FAQs

CRI deck requires permits or payment at all times. Permit holders may park on Level 2 and above. Elsewhere, permits are currently not enforced on Saturday and Sunday with the exception of football home-game weekends; then, all vehicles must have a valid UNC Charlotte permit or display a valid game day event permit.

Yes, and every car in the carpool must be specifically registered as such with PaTS. Each carpool uses a single carpool virtual permit with multi vehicle registration. For more information about carpools, please visit the PaTS office or call 704-687-0161 for details. For those looking for carpool partners, ShareTheRideNC.org offers free carpool matching.

Motorcycles and mopeds also have permits. They can be registered alone or may be added to a multi-vehicle permit, but only one vehicle registered to that permit is allowed on campus at a time. Please call 704-687-0161 or visit the PaTS Office for further details.

Yes, all enrolled students may purchase a parking permit.

Yes. Faculty/Staff may register up to three vehicles on their account at any given time; students may register up to two. However, only one vehicle per account may be parked on campus at the same time (unless parked in a visitor parking area) and vehicle registration must comply with Parking Ordinance Section 2-1.

Yes. Parking on campus requires a permit or payment of visitor parking fees whenever the University is open (24 hours, Monday through Friday).

Parking and Transportation Services offers several permit and payment options so that you can select a permit that meets your needs and budget.

The majority of the permit proceeds and Visitor Parking fees goes toward:

• Construction of new decks
• Paying debt on existing decks
• Repairs and maintenance of all decks and lots

A small percentage is used for operations such as:

• Utilities to light the decks and lots
• Trash collection
• Cameras
• Personnel

Permit Prices

Yes. Students, faculty and staff can ride the fare-free Niner Transit bus system. The bus system operates campus wide, seven days a week, from early morning to late at night.

Niner Paratransit provides disability transport for those with mobility impairments who are registered for the service.

Yes, here’s why: if permits were sold on a one-to-one-ratio, thousands of students would be denied the privilege to park while lots and decks would sit half empty. Few students occupy a space for more than five or six hours a day. Also, not everyone has classes or works here daily. Therefore, parking spaces turn over constantly. Sure, convenient, close-in parking is at a premium during weekday hours, but so far, PaTS has managed to maintain an acceptable percentage of open spaces most of the time. That’s why drastic measures like permit sale limits and excluding first-year students from having cars have, so far, been avoided.

No one may register a vehicle not owned by that individual, their spouse, parent or guardian, or assigned to the individual by their employer (proof of employment required).

No, not unless your vehicle is registered in a state which provides both front and rear plates or if you purchase and properly install a custom front license plate from PaTS.

The LPR-readable front plate option will have your state-issued plate number printed onto a UNC Charlotte plate. Price is $20. You do not have to pay to renew the plate when your permit expires unless the state-issued rear plate number changes. To purchase a front plate, order your permit online. Then email pats@charlotte.edu with the subject, “front plate.” Be sure to state the license plate number(s) of the vehicle(s) to which you are adding the front plate(s). You will be notified by email when the option to pay for the front plate(s) is available to you in the MyPark portal.

To purchase a permit online:

• Your NinerNet login (user name and password)
• State-issued vehicle license plate number and vehicle information for the car you plan to park on campus. (This MUST be accurate. If you’re unsure of the vehicle information, please wait to register until you know.)
• Debit/credit card information

To purchase a permit in person 

• Your UNC Charlotte 49er ID
• Vehicle registration card
• If your vehicle is registered in a state other than North Carolina, proof of insurance must also be shown
• Debit/credit card information

Plan for peak times. Based upon how classes are scheduled, the highest demand for parking is Mondays through Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. with the greatest pressure on Wednesdays (highest concentration of scheduled classes). If you have classes during that time, either arrive before 9 a.m. park or plan to park around the outer edge of campus, such as the lower portion of Lot 6 (on Cameron Boulevard by Campus Edge), North or CRI decks, and take a Niner Transit bus in.

