Parking and Permits - Visitors & Events

Vehicles may be registered on the Michigan Tech Parking Portal or by bringing your vehicle registration to our office in the Administration Building, Room 100.

Required vehicle registration information:

• VIN
• License Plate Number/State
• Vehicle Make/Model/Style
• Year
• Color

Any vehicle(s) that you register on campus will make you the responsible party for all notices, parking fees, citations, or towing expenses that the vehicle may incur while it is registered in your name.

PLEASE NOTE: Per the State of Michigan Secretary of State - License plate digits with a "0" in it will always use the number zero (not the letter "O").  Although other states may accept and use the letter "O", we abide by State of Michigan law.

There are several physical parking meters located across campus, conveniently placed near popular buildings for visitor access. Meters accept quarters and can be paid in 15-minute increments at a rate of $0.25 per 15 minutes.

ParkMobile payments are not accepted at physical parking meters.

Click here to view a map of the meter locations.

Transportation Services has partnered with the ParkMobile parking app to accept digital parking payments on campus. The free to download ParkMobile app can be obtained at both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

Don't have a smart phone? You can park and pay by calling ParkMobile at 877-727-5457 to start a digital parking session.

ParkMobile Rates	Price	Notes
Each 15 min.	$0.25	Can be paid up to 9 hours
Processing Fee	$0.45	Per transaction

Most ParkMobile zones are enforced Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with the exception of the areas in the row below. For a list of ParkMobile locations on campus, click here.

Due to feedback from students and visitors, we established select ParkMobile zones that are available for parking and payment 24 hours a day, and that includes during the winter Night-Parking Ban.

Designated 24 hour ParkMobile zones include:

• Lot 4 Hillside ParkMobile Zone 19010
• Upper & Lower Daniell Heights ParkMobile Zone 19018
• Visitor Pay Lot 19 ParkMobile Zone 19014

ParkMobile Rates	Price	Notes
Each 15 min.	$0.25	Can be paid up to 9 hours
Processing Fee	$0.45	Per transaction

Daily and Weekly parking permits are available for purchase at the Transportation Services office during regular business hours or they can be purchased 24 hours a day online at the Parking Portal.

Visitor Permit	Price	Notes
Daily	$6.00	Valid for 24 hours
Weekly	$24.00	Valid for 7 days

Daily and Weekly Visitor Parking Permits are valid Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at any parking meter, all visitor lots/ParkMobile zones (with the exception of Lot 19*), Lot 22, Lot 24, and Lot 95. *Lot 19 is by ParkMobile payment only. Permits are not valid in Lot 19.

Parking permits are not required after 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, weekends, or for overnight parking outside of the Winter Night-Parking Ban (May 1st to Oct 31st). 

Daily and Weekly Visitor Parking Permits are required and valid in the following locations for overnight parking during the Winter Night-Parking Ban (Nov 1st to Apr 30th):

• Lot 24 - Near the Student Development Complex (SDC)
• Upper and Lower Daniell Heights Visitor Parking Areas
• Lot 4 Hillside ParkMobile zone

Parking on campus outside of the designated areas overnight during the Winter Night-Parking Ban will result in a citation of $25.

University departments frequently host visitors, guests, or hold events that require proper parking permits. Daily or weekly permits can be conveniently arranged by contacting Transportation Services.

Simply send an email to parking@mtu.edu with the following information:

1. What kind of permit? Daily or Weekly
2. Quantity
3. Index Number to charge the permits to
4. Delivery method? Campus Mail or pick up

Visitor Permit	Price	Notes
Daily	$6.00	Valid for 24 hours
Weekly	$24.00	Valid for 7 days

Daily and Weekly Visitor Parking Permits are valid Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at any parking meter, all visitor lots/ParkMobile zones (with the exception of Lot 19*), Lot 22, Lot 24, and Lot 95. *Lot 19 is by ParkMobile payment only. Permits are not valid in Lot 19.

All Contractors and Vendors are required to have a properly registered vehicle(s) and valid permit to park on campus.

Company-marked vehicles may be issued a limited number of permits for use across campus or for a specific job site. Your Michigan Tech contact will determine whether the permit should be short-term and job-specific or issued for an annual, recurring duration.

Contractor and Vendor employees bringing their personal vehicles to campus may park at no cost in the southernmost row of Lot 24 near the SDC. If parking on the main campus is required, a valid visitor permit must be purchased, or parking must be paid for at a meter or within a ParkMobile zone.

Contractors and Vendors who have already been approved by a Michigan Tech contact may complete the Contractor/Vendor Permit Request Form.

Contractors and Vendors are required to contact Transportation Services at 906-487-1441 to request any special circumstances that include but are not limited to:

• Creation of specific job sites or work zones
• Parking lot closures or partial closures
• Equipment parking and storage
• Sidewalk or lawn parking
• Long-term loading dock parking
• Overnight accommodations
• Roadway or partial roadway closures
• Blocking off of any marked parking spaces

Project walk-throughs still require proper parking. If you are a Contractor or Vendor with a valid permit, you may park accordingly per your permit instructions, but if you are a new Contractor or Vendor to campus or you no longer have a valid permit, a valid visitor permit must be purchased, or parking must be paid for at a meter or within a ParkMobile zone.

