Parking and Transportation
Why We Do What We Do
Transportation & Parking helps our campus community act as responsible stewards of the environment by offering programs that aim to reduce single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) traffic, support sustainability efforts, and improve the parking experience. Therefore, Saint Mary's requires that all motorized vehicles parked on campus have a paid permit. Revenue from these permits goes directly toward funding our transportation programs. For questions or more information, please reach out to Campus Safety at psadmin@stmarys-ca.edu.
Important Information
- An SMC parking permit is required for any vehicle parked on either the SMC campus or Rheem campus at all times—365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Permits are issued for specific populations of community members (employees, students, etc.).
- Permits are non-transferable, non-refundable, and not prorated.
- Vehicles parked without a permit or in the wrong lot will be subject to citation and towing.
- Holding a permit does not guarantee the availability of a parking space.
- Parking spaces are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
- For questions or more information, please email Campus Safety.
Purchasing Your Permit
Annual and Fall permits for the 2026-2027 academic year are available through the Parking Portal.
Employee permits are always available and are issued on a monthly basis, with an option for automatic renewal. To enable auto-renewal, simply check the box next to "Auto Payment" during checkout.
For more information about parking permits and other parking-related topics, please visit our Parking FAQs.
Parking Options
Student Permits Cost
Per Term: $59.50
Per Year: $119
Permit costs are subject to change, via the Parking Committee & College approval.
Options:
FALL Term Student Permit: Valid from August 1 to January 31
SPRING Term Student Permit: Valid from February 1 to July 31
ANNUAL Student Permit: Valid for the current academic year
Note:
All students, regardless of whether they live on or off-campus, are required to have a Student Permit to park on campus.
Student Permits allow parking only in designated Student Parking Lots from Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Outside of these hours, vehicles with a valid SMC parking permit can park in any lot on campus, provided the lot is not otherwise reserved.
Low-Income Family Permits
Undergraduate students with an estimated family contribution (EFC) of less than $11,158 will be exempt from parking permit fees.
Veteran Permits
Veterans are not charged for parking permits but must still register for one. Eligible students should confirm their veteran status with the Certifying Veterans Affairs Official in the Student Success Office. For more information on how to confirm eligibility, please visit Veterans Support Services.
Employee Permit Pricing by Salary Tier:
Tier 1 - Annual salary less than $52,000: $0
Tier 2 - Annual salary $52,000 - $59,999: $9.92 per month
Tier 3 - Annual salary $60,000 - $79,999: $11.83 per month
Tier 4 - Annual salary $80,000 - $89,999: $14.83 per month
Tier 5 - Annual salary $90,000 - $99,999: $17.83 per month
Tier 6 - Annual salary over $100,000: $20.75 per month
Permit costs are subject to change, via the Parking Committee & College approval.
Employee Permits are priced based on salary tiers and are available on a month-to-month basis with an optional auto-renewal feature. Permits can only be purchased through payroll deduction, and there are no refunds or prorated options.
All employees, whether faculty or staff, must have an Employee Permit to park on campus. These permits allow parking only in designated Employee Parking Lots from Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Outside of these hours, any vehicle with a valid SMC parking permit may park in any lot on campus, unless otherwise reserved.
Visitor parking is available on campus from 07:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Visitor parking is $1.00 per hour, with a daily maximum of $5.00. Please note that this rate does not apply during special events such as basketball games, rugby matches, and graduations.
Visitors can pay using their license plate at any of our pay stations or on their mobile devices by texting "PAY" to 77447 zone #SMC. Please refer to the Visitor Parking Map for regular visitor parking locations.
Vehicles parked without a permit and/or in the incorrect lot will be subject to citation and towing. There is no Visitor parking on campus from 10:00 PM to 07:00 AM.
If you have a state-issued disabled placard/license plate, you do not need to apply for a parking permit. However, please contact Campus Safety to register your vehicle with Saint Mary's.