Freshmen Allowed to Park?
Yes
Approximate Parking Permit Cost
- $160-$731 (depending on the lot)
- Undergraduate surcharge: $210 (sophomore or older), $300 (freshman)
Common Parking Tickets
- No parking zone, illegally parked overtime: $30
- Fire lane: $305
- Handicapped zone: $500
Best Places to Find a Spot
- Greenbriar Lot
- West Lot
- Central Campus Garage
Good Luck Getting a Spot Here
North and South lots
Getting a Parking Permit
It's easy to obtain a parking permit as an undergraduate at Rice. Any student can get a permit to park in the Greenbriar or West lots, and lucky upperclassmen (almost exclusively seniors and/or officers in student government) may get permits to park in their college lots, which are located much closer to the residential colleges. However, it is more difficult to get parking in the South or North college lots, and they are more expensive.
Did You Know?
Rice has a great policy of 15-minute parking along the Inner loop and President's Drive (areas where parking is not permitted). Students can park their cars alongside the curb and leave their emergency lights blinking while they run into a building for an errand, drop something off for a friend, unload boxes, or whatever. While students do occasionally luck out and are able to leave their car parked in this manner for longer than 15 minutes, Rice's parking enforcement is very strict. If you don't want a ticket, you probably shouldn't risk it!