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Parking Services maintains and operates Harvard University parking facilities that provide the primary parking for faculty, staff, students, vendors, contractors, and visitors to the Cambridge and Allston Campuses. These resources are extremely limited and are managed through a permitting system designed to be safe, efficient, and equitable.

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Parking Regulations & Citation Information

Applications for parking in Cambridge and Allston can be submitted through the Transportation Coordinator in each University department, or to the Parking office at 1350 Massachusetts Ave., 8th floor, Cambridge. Renewals for parking can be submitted through the Transportation Coordinator, the Parking office, or the Parking Services Web site. Information on parking at the Longwood Medical area is available from the Longwood Medical Area Parking office, 180 Longwood Avenue, Boston (617-432-1111).

Parking on University property is subject to parking permit regulations. Endorsement of the parking permit application is consent to:

In addition, the following basic policies apply to all who park on Harvard property:

Citations are issued when general parking regulations are not followed. Vehicles not displaying the proper permit hangtag or sticker, parked in restricted areas such as fire lanes, crosswalks, and building entrances, or impeding the flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic in any way, are subject to citation and towing at the owner's expense. All citations must be paid within 21 days of the date issued in order to avoid a late fee. Payments can be made by the following methods:

Payment of fines constitutes an agreement to the specified violation.

The holder of a parking permit who fails to pay a parking fine may be subject to towing, or non-renewal of his/her parking permit.

The University maintains a fair and objective appeal process by which a person can dispute a University-issued citation. Appeals should be based on the premise that the citation was not consistent with University parking regulations, or that extenuating circumstances existed that may excuse the appellant from compliance with regulations.

If you would like to appeal a citation, please click on the link below to download our Citation Appeal Form, fill it out and send it along with the citation to the Parking office. Please be aware that appeals must be postmarked or delivered to the Parking office within 21 days of the citation's issuance.

Citation Appeal Form [PDF]

Eligibility for Annual Parking Permit

Parking permits are granted by the University on the express condition that the University assumes no responsibility for damages to any vehicle or its contents by reason of fire, theft, or other cause, and applicants agree not to sue for any such damages if a parking permit is granted. University staff members have no authority to assume care, custody, control, or possession of any permit holder's vehicle on University property. It is recommended that all vehicles be locked when left in University parking spaces.

Eligibility for 2012/2013 Parking Permits:

Parking permits are distributed at the start of each academic year and are valid July 1 to June 30 (unless otherwise noted). Please be sure to display your permit by hanging it from the rearview mirror at all times while on University property.

Updating Your Information with Parking Services

The Parking Services database is not linked directly to the University's database. Permit holders should update the Parking office of any changes in personal or vehicle registration information. Information updates, including ownership of a new vehicle, change of registration, change of address, and change in University employment, are important to prevent inadvertent enforcement action or delay in permit renewal.

Lost or Stolen Parking Permits

Lost Parking Permits (Hangtags and Access Devices)

Hangtags are University-issued parking permits and have value to the permit holder. Access devices, including transponders and clickers, accompany permits and guarantee entry into University-owned facilities. In the event that a hangtag or access device is lost, the permit holder should immediately report the loss to the Parking office. Once the permit holder reports a lost hangtag, it becomes invalid. For each occurrence, a replacement hangtag will be issued to the permit holder for a $50.00 fee. Duplicate access devices may also be subject to service fees.

Any vehicle displaying a permit or using an access card that was declared lost by the original permit holder will be immobilized or towed immediately. Parking privileges will be revoked immediately from all parties involved.

Stolen Parking Permits (Hangtags and Access Cards)

Hangtags are University-issued parking permits and have value to the permit holder. Access cards accompany permits and guarantee entry into University-owned facilities. In the event that a hangtag or access card is stolen while the vehicle is on University property, the permit holder should immediately report the theft to the HUPD and obtain a crime report. In the event that a hangtag or access card is stolen while the vehicle is off campus, the vehicle owner should obtain a crime report from the police department in the city where the theft occurred. Once the report is filed, the permit holder should send a copy of the report to the Parking office. Once the permit holder reports the stolen hangtag, it becomes invalid. A replacement hangtag will be issued to the permit holder at no fee.

Any vehicle displaying a permit or using an access card that was reported stolen by the original permit holder will be immobilized or towed immediately. Parking privileges will be immediately revoked from the owner of the towed vehicle.

Parking Cancellations

Permit holders are individually responsible for all fees associated with securing and maintaining an annual permit and any fees associated with infractions and violations. If a permit-holding employee's affiliation with the University is terminated, the employee is solely responsible for notifying the Parking office in advance of the termination date. Delay in notification may, in some cases, result in parking fees. Parking permits are non-transferable.

To cancel parking, the permit and any access cards must be returned to the Parking office before any refund/credit will be processed. The permit holder is the sole person responsible for the permit unless it has been physically returned to the Parking office, and will be charged for the permit the entire time it is in the permit holder's possession. No exceptions will be made to this regulation.

