Parking permits required at Stanford's main campus and Stanford Redwood City

Commuters and residents are required to have a valid parking permit purchased through the online ordering system to avoid potential citations. Read our article to learn more.

For COVID-related transportation updates, please visit our Stanford Transportation COVID-19: Featured Topics page. If you are interested in learning more about your commute options as you return to campus, please refer to our Returning to Your Stanford commute page.

COVID-19: Campus zones program updates


As of Sept. 1, the Academic Campus Zone is restricted to teaching and research activities, and visitor parking is being relocated as part of Stanford’s effort to create a campus zones program. Visit Visitor Parking to be Removed from Core Campus to learn more.

If you would like updates about other Stanford Transportation programs and services, please visit our featured topics page.

For other COVID-19-related updates for the Stanford community, visit healthalerts.stanford.edu.

What is the campus zones program and how does it impact visitor parking? (Aug. 28, 2020)  

In compliance with State of California guidance, the campus zones program supports the resumption of teaching and research operations curbed by COVID-19 by establishing zones that define access to different areas of Stanford’s main campus. 

The program goes into effect as of Sept. 1, at which time visitor parking will not be available in the Academic Campus Zone. Existing visitor parking in the Academic Campus Zone will be converted to ‘A’ permit spaces for essential Stanford commuters. 

Why remove visitor parking from the Academic Campus Zone and where is it located? (Aug. 28, 2020)  

The removal of visitor parking spaces from the Academic Campus Zone is in accordance with higher education guidance from the California Department of Public Health that calls for limiting nonessential visitors. All in-person public events in the Academic Campus Zone have been canceled through the end of 2020.

The Academic Campus Zone is generally bounded by Campus Drive and Roth Way in the center of campus and includes the Main Quad and the Oval. It is reserved for teaching, research activities, and student residences and dining as part of the campus zones program.

Who can park in the Academic Campus Zone? (Aug. 28, 2020)  

As of Sept. 1, parking in the Academic Campus Zone will be restricted to Stanford departments, commuters, or residents with ‘A,’ 'C,' ‘EA,’ ‘ES,’ ‘Motorcycle,’ ‘SH,’ ‘SJ,’ ‘SO,’ ‘SV,’ or ‘WE’ permits. Those permits are not available to the general public. Stanford affiliation is required.

Will there be visitor parking in other zones? How do I purchase visitor parking? (Aug. 28, 2020)

Visitor and hourly parking will continue to be available outside the Academic Campus Zone. To pay for visitor parking, visitors must use the ParkMobile app. Pay stations and parking meters for visitor spaces have been taken offline to avoid the touching of shared surfaces that cannot be adequately disinfected throughout the day in keeping with COVID-19 safety precautions.

Customers who do not own cell phones may consider the option to purchase visitor parking in advance through a computer using the ParkMobile website. Here are instructions for creating a ParkMobile account. Please note that purchasing visitor parking in advance does not guarantee a space, so there is a risk that you are unable to find parking in the zone when you arrive. The payment is non-refundable.

How is Marguerite Shuttle service impacted by the campus zones program? (Aug. 28, 2020)

Marguerite routes and schedules are not affected by the campus zones program. Only Stanford affiliates who are approved to be in the Academic Campus Zone should continue to those stops. 

A sign is being installed at the Palo Alto Transit Center to alert Marguerite passengers of the new rules governing access to different areas of campus. For updates and safety tips about Marguerite shuttle service, please visit COVID-19: Marguerite Updates.

Are tour buses allowed on campus? (Aug. 28, 2020)

No. There is no authorized parking for tour buses. In an effort to reduce large groups coming to campus, all organized campus tours have been canceled until further notice and tour buses are not permitted to enter the campus at this time. Tour bus parking reservations have been suspended since early March and will continue to be suspended until further notice.