Annual parking zone assignments for the 2026–27 academic year are now available to eligible faculty, staff and postdoctoral scholars who participated in Parking Open Enrollment in early June.
More than 3,300 employees participated in the inaugural Open Enrollment as Vanderbilt Parking and Commuter Services prepares to activate its new parking zone program on August 24. Over 90% of employees received their first-choice parking zone, while 96% received either their first or second choice.
How to find your zone assignment
Annual parking zone assignments were distributed via email from Vanderbilt Parking and Commuter Services at 8 a.m. on Monday, July 6.
Review your Vanderbilt email inbox for your assigned parking zone and instructions to purchase your permit. You may also log in to the parking portal to view your zone assignment and complete your purchase.
Action needed: Purchase permit by July 30
Assigned parking zone permits are available for purchase through the parking portal during the employee purchase period: July 6–30, 2026.
A permit in your assigned zone is reserved for you through July 30. To secure your permit, you must complete your purchase by the end of the purchase period, June 30, 11:59 p.m.
Purchase permit here.
Interested in a different parking zone?
Individuals interested in an annual parking zone different from the one they were assigned have two options:
Purchase the assigned permit and join a waitlist immediately.
During the purchase process, you may join waitlists for other zones. If space becomes available, you will be notified and may choose whether to accept the new assignment and be reassigned.
Opt out of purchasing your assigned permit and join a waitlist later.
Waitlists on the parking portal open on August 7 for those who opted not to purchase their initial assigned zone permit.
Key dates for eligible Open Enrollment participants
- July 6–30: Employee permit purchase period (waitlist available for those who purchase)
- August 7: Waitlists open for those who opted not to purchase the assigned permit
- August 23: Last day of current parking arrangements
- August 24: New parking zone program takes effect
Employees who did not participate in Open Enrollment
Daily parking remains an option to the community, including employees who did not participate in Parking Open Enrollment.
Eligible faculty, staff and postdoctoral scholars who did not participate in Open Enrollment may purchase an annual parking permit beginning August 7; location is subject to availability.
Why this change is happening
Over the past year, Parking and Commuter Services leadership has explored opportunities to evolve and better meet today’s campus needs. This work was informed by formal and informal community feedback, engagement with campus partners and a review of peer institutions and comparable environments.
These data-driven solutions to moving to and around campus were guided by a few key priorities: creating a more predictable parking experience, maintaining flexibility to support a range of campus needs and making the system easier to navigate for both new and returning community members. Ultimately, the goal is to better align movement to and across campus with use, while improving access and reducing congestion in high-demand areas.
We recognize that changes like this take time to adjust to and remain committed to evaluating the implementation of the new parking program. Thank you for your participation and partnership as we implement Vanderbilt’s new parking program. We appreciate your patience throughout this transition and look forward to providing a more predictable, transparent and equitable parking experience for our community.
More information
Visit the Parking and Commuter Services website for parking maps, zone information, FAQs, permit details and commuting resources.