Student Permits

With the Fall Term and Annual Student Permits being sold out, the Winter Term Permits which are active January 1st to April 30th are normally available for sale around November 15th. Interested students should watch our website for UPDATES on when these will become available.

Students are reminded that purchasing Parking Permits through any third-party source (Kijiji, TikTok, Facebook Marketplace etc.) is contrary to Parking Regulations and students could be held responsible for any tickets associated with a permit they are using. Additional sanctions against your Western Parking Account could also apply.

Alternatives for those travelling to campus without a parking permit:

  • Check out Western's Visitor Parking information for short term daily parking details - the least expensive option for a full day of visitor parking on campus will be at the Huron Flats and Althouse Students lots (payment by Honk Mobile) and the Medway lot (pull a ticket to enter gated lot and pay with a credit card on exit). The rate for these areas is $1.50 per half hour up to $12 maximum.
  • Pay and Display areas are located campus-wide and are a good option for short periods on campus and for those wanting to pay by coin or credit card. Pay and Display machines are the only option for payment by coin on campus.
  • The Western Student Bus Pass may be a viable option for those who can leave their car at home - no scraping car windows on those chilly winter mornings and you'll get dropped off right in the heart of campus.
  • Make use of complimentary parking in various parking lots outside of business hours - Elborn lot (at the corner of Western Road and Sarnia Road) has complimentary parking between 4 pm - 7 am (please stay out of marked clinic spaces, hashlined areas and other paid spaces).
  • Consider carpooling with other students you know. Carpooling can be an easy way to keep some money in your pocket; you could save on gas and parking costs, reduce your environmental impact and hopefully have a more enjoyable commute, all at the same time.

So you have a Western Student (GNR) Permit...

Tips on how to use your parking permit like a seasoned professional:

  • Your green student permit will give you 24/7 access to all campus Green Zone lots (there may be restrictions at times for special events, flooding etc., please obey any posted signs).
  • Permit are sold by the zone, not by the lot so if your preferred lot is full, make your way to another Green Zone lot. Locations are listed on our Parking Map.
  • All of our lots on campus have signage posted at entry ways to indicate what permits have access to the lot at various times. Green permits will generally have access to some Grey and Orange zones outside of business hours. See our Lot Schedule for availability.
  • Western now has Vehicle License Plate Recognition Technology in place so you'll need to ensure your active vehicle plates are listed on your parking account AND that plates are attached to your parking permit - see our LPR page for details.
  • Hang tags should be hung from your vehicle rearview mirror - this is usually the best position for it to activate the gate. Approach the gate slowly and it should lift for you.
  • Avoid approaching the gate too quickly or having the vehicle nose under the gate before it raises - our permits work on an "anti-pass-back" system so approaching slowly will ensure smooth entry/exits.
  • Your Western ONECard acts as a back up in the event of your permit giving you trouble at the gate - simply tap your card at the gate podium and it should raise for you.
  • Please utilize intercom buttons (at all of our gates) if you experience any difficulties accessing/exiting the lot - we can troubleshoot any problems on the spot to keep you moving.
  • All lots will have certain restricted areas (hash lined areas, reserved spaces, clinic spaces, carpool spaces, tow zones etc.) which should be avoided by regular permit holders to avoid being ticketed.
  • Remember that your hang tag is not your actual permit! If you need to have parking privileges during the next academic year, remember to renew your parking permit early. We post permit sales information on our website as soon as permits are available to purchase - usually in June.
  • Western permit holders are reminded that permits are the sole responsibility of the permit holder and that parking permits/accounts are non-transferrable and are not for resale.