Visitor Parking
Harvard University Parking Services
Holyoke Center 8th Floor
1350 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: 617-495-3772
Fax: 617-496-8278
Email: parking at harvard dot edu
On this page...
- General Visitor Parking Information
- Information for Visitors Requiring Accessible Parking
- Temporary Permit Purchase
- One-Day Online Permit Purchasing System Help
- Visitor Permit FAQs
General Visitor Parking Information
All campus visitors must purchase and display a valid daily permit. Daily permits are not intended for regular faculty, staff or student usage. Please note that visitors requiring accessible parking must contact the University Disability Services to request. Use of Harvard University HP spaces requires a Harvard University HP permit. For more information on accessible parking, click here.
As of July 1, 2012 the weekday daily visitor's rate is $14.00 per permit. The cost for visitor's permits valid after 5:00 p.m. weekdays, and all day Saturday and Sunday, is $5.00 per permit.
Visitors to campus include:
- visitors of faculty and University departments, including researchers, research subjects, guest lecturers, etc.;
- one-day or short-term (i.e. less than one week) contract workers;
- visitors participating in University-sponsored events and programs;
- prospective students and their families;
- visitors participating in non-University-sponsored, on-campus events and programs;
- alumni visitors to campus.
Location
Visitor parking is located at designated areas throughout the campus. Visitor parking is provided based upon availability which corresponds to the University schedule and is dependent on usage of facilities during special events.
Cancellation
If it is necessary to cancel a temporary permit after it has been purchased, the permit, whether purchased online or from the Parking office, must be returned to the Parking office prior to the date printed on the permit. Cancellations will not be considered if the permit has expired.
Temporary Permit Purchase
Temporary and daily parking permits must be obtained on behalf of all department guests and visitors to the University. Temporary parking permits may be purchased on-line at https://www2.uos.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/permit/purchase.pl, or from the Parking Services office at Holyoke Center 8th Floor, 1350 Massachusetts Ave. Please contact us with any questions at parking at harvard dot edu . Please note: Temporary permits are meant for visitors and commuters needing occasional parking. Commuters requiring weekly parking should purchase annual permits (monthly permits can also be arranged by contacting Parking Services).
Online Purchasing System for Daily Visitor Parking Permits
This service allows Harvard faculty, staff and visitors more commuting options by purchasing one-day temporary permits instantly and printing them from their home or office computers. Individuals and departments are able to purchase permits online up to two weeks in advance for designated parking lots and facilities. This option has been implemented to aid in managing customers time and travel needs.
Along with greater convenience to our customers, this system allows Parking Services to better manage distribution of temporary hang tags. Parking Services priority is to provide safe and reliable parking to our yearly permit holders. To guarantee there is no impact to our full-time parkers, we limit the availability of these temporary dashboard permits by parking lots, days, and times. Temporary permits are intended for occasional parkers and not for daily use by those applicants on wait lists.
This Web-based system is set to accept most major credit card transactions. PayPal, a leader in secure credit card processing, serves as our web-based transaction vendor. 33-digit billing codes can also be used as an alternative payment method. Approved applicants may register up to five billing codes for payment. Please note that using Purchasing cards as a payment method is strongly discouraged by the University.
To access the site please click on https://www2.uos.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/permit/purchase.pl. For any Harvard affiliate with a valid Harvard ID, access to the one day site is through Harvard University PIN system.
For any Harvard affiliate without a Harvard ID, you will need to register first on the site. You will need your department name and corresponding department pass code along with your license plate number to register. You will also need this information each time you complete a transaction. Currently, department pass codes are the four-digit number assigned by Parking Services to each registered department. This information is available through your department's Transportation Coordinator. Any changes to the pass code in the future will be communicated to each Transportation Coordinator. If you are a Transportation Coordinator and you are unsure of the pass code, please contact our office at parking at harvard dot edu. Personal account information for affiliates without a Harvard ID will need to be updated by each individual. Please note that you will need your license plate number each time you complete a transaction.
Once you purchase a permit, a confirmation will be sent to your email address verifying the transaction and fee. You will need to print out a copy of the permit and place it on your dashboard when you park. Failure to display the permit may result in ticketing and/or towing.
Feel free to browse through the Web site. Until you actually checkout with your selected permit(s), a transaction is not recorded. Please remove all selected permits from your shopping basket before you exit the Web site.
If you have any questions or comments about this Web site, please email our office at parking at harvard dot edu, or contact us at 617.495.3772. We will review your suggestions to help make this site an attractive parking option for visitors to Harvard University and a convenient mechanism for you and your department.
