Student

Student Parking Overview

• Commuter and non-commuter (residential) permits are sold for specific “zoned” lots under a tiered pricing structure.
• Parking permits are sold by academic classification with graduate students and seniors having the first opportunities, followed by juniors, sophomores, and freshmen students. Non-commuter permits for first-year students will be very limited and sold separately through a randomized selection process. Note: For parking permit purposes, all first-year students are considered freshmen regardless of credit hours earned.
• Zones in the core of campus are more expensive than intermediate and remote lots. Location of lots for each permit type can be viewed on the interactive campus map.
• Commuter permits are valid from 5 a.m. until 2 a.m. No overnight parking is permitted in commuter areas.
• During regular school hours, permits are only valid in assigned zones (ex. core permits may only be used in core areas). After 5 p.m., all student permits are valid in any commuter or unreserved staff space until 2 a.m.
• The addition of more than 1,000 hourly mobile-pay parking spaces throughout campus provide flexibility on days you need more access to campus.

Students are encouraged to park once and ride the T to their final destination. With a fleet of 34 buses, 11 fixed routes, and on-demand accessible transportation, the T transit system is a free service designed to help students move around campus safely and efficiently. Visit parking.utk.edu/transit for information regarding free T bus routes and the hours of operation.

Fall 2025 Permit Sale Dates

• Wednesday, July 2: Graduate Students
• Monday, July 7: Seniors (90+ credit hours)
• Friday, July 11: Juniors (60-89 credit hours)
• Thursday, July 17: Sophomores (30-59 credit hours)
• Thursday, July 24: Transfer Students (all credit hours)
• Tuesday, July 29: First-Year Students

Accessible Parking

• Accessible parking permits are available to students throughout the year.
• Information about acquiring an accessible parking permit is available online.

Commuter Park and Ride Permits

• Available to commuters at the discounted rate of $99 annually.
• The Park and Ride lot is located in Garage B at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum and is available weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
• The Park and Ride lot is serviced by dedicated T bus shuttles, which will run every 10 minutes to bring permit holders to the campus transfer point at Gate 21 of Neyland Stadium.
• Students choosing to utilize the Park and Ride permit are permitted to park on campus in any unreserved staff or commuter space on weekdays after 5 p.m., excluding special events.

Non-Commuter Park and Ride Permits

• Non-Commuter Park and Ride lots are located off campus and serviced by the T bus.
• Lot locations: Safety City (165 S Concord St, Knoxville, TN 37919) and Sevier Heights Church (3140 Maloney Rd, Knoxville, TN 37920)

• Safety City is serviced by the Cherokee Mills route, which runs every 12-15 minutes from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. Sevier Heights is located on the Off-Campus route, which operates every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and every hour from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekends.

• Students needing to access their vehicle outside of those hours should call the T: Link for on-demand service.
• Information on requesting a T: Link is available online. 

First-Year Residential/Non-Commuter Parking

• Non-commuter parking is very limited. First-year students living on campus are encouraged not to bring a car.
• Remote parking will be available to first-year students, but not all first-year students who want to bring a car will receive a permit.
• A randomized selection process for the opportunity to purchase a non-commuter permit was held for first-year students who had confirmed their enrollment and completed a housing application.
• The randomized selection process for first-year non-commuter permits opened on Mon., March 17 and closed at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, May 16. 
• First-year students were notified of the results from the randomized selection process on Tuesday, May 27.
• 800 students were selected to purchase a permit, while an additional 200 students were added to a waiting list.
• More information on getting around Knoxville without a personal vehicle can be found online.

First-Year Commuter Parking

• First-year commuters will be the last group allowed to purchase parking permits and will likely only have access to remote or Park and Ride permits.
• Permit sales will open to first-year commuters in late July. Further communications will be sent via email and Vol Update.
• First-year students commuting from the primary residence of a parent or legal guardian may apply for an exemption from the first-year residency requirement within the University Housing Portal.

Permit-to-Space Ratios

• Commuter Core: 1.4
• Commuter Intermediate: 1.7
• Commuter Remote: 1.7
• Commuter Park and Ride: 1.7
• Non-commuter Core: 1.0
• Non-commuter Remote: 1.0
• Non-commuter Park and Ride: 1.0

Permit Prices