Stanford parking permit charges are non-refundable. Since this policy is in compliance with Internal Revenue Service tax law, it is not at our office’s discretion to make exceptions. Unless all customers canceled their active permits, we would be unable to ensure that those who do not need a parking permit (e.g., those continuing to telework full time) won't be charged. More importantly, they would be unable to receive a refund.

To fully explain, when the shelter-in-place orders were enacted in March and parking permit rates were suspended for commuters and residents, we instructed customers to cancel their parking permits. Almost all customers did so at that time.

For the smaller percentage of remaining customers who continued an active permit, they were not charged during the parking fee suspension, but would have been subject to parking permit charges as of July 1. We anticipate that there may be a percentage of customers who are unaware of their permit status or unable to take action to cancel their permits prior to charges being assessed. With this in mind, and given the non-refundable policy for permit charges, our office set any ‘A,’ ‘C,’ ‘C-SRWC,’ ‘Z,’ ‘MC,’ and resident permits that were active during the shelter-in-place orders to expire on June 30, 2020.

While there is some inconvenience for those who had permits and need them again after July 1, this is for the benefit of colleagues who may not be able to afford unnecessary parking charges at this time. In the spirit of doing what's best for those in particular financial need, we ask for your patience and understanding with the inconvenience of being asked to purchase a new permit as of July 1.