Parking Locations and Policies
Students, professional staff, faculty, and visitors who wish to park on the Portland or Biddeford campuses must display a parking permit. Students with vehicles should register them with the . Enter “51” in the Permit Store search bar for a variety of parking choices. Temporary parking permits are furnished to guests of the University and part-time employees.
Click the image to enlarge the map
Click the image to enlarge the map
Snow Events
The following maps are utilized during Biddeford campus snow events. The director of Facilities will send a community email at least 24 hours prior to the implementation of any of these maps. The snow plan may be in effect for multiple days depending on the timing of the storm. The lot closure times are 9 p.m. for all red lots and 11 p.m. for the yellow Forum lot (#29). The school closed map (PDF) is essentially the same map, but the red lot closure times go into effect immediately upon school closing. The only parking lots open during a school closure are residential lots and half of the Campus Center lot (#13) closest to the athletic fields. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the Office of Safety and Security at 602-2298.
Snow Event Maps
Parking Policies
Parking Permits
All students, faculty, and professional staff parking on university property must display a valid, current university parking permit decal that is appropriate for the lot and space in which they must be parked.
No motor vehicle (as defined by Maine State Law) may be parked on campus without a current year parking decal or temporary parking pass. Permits expire on the last day of August each year, and new, current permits must be displayed by September 1. All permit decals issued must be displayed clearly on the window of the issued vehicle, except virtual permits where no permit decal is issued.
Portland Faculty/Staff (Free)- Valid for:
- Portland on-campus parking lots (#2, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9),
- Portland satellite parking lots (#1 and #10)
- Bishop Street Lot (#11).
- All parking lots in Biddeford.
Portland Commuter ($120)- Valid for:
- Portland on-campus parking lots (#2, #5, #6, #7, #8, and #9)
- Portland satellite parking lots (#1 and #10)
- Bishop Street Lot (#11).
- Commuter and Resident Lots on the Biddeford Campus.
Portland Satellite ($25) – Valid for:
- Portland satellite parking lots (#1 and #10).
- Bishop Street Lot (#11).
- *Portland on-campus parking lots (#2, #5, #6, #7, #8, and #9) after 5 p.m.–7 a.m. weekdays and all day on weekends.
- **Lot #29-Forum on the Biddeford Campus.
Portland Bishop St (Free) – Valid for:
- Bishop Street Lot (#11)
- *Portland on-campus parking lots (#2, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9) after 5 p.m.–7 a.m. weekdays and all day on weekends.
- **Lot #29-Forum on the Biddeford Campus.
Overnight parking on the Portland campus is not permitted without prior authorization from the Office of Safety and Security. Sleeping or camping in a vehicle on campus is not permitted.
Biddeford Faculty/Staff (Free) – Valid for:
- All Biddeford and Portland parking lots
- Biddeford Resident ($410) – Valid for:
- Resident parking lots (#9, #14, #16, #18, #21, #22, #23, #25, #28, and #29)
- *Lot #11 Bishop St.
- *Portland on-campus parking lots (#2, #5, #6, #7, #8, and #9) after 5 p.m.–7 a.m. weekdays and all day on weekends.
Biddeford Commuter ($120) – Valid for:
- All Commuter lots in Biddeford (#7, #8, #11, #13)
- Resident lots (#9, #14, #16, #18, #21, #22, #23, #25, #28, and #29).
- Lot #11 Bishop Street lot.
- Commuter lots on the Portland Campus (#2, #5, #6, #7, #8, and #9).
Sleeping or camping in a vehicle on the Biddeford campus is not permitted.
Reserved parking permits are issued by approval of the Office of the President and are permitted to utilize designated reserved parking spots as well as all parking lots in Biddeford and Portland, except for specially designated parking spaces (EV, patient, etc.), which may require a separate permit or designation.
Motorcycle permits are available as a virtual supplemental permit for the months of May 1–October 31 by contacting the Office of Safety and Security. Due to being a virtual permit, no window decal will be mailed. The permit will be issued per motorcycle/scooter free of cost as a supplemental to a Faculty/Staff, Commuter or Residential permit. Residential motorcycle permits are only permitted to park in residential parking lots. Motorcycles must be in a designated parking space. If a motorcycle is found in a non-parking space, it will be subject to ticketing. Faculty/Staff and Students on the Portland campus who wish to drive a motorcycle to campus, must park in the location in which their vehicle permit is issued. Those that have received a free Bishop Street permit for their vehicle, must park the motorcycle in the Bishop Lot, Monday–Friday from 7 a.m. –5 p.m.
For the 2025–2026 academic year, an Electric Vehicle (EV) add-on decal is a supplemental decal for anyone with an EV plug-in vehicle that will be utilizing an EV designated space on the Biddeford or Portland campuses. The owner of an electric vehicle must obtain a Faculty/Staff, Commuter or Resident permit based on their eligibility, along with the EV add-on decal to use the designated EV parking on campus. Use of charging stations must be in the lot(s) in which the vehicles permit is issued, unless otherwise stated in this policy. Parking in unapproved lots may result in ticketing. Any vehicle parked in an EV spot without the EV add-on decal or parking long term in an EV space will be subject to ticketing and/or towing at the owner’s expense.
- Biddeford EV add-on decal: $40
- Portland EV add-on decal: $100
The cost of the EV add-on decals were determined based on a comprehensive analysis by the 51 Transportation Committee and recommendations from the Office of Sustainability.
A virtual summer permit for summer 2026 will be implemented for any faculty/staff, or student living or working on campus that does not have a parking permit from the 2025–2026 academic year. Due to being a virtual permit, no window decal will be mailed. This free permit is to assist the Office of Safety and Security with identifying any vehicles parked on campus for legitimate purposes and to be able to contact the owner in the event of an emergency or other situation that may require the vehicle moved. This virtual permit is valid for the Biddeford and Portland campuses and expires on August 31, 2026, when the 2026–2027 permits become valid. Virtual summer permits allow the operator to park in any residential or commuter lot in Biddeford and Portland.
