Where can I park?

IU Parking Operations Director Doug Porter has one tip for students to avoid tickets on campus: don’t gamble.

In other words, if you’re not sure if you can park in that spot, don’t do it. We’re here to help you navigate the sometimes murky waters of on- and off-campus parking.

On campus
Permits
There are thousands of parking spots on campus and five different zones of permits. Knowing where your permit allows you to park and at what time can help you avoid a hefty ticket.

A Permit
Eligibility: Faculty and staff
Where you can park: Any A, C or E spot.

C Permit
Eligibility: Faculty, staff and research assistants
Where you can park: Any designated C spot.

D Permit
Eligibility: Students living in residence halls
Where you can park: Designated D spaces, zoned depending on residence hall.

E Permit
Eligibility: All students, faculty and staff
Where you can park: The most popular location for E permits is Memorial Stadium. A few additional E spots are located east of the bypass behind the Cyberinfrastructure Building. Cars must be moved from Memorial Stadium the day before home games.

F Permit
Eligibility: All students, faculty and staff
Where you can park: Any non-24-hour space, but only after 5 p.m. or on weekends.

No permit
Where you can park: Any vehicle may park in any D or E zone from 5 p.m. Friday through 11 p.m. Sunday, with or without a valid permit unless posted otherwise. Parking is free in all garages on Saturdays and Sundays.

If you need to park on campus during the day without a permit, try one of the many garages. The Indiana Memorial Union pay lots are the cheapest, and you get a 60 percent discount if you present a receipt from the IMU.

Tip: If you know you’ll be on campus all day and want your car to drive home, park in one of the garages. You’ll get ticketed if you leave your car in the garage overnight, except on weekends, but wait until closing time, which ranges from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., to get your car out for free.

Common tickets
Expired meter: $25
Fire lane: $40
Handicapped zone: $100
No parking zone: $40
Invalid or no permit: $40

Parking operations can issue tickets if your tires are touching the white lines, so be sure to pull into the spot straight to avoid a $40 ticket.

CampusProwler is an online student ranking service. They ranked IU on parking ease in the following categories.

CampusProwler grade: C
Parking enforcement: 6/10
Distance from dorms: 5.8/10
Distance from class: 4/10
Permit cost: 3.6/10
Ease of finding a spot: 3.5/10

Off campus
The cheapest and easiest option for parking off-campus is to buy a residential permit for $25. If you choose a house outside the residential parking limits, you can park for free, but if you score a place close enough to campus, there’s a chance you’re not eligible for a permit.

First, check the parking zone map at bloomington.in.gov.

Neighborhood Parking Zone
There are 10 neighborhood parking zones in Bloomington, and your permit is only good for the zone in which you live. To apply for a permit, you must provide proof of residency, a current lease and current vehicle registration. Each address is eligible for one visitor’s permit for $25.

Business District
Congratulations for scoring an apartment on Kirkwood Avenue, but if you didn’t ask about parking when signing a lease, your options are limited. Check with the City of Bloomington Parking Services for permit availability. Permits are available for some downtown lots and garages, such as the lot at East Sixth St and North Lincoln Street, on a very limited basis.

Many local businesses are willing to lease spaces, but expect to pay upward of $70 a month. Check Craigslist to get started.

Free parking
Short-term parking is available in downtown Bloomington in 15-minute to 2-hour intervals. You can park on a single block for only one time period per day, and this means either side of the street. Downtown parking is generally free on weekends, but some spots closer to the square are monitored Saturday mornings. Check the sign before leaving your car.

Free parking is also available on certain streets outside of downtown and neighborhood residential zones. Check out the maps on bloomington.in.gov/parking to find these locations.