Remember these peak times when registering for classes. If you have the flexibility to take another section of a course at an off-peak time, it’s worth considering.

The primary factor that determines permit price is the cost of new deck construction and replacing flat lots with decks. It’s expensive to build and maintain new parking facilities necessary to accommodate enrollment and demand. Existing surface lots make way for new buildings; those spaces must be replaced with decks.

If you’re unable to purchase a permit before classes and permit enforcement begins, you may set up your online MyPark account and buy temporary, single-day permits for as many days as you need. Price is $8 per day. When you are ready to get an annual or semester permit visit MyPark and complete your purchase.

Log in to your MyPark account and update your vehicle information. Your virtual parking permit will then be valid for that vehicle. Vehicles associated with customer accounts must follow the guidelines stated in the Parking Ordinance Section 2-1(5).

If online access is not readily available, you can always contact our PaTS Communication Center at 704-687-0161 and they can assist with updating your account.

There are two ways to temporarily link your parking permissions to the license plate of a temporary vehicle (such as a rental car).

1. Call the PaTS Communication Center (704-687-0161) to temporarily add the vehicle to your account.
2. You may also add the temporary vehicle yourself through your MyPark account, as long as the following requirements are met:
   • The maximum number of vehicles on the account has not yet been reached;
   • The temporary vehicle is associated with the account holder as stated in Section 2-1(5) of the UNC Charlotte Parking Ordinance;
   • The temporary vehicle is not already linked to another account (if a student account).

If you’ve added the temporary vehicle information yourself, remember to remove it from your account when finished driving that vehicle. Otherwise, future parking citations/fees associated with the temporary vehicle may continue to be linked to your account.

Visitor decks and pay-by-plate parking areas are the only places where vehicles without permits may park.

Each virtual permit has corresponding permissions that assign where and when the vehicle may park. The permissions are linked to the owner’s account and verified via license plate recognition and 49er Card.

You will need to identify lots and decks that apply to your type of permit –  resident, commuter and faculty/staff. You may park anywhere within those lots; spots are first-come, first-served. Lots and decks are located throughout campus, but you may not be able to park as close to your classes or destination as you want to. You should plan ahead and allow yourself time to find a spot during high traffic times. 

For commuters, parking further out in lots like North Deck and CRI Deck will allow you to find a spot easily and quickly. Then you can hop on Niner Transit and ride to your destination. 

View the campus parking map.

Parking credentials may be purchased online or in the PaTS Office (#92 on campus map).

Yes, that’s expected, unless/until demand for parking on campus decreases significantly.

Yes. All of our transit buses are equipped with wheelchair lifts and seating areas with wheelchair restraints.  Please let us know of any special needs or accommodations when requesting the charter.

No. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted.  

No. All of our vehicles are non-smoking.

Food is permitted on the bus as long as it remains sealed or packaged for transport. Drinks are permitted on the bus as long as they are in a container that can be sealed (i.e., bottle with screw cap).  

Campus tour guides are not provided or scheduled through Parking and Transportation Services and are the responsibility of the scheduling group. Due to safety reasons, vehicle operators cannot act as campus tour guides while driving.

Our transit charters will generally travel anywhere within a twenty (20) mile radius of the UNC Charlotte main campus. If your trip requires travel further from campus, we can assist with motor coach charters. Please contact our office at 704-687-0271 or email charterbus@charlotte.edu for details.

As soon as you are aware of any changes you need to make, please contact our office. If greater than 48 hours from your charter, please email your changes to charterbus@charlotte.edu.  If less than 48 hours from the charter, please call 704-687-0271. As long as the driver has not already been dispatched, we can make the changes for you in most cases without penalty. Drivers are typically dispatched approximately two (2) hours or more prior to the trip depending on the pick-up time and location.

Normally three (3) to six (6) months in advance is recommended. However, we will accept reservations up to a week before your trip (based on availability).

Wi-Fi is available for an additional fee and must be requested when booking your reservation.    

Transit charters may be canceled up to seven (7) days before your scheduled trip without penalty.