Any vehicle with a valid handicap license plate or temporary placard from any state is permitted to park on the Biddeford or Portland campus in any designated handicap space or other valid parking space that provides accessibility to their destination if a handicap space is unavailable. The vehicle with the handicap plate or temporary placard must be operated by the person the handicap designation is issued, or be actively transporting the person that the handicap designation is issued. Anyone unlawfully using a handicap placard or using an expired or altered temporary placard is subject to a fine in the amount of $100 by 51 and may be subject to additional fines from local law enforcement.
Any employee or student with a permanent handicap registration is eligible for a free 51 parking permit (faculty/staff or student), upon providing proof eligibility to the Office of Safety and Security. Temporary handicap placards with an expiration date are not eligible for a free permit, but will be able to park on campus without a permit while the placard is valid. After the expiration date of the placard, the faculty/staff or student must obtain a current year parking permit.
Students that are injured or have a verifiable medical condition may be approved for a temporary permit through Student Health (Biddeford or Portland) or Athletic Training (Biddeford) and issued by the Office of Safety and Security to utilize on campus handicap spaces on campus only. Students requesting temporary handicap permission must make an appointment with Student Health prior to being issued a temporary handicap parking pass. Faculty/Staff that require temporary handicap accommodations (medical, pregnancy, etc.) must first contact Human Resources for approval.
Any faculty/staff/commuter student that wishes to utilize the designated carpool spaces on the Biddeford or Portland campus must have a valid 2025–2026 parking permit for the vehicle and obtain a hang tag from the Office of Safety and Security on either campus. Once a hang tag has been issued, to use a carpool space between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., there must be at least two occupants in the vehicle (one driver and one passenger). Any violations of this will result in ticketing in the amount of $50 per incident. Carpool hang tags cannot be transferred or used on any other vehicle and must be displayed while utilizing a carpool space. If there are no available carpool spaces, the driver must park in the appropriate location for their permit. Bishop, Satellite and Resident permits are not eligible for a carpool hang tag.
Temporary one-day or conference parking passes for university departments or colleges are available upon approval from the Office of Safety and Security by submitting an online request.
- One-day parking passes for non-51 affiliated guest lecturers or visitors must be submitted at least 48 hours prior to the date the parking pass is requested for via online submission. ()
- Conference parking (more than 5 vehicles) must be submitted for approval to the director or associate director of the Office of Safety and Security no less than 30 days prior to the event.
- Parking Reservations for conferences or special events must be submitted for approval to the director or associate director of the Office of Safety and Security at least 30 days in advance and are limited to overflow parking lots (Lot #29-Forum in Biddeford or Lot #11-Bishop Street in Portland). Requests for parking reservations in other locations will be considered based on date requested, time of day and availability.
Requests for one-day, conference or parking reservations after the timeframes listed above will be handled on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed. Temporary parking passes are not valid for full-time faculty/staff, residential or commuter students.
How to Obtain a 51 Parking Permit
All permit decals are sold online at une.thepermitstore.com. The cost of a University parking permit is a flat fee based on the permit type and is non-negotiable or refundable. The cost must be paid online by credit card or billed to the student account (must have a valid PRN). Permits are available beginning early July/August for the following academic year.
The following guidelines will be implemented for fair and equitable distribution of permits and available parking:
Beginning Monday July 1:
- Biddeford Faculty/Staff, Biddeford Commuter permits will be available for purchase for the 2025–2026 academic school year. Permits will be valid on the date of purchase.
Monday, August 4 at 7 a.m.:
- Portland Faculty/Staff will be able to purchase parking decals. Portland on-campus permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis due to limited numbers of available permits. The permits that can be purchased at this time include: Portland Faculty/Staff Permit, Portland Satellite and Bishop Street Lot Permit for employees only.
Tuesday, August 5 at 6 a.m.:
- Portland Commuters will be able to purchase parking decals. Portland Commuter on-campus permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis due to limited numbers. Permits that can be purchased at this time are Portland Commuter, Portland Satellite and Bishop Street Lot Permit.
For the 2025–2026 academic year, when the Portland Faculty/Staff and Portland Commuter on-campus permits sell out, a waitlist will be implemented. As permits become available due to transfers, withdrawals or terminations/resignations, permits will be issued from the waitlist only. There is no guarantee that a permit will be issued for waitlist purposes and there may be extended wait periods before a permit can or will be issued.
Applying for the waitlist does not permit parking on the Portland campus. Please obtain a Portland Satellite or Bishop permit and it will be upgraded if a waitlist request is granted.
Biddeford Residential Permits will be made available based on seniority (by accumulated credit hours, not anticipated graduation year) at the university and if they are living in on-campus housing. The process of obtaining a residential permit will be implemented as follows:
Wednesday, August 6 at 12 p.m. (noon):
- Senior, Junior, and Sophomore residential students and RA’s will be able to purchase a permit. The permit sales for upperclassmen will be available until Friday at noon, when freshman will be able to purchase a permit.
Friday, August 8 at 12 p.m. (noon):
- Freshman residential students will be eligible to purchase a permit.
Incoming freshmen and transfer students will be eligible to purchase a Residential Parking Permit based on availability. Due to the limited number of parking spaces available for residential students, there is no guarantee that a permit will be available to purchase. Bringing a vehicle to campus without a valid 51 decal is subjected to ticketing, boot application, towing at the owner’s expense and referral to Student Conduct.
When Residential Parking Permits are sold out, a waitlist on the website will be implemented. As permits become available due to transfers or withdrawals from the University, permits will be issued to students