More information regarding Contractor and Vendor parking can be found within the Contractor/Vendor Parking Policy.

Designated accessible parking spaces are available to drivers who possess a valid state-issued disability parking placard or license plate. In the State of Michigan an accessibility placard or license plate is issued by the Secretary of State after submitting a Disability Parking Placard Application. View the State of Michigan's regulations for disability parking. 

• Per State of Michigan Law - "Privately owned parking lots and garages are not required to provide free parking."
  • A valid Michigan Tech Parking Permit and a valid state-issued handicap placard or license plate is required to park in the handicap spaces within the parking lots on campus. You may park in any handicap space on campus with a valid MTU permit and valid placard/license plate.
    • Parking in a handicap space within the parking lots on campus without a MTU permit is authorized with a state-issued "Free Parking" sticker attached to your valid placard or license plate.
  • A Michigan Tech Parking Permit is not required to park in the handicap spaces within the visitor areas on campus, although a valid state-issued handicap placard or license plate is still required.  Handicap spaces in the visitor areas are first come-first serve. Visitor Handicap Parking is located in the following areas:
    • Admin Visitor
    • Cliff Drive
    • College Avenue
    • Forestry
    • Hamar House
    • Hubbell Street
    • Houghton Avenue
    • MUB Circle
    • Phoenix Drive
    • Student Development Complex
    • Visitor Lot

Although visitor areas require payment on ParkMobile, Handicap parking is complimentary and you are not required to purchase a parking session.

Bicycles park free. Register your bicycle by submitting the online form—just provide make, model, color, and serial number.  You will receive a registration decal in the mail.  Please contact Public Safety and Police Services at 906-487-2216 if you have any questions.

For more information about biking on campus, please visit the Campus Bike Initiative website.

Registration

Visitor's, Contractor's, or Vendor's vehicles must be registered within 48 hours upon arrival on campus.  Contractors or Vendors may register as many vehicles owned by the company as long as the vehicle(s) you have on campus for the day is displaying a permit.

Campus Area

These regulations apply to all University property, including the main Houghton campus, Daniell Heights Apartments, Lakeshore Center, Portage Lake Golf Course, Mont Ripley, the Ford Forestry Center, the Michigan Tech Alumni Center, the Mineral Museum, the Keweenaw Research Center, the Alternative Energy Research Building (AERB) and the Tech Trails.

Insurance

The University does not accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, any vehicle or the content thereof.  It is recommended that owners carry personal insurance to cover such losses.

Abandoned Vehicles

No vehicle is to be abandoned on campus.  A fine, plus towing costs, will be imposed on the owner of record if abandonment occurs. Vehicles without proper plates or parked for 48 hours or more in prohibited areas will be considered abandoned.

Prohibited Vehicles

Hot rods, drag-strip racers, modified stock cars, or other unconventional vehicles (except bicycles, motor-driven cycles, or motorcycles) are not allowed on campus. Vehicles must be licensed and street legal to be on campus property.

Vehicle Maintenance

All vehicles must be in good operating condition.  No major repairs will be permitted on roads or in any parking areas on campus. Disabled vehicles must be towed from campus.

Selling of Vehicles

Parking a vehicle on campus in a manner that suggests it is being offered for sale is prohibited. Vehicles displaying advertising materials, posters, or “for sale” signs while parked on campus are not allowed.

Speed Limit

The speed limit is 25 miles per hour on campus roads, unless otherwise posted (e.g. 15 mph throughout Daniell Heights).

Permit Placement

1. Hanging Permits must be displayed from the rear view mirror displayed towards the front of the vehicle.
2. If a visitor permit was purchased on the Parking Portal and printed out, you must display the permit on your left (drivers side) dashboard.
3. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that the permit is visible at all times. 

Lost or Stolen Permits

• Lost visitor permits cannot be replaced. You will have to purchase another permit.
• Contractors or Vendors who lose a permit are required to purchase an additional permit at the rate of $50 or prorated price (whichever is less) or risk being ticketed.
• A police report from a law enforcement agency where you believe the permit was stolen from is required when reporting a stolen permit. There is no charge for the replacement of a stolen permit with a submitted police report.

Effective November 1–April 30 between the hours of 2 a.m. & 7 a.m.

Parking is prohibited on all campus streets and roadways and within all parking lots with the exception of Residential parking lots.

Overnight Parking Accommodations during the parking ban
As a visitor, if you need accommodations to park on campus for overnight, please contact Public Safety and Police Services at 906-487-2216 to request additional time on campus.  If granted, you will be assigned an area to park within an approved location.  If you don't have a valid permit you will be required to pay a meter with quarters or on the mobile phone app ParkMobile beginning at 2 a.m. and for the duration of your stay, or have a daily permit to avoid any citations.