You can meet your bus outside of baggage claim area D across from passenger vehicle pick-up. Please note that airport security will not permit the bus to sit at the pickup location unless the entire group is ready to load. Therefore, the group should not call for the bus until the entire group is waiting outside of baggage claim area D with all of their luggage.  

Lime e-scooters require a quick kick to get started. Plant your foot and give it a couple pushes before hitting the throttle with your right hand. 

You must return your e-scooter to one of the designated e-scooter hubs. If you park outside of our service area (marked with a red outline in the app), you may be charged an out-of-system fee.

Based on the type of permit you buy, parking privileges are assigned to your vehicle license plate information and to your 49er ID.

Equipment installed at decks and lots will scan your plate as you enter. If there is a gate, it will be signaled to lift. In lots without gates, the system recognizes vehicles with virtual permits; enforcement is alerted when cars are parked without permission.

No, not unless your vehicle is registered in a state which provides both front and rear plates or if you purchase and properly install a custom front license plate from PaTS. Permits are verified through license plate recognition (LPR). LPR requires a clear license plate view from the drive lane. If you wish to back in, you may purchase an alternative front plate from PaTS for $20. 

To purchase a front plate, order your permit online. Then email pats@charlotte.edu with the subject, “front plate.” Be sure to state the license plate number(s) of the vehicle(s) to which you are adding the front plate(s). You will be notified by email when the option to pay for the front plate(s) is available to you in the MyPark portal. All vehicle plates must be properly mounted using the vehicle manufacturer’s mounting location.

If the camera can’t get a good picture of the license plate, it won’t be able to read it. Don’t worry, though – you’ll still be able to park. If you have a virtual permit and are parking in a gated area appropriate to your permit, tap your 49er ID on the equipment column, hold it there until it beeps, and the gate will open.

The camera reads plates based on basic attributes such as reflectivity, size, position, and contrast. Harder to read plates include:

• plates with red characters
• temporary card stock plates
• damaged, dirty, crooked, or obstructed plates
• specialty plates with images or vertically stacked characters
• motorcycles and mopeds
• plates on unusually high vehicles

In these cases, your 49er ID serves as a secondary credential to access parking, so remember to keep it handy.

According to North Carolina law, the University is only allowed to retain 20% of the money collected from parking citations. The remaining 80% must be remitted to the state to support local public schools (elementary, middle and high schools).

The 20% that UNC Charlotte is allowed to keep is earmarked to cover operating costs for citation collections. Unfortunately, the cost of the enforcement and collections program significantly exceeds this amount.

The permit holder is responsible for any violations that occur while the car is parked on campus.

For short-term loading/unloading, call 704-687-0161 (PaTS Call Center) to request permission and to provide vehicle information and location. You may be given 15 minutes and will be asked to have a licensed driver attend your vehicle.

Permission for short-term loading or unloading should be requested and granted before exiting the vehicle.

An appeal must be filed within ten (10) business days through your MyPark account or in person at the PaTS office. Please allow 24 hours from time of issuance to file appeal. All appeals are read and considered; decisions are emailed.

Examples of seldom-granted appeals

Parking permits are required at all times. Pay-by-plate parking requires payment at all times through Parkmobile. All “Reserved” spaces, as well as ADA spaces, are enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

PaTS has the authority to boot or tow a vehicle if citations total four (4) or more, if the combination of unpaid deck vouchers and citations totals seven (7) or more, or if unpaid fees or fines is $250 or more. In those cases, parking privileges are revoked and the vehicle is on a Tow List until the account is cleared.

Items found and turned in are sent to the Charlotte Transportation Center on a daily basis and cataloged. To claim a lost item, visit the CATS Customer Service office located in pavilion A at the Charlotte Transportation Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday or call 704-336-RIDE (7433).

Items turned in that are not lawfully claimed within 30 days will become property of the City of Charlotte and may be disposed of by law.

Belongings left on Niner Transit buses and Paratransit vehicles are turned into Police and Public Safety office. Contact 704-687-5636 or police@charlotte.edu.