Applications for the upcoming 2025-26 parking year are now open. May 23 is the early consideration deadline for reserved stall and department limited, service, and vendor parking permit applications.
Applications submitted after May 23 will be accepted and processed in later rounds of parking offers. Permit and reserved stall availability may become limited after the early consideration deadline.
2025-26 parking permits and reserved stalls will be valid from September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026.
For current rates, visit the rates page.
Ready to apply?
Department Limited and Service Permit Application
Department Reserved Stall Application
Learn more about department and vendor permits
- Department limited, service, and vendor permits: what are they?
- Eligibility and restrictions for department limited and service permits
- Department reserved stalls: what are they?
- Funding information for UW departments and affiliates
Department limited, service, and vendor permits: what are they?
Department limited permits are lot-specific parking permits for departments and eligible UW-affiliated departments to manage business-related parking needs.
Examples of department limited permit usage include parking a vehicle owned by the department, or providing parking to department guests.
Vehicles displaying a department limited permit may park in any unreserved (unsigned) permit parking stall in the permit’s assigned lot.
Service permits are available to UW departments and eligible UW-affiliated departments for parking needs related to running errands across the university. They are for occasional, short-term parking for business purposes in service/vendor stalls only.
Examples of acceptable service permit usage include attending meetings or trainings; conducting business in different areas of campus; or delivering items across campus.
Service permits are only valid in designated service/vendor stalls in lots across campus. They are not valid in unreserved (unsigned) permit parking stalls, timed parking stalls, UW Accessible stalls, or reserved parking stalls.
UW employees who also have their own personal permit—such as a base lot or Flex permit—must be in paid status while parked with a service permit.
Vendor permits are for eligible UW affiliated departments, commercial businesses, and private organizations who need occasional, short-term parking to conduct official university business.
Vendor permits are only valid in designated service/vendor stalls in lots across campus. They are not valid in unreserved (unsigned) permit parking stalls, timed parking stalls, UW Accessible stalls, or reserved parking stalls.
UW departments and affiliates should monitor the use of their service and vendor permits to make sure users are not parked for long periods in one area of campus. In these scenarios, the department limited permit could be a better option.
Not sure which permit is right for your group? Try the permit selection guide.
Eligibility and restrictions for department limited and service permits
Eligible university affiliates include the Wisconsin State Historical Society; UW Hospital and Clinics; UW Foundation; Alumni Association; System Administration; University Research Park; and WARF (Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation).
Department limited and service permits cannot be purchased and used by faculty, staff, or students for regular daily parking of a personal vehicle or for employees to park closer to an office building than a regular base lot assignment.
Department limited and service permits are valid for work-related purposes only. Permits are not valid in lots reserved for special events.
By displaying a department limited or service permit, users agree to abide by all university parking rules and regulations when parked on campus.
For the full department limited and service/vendor policies, visit the transportation policies webpage.
Department reserved stalls: what are they?
UW–Madison departments and affiliates may request a parking stall that is reserved in a specific lot 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to meet business needs.
Examples of reserved stall uses include: departments providing dedicated parking for office visitors; campus clinics providing patient parking. Transportation Services provides annual or temporary permits to help the department manage their reserved stall(s).
If vehicles are parked illegally in a reserved stall, Transportation Services will provide enforcement services upon request.
Funding information for UW departments and affiliates
2025-26 department limited, service, and vendor permits and reserved stalls will be charged as an expense against fiscal year 2026 and may not be paid for prior to July 1, 2025.
UW departments are required to use a TS number/Cost Center for departmental permit purchases. TS numbers may be reused from year to year if the funding string is still active. New cost center TS numbers may be set up at the FP&M Financial Management Portal.
UW Hospital and Clinics departments should contact their procurement department for TS number assistance.
More information
Learn more about the permit application process for departments and vendors.
For additional questions, please contact Transportation Services.