Employees whose parking fees are payroll deducted will receive a refund through University payroll. Prorated refund amounts are determined by the date Parking Services receives the permit holder's parking permit, not the dates of verbal or written notice. Neither cash nor check refunds are made to payroll deducted permit holders. If insufficient deductions have been taken at the time of termination, a one-time deduction for the remaining amount will be charged.

Permit holders who paid in cash or by check for their annual parking fees will be issued refund checks within 30 business days of receipt of the permit, not the date of verbal or written notice of cancellation.

When a permit holder cancels his or her parking permit, he or she relinquishes all rights to park in the originally assigned lot or area. If he or she wishes to re-apply for a parking permit at a later time, the request will be considered as a new assignment, and the applicant will be placed at the bottom of the desired wait list. Exceptions are made for those individuals on University-approved sabbaticals or leaves of absence, or by prior arrangement.

Accidents, Witnessing an Accident, and Damage to Vehicles Parked on Campus

All vehicular accidents on University property should be reported to the Harvard University Police Department.

If an affiliate witnesses an accident, he or she is guaranteed anonymity in reporting. Such a report may be filed in person or by telephone with the Harvard University Police Department.

To file a claim for damage caused to a permit holder's vehicle by University-owned vehicles or property, the vehicle owner should obtain a Harvard University Insurance Claim form, which is available at the Parking office and the Harvard University Police Department.

If a permit holder is involved in an on-campus accident and fails to report it, he or she could risk loss of parking privileges.

Snow Emergencies

All tenants must report to their designated parking facilities during snow emergencies. Parking in other unreserved areas is prohibited, and vehicles that do so will be cited and/or towed to facilitate snow removal.

In the event that either the City of Cambridge or the City of Boston declares a snow emergency, the University grants Cambridge/Boston residents the right to park in designated University facilities. The Soldiers Field Park Garage and the 52 Oxford Street Garage are currently designated for Allston and Cambridge residents, respectively. Space is limited, and availability is on a first-come, first-served basis. The University reserves the right to cease admittance due to capacity limitations and operation issues. All vehicles must exit these facilities within one hour after Snow Emergency status is lifted.

Any University permit holder who does not have 24-hour parking privileges and believes that weather conditions prohibit driving home safely may use these lots during declared snow emergencies.

The University reserves the right to move any vehicles that prohibit plowing or snow removal. All efforts will be made to contact the individual prior to moving the vehicle to a nearby parking space.

Signage

The University provides signage in all designated parking areas. Parking signs provide current information including the name of the facility and any facility-specific parking restrictions. A vandalized/removed sign does not constitute a valid justification for a violation of parking regulations.

Traffic Enforcement

The enforcement of traffic rules and regulations is the responsibility of the Harvard University Police Department. The Parking office will support the HUPD by directing vehicles to available parking locations and by informing the HUPD of areas of concern.

The speed limit on University property is 15 miles per hour unless otherwise posted.

Towing

Illegally parked vehicles on Harvard University property are subject to tow at the owner’s expense. Tow fees are set by the municipal government. If you feel your car has been towed, you should contact the Parking Office at 617-495-3772 during regular business hours (M-F 8:00am to 5:00pm). After-hour inquires should be directed to the Harvard University Police Department at 617-495-1215.

A tow release slip and payment must be presented to the tow company to obtain your vehicle. You must first pay off your citation balance at the Parking Office before the tow release slip will be issued. Parking Services accepts cash, checks, credit cards and term bill for students as methods of payment.

Harvard Parking Services utilizes two separate tow companies. The tow release slip will indicate where your vehicle is located:

Phil’s Towing
333 Webster Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02141-1031
617-547-0680

Stadium Auto Body, Inc.
305 Western Avenue
Allston, MA 02134-1096
617-782-3486

Parking After 5:00 p.m. - Important Safety Reminder

For safety and convenience, all faculty, staff and student parking permits (with the exception of Evening Commuter permits, which are only valid in the designated garage or lot marked on them) are valid in all unreserved parking areas from 5:00 p.m. to midnight (Monday through Thursday) and 5:00 p.m. Friday to midnight on Sunday. Unreserved parking locations are identified in RED on the Parking Map. You may print this map for your own use. Parking in the garages or in the lots shown in Blue or Purple is not permissible, and doing so may result in ticketing and/or towing.

Wait Lists

Demand for Cambridge and Allston parking currently exceeds the available supply. Each year Parking Services maintains a waiting list for all parking types on the Cambridge and Allston Campuses. New applicants are wait-listed according to the date received in the Parking office.

Historically, there has been very little activity on waiting lists for preferred, centrally-located parking facilities in Cambridge due to spaces taken offline during construction. New applicants can expect to remain on these preferred waiting lists for up to 36 months. However, facilities located in areas farther away from central campus typically have shorter waiting lists, or none at all. Please contact the Parking Services office for the most up-to-date information for help with wait list placement.

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