One-Day Online Permit Purchasing System Help
If you are new to using the Online Permit site, these tips might help you. For more assistance, please see the FAQs following this section.
- On the login screen, you may access the "Harvard Employee" selection if you have a valid Harvard ID and PIN. If you are unsure of your PIN, or if your PIN is not accepted, please visit the PIN Web site.
- If you do not have a valid Harvard ID and/or PIN, you may register as a visitor. After clicking on the "Visitor" selection on the main login page, you will be directed to either input your visitor username and password (if you have already set one up for this system) or register to create a new username and password.
- When creating a new visitor username and password, please complete all fields. If you are unsure of your Department and Department Code, please contact the Parking office, at 617.495.3772 or parking at harvard dot edu.
- It is to your benefit to fill in all fields accurately on the Web site pertaining to contact and vehicle information. If an emergency situation arises that involves your vehicle, it is necessary for our office to have the proper contact and vehicle information to notify you immediately.
- Online permits may be purchased up to two weeks in advance. If a facility is not available for sale on a given day, this will be noted in the "Permit Date" selection.
- Sometimes, online permits may be sold out for a facility on a given day. If this happens, the system will notify you immediately, and you may either choose a different facility, or you may contact Parking Services to check if the permit may be purchased directly from the office.
- To purchase a permit for consecutive days, hold the Shift key or left mouse button down while selecting the appropriate dates.
- Once you choose a parking facility, and add a parking permit to your account, a list of your permit selections will appear. If you would like to add more permits, click the "Resume Purchasing" button. If you would like to remove permits, select which permit you'd like to remove, then click the "Remove Permits" button. If you are ready to purchase your permit(s), click the "Checkout" button.
- After entering your payment information, click on the active link of your permit name to open a graphic of the permit.
- Once this graphic is open, click the "Print" button on your Web browser. You must have the printed permit displayed on your dashboard in order to park.
Visitor Permit FAQs
Q. How do I arrange for a one-day parking permit for any visitor to the University?
A. You or your guest may purchase a visitor's permit either from the Parking office, or from the One-Day Online Permit Purchasing System. The online system is highly recommended for its convenience and 24-hour availability, and can be accessed at https://www2.uos.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/permit/purchase.pl. Permits must be purchased prior to arrival at the parking facility, and must be displayed at all times when parked on campus. If the permit is purchased at the Parking office, payment may be made by cash, check, credit card, or 33-digit billing code. If the permit is purchased online, payment may be made by credit card (excluding University Purchasing Cards) or 33-digit billing code. Please note that a waiting period of up to ten days is possible for online billing code approval.
Permits may not be purchased over the phone. Except for the Business School Lot, permits may not be purchased at any parking facility.
Q.I keep getting an error message when trying to pay for my permit order. How can I complete the transaction?
A. Recent updated versions of select web browsers may not support the One Day Online Permit Purchasing System. If you are receiving an error message when connecting to the PayPal site, you can try to use a different web browser (i.e. Firefox, Safari, et cetera). If you are still experiencing difficulty, you can certainly contact our main office for assistance.
Q. I need to purchase a visitor's permit at the last minute, after office hours, and I have no access to a computer. Can I still park on campus?
A. Please proceed to the Business School Lot, which is staffed twenty-four hours a day, year-round. You may purchase a permit for the lot at the guard booth.
Q. How do I register a 33-digit billing code to use on the online system?
A.After logging in with your Harvard ID and PIN, click on the "My Account" button near the top of the screen. From here, click on the "ID Billing Profiles" button. You may add a new billing code, or modify or delete an existing one. If you are adding, please note that approval may take up to ten days, although the process may be expedited if you contact Parking Services and request approval. You must log out of the system after registering the code, then log back in to use it for payment.
Q. I'm trying to add a permit online, and the system is telling me the permit was already added. What can I do?
A.Please double-check the license plate number you have entered. If it is incorrect, there is a chance another person has entered that plate for the same facility (e.g.: if you entered "CRIMSON 1" instead of "CRIMSON 2", "CRIMSON 1" may have already purchased a permit for the same facility on the same date). This is rare, but it has happened. If your plate information is correct, click on the "My Permits" button near the top of the screen to review any permits you may have requested. If the desired permit appears, click the "Checkout" button to purchase this permit.
Q. How do I cancel a visitor's permit I've purchased?
A.To cancel any visitor's permit purchased from the Parking office or from the online system, the permit must be brought back to the Parking office prior to the date printed on the permit. Cancellation will not be considered if the permit has expired.
Q. Where are the parking facilities located on campus?
A.For information about parking locations, and directions to visitor parking facilities, please click here to be redirected to our Parking Map.
