a Temporary Parking Permit by using this link.

Designated Visitor Events

• Visitors attending evening and weekday events may park in non-residential lots, everything east of South Liberty Street, between 3:30 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. without a permit.
• A designated event is any lecture, concert, athletic event, or other university event that has been communicated to the Department of Public Safety in advance. Student groups hosting events requiring visitor parking should consult with the Student Involvement Office for assistance in making their request.
• Free visitor parking is available year-round on the lower level of Hamilton-Williams Campus Center (HWCC), but overnight parking is not allowed. Fines are issued from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. in the HWCC lots.