If you haven’t already done so, please take our parking quiz to make sure you’re getting the information you need!
Parking rates for current students
Due to limited resources, you must purchase a parking permit or a paid/validated parking session to park on our Portland and Gorham campuses. You don’t need to display a physical permit on your vehicle (with the exception of carpool driver and rider permits).
Our parking permits allow you to park on our Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston campuses unless otherwise noted in your permit documentation.
| Permit type | Cost |
|---|---|
| USM commuter** | Included with tuition & fees* |
| First-year Gorham resident | Included with tuition & fees* |
| Upper-class Gorham resident | Included with tuition & fees* |
| Portland Commons resident: USM | $515/year |
| Portland Commons resident: SMCC | $625/year |
| Portland Commons resident: Maine Law | $515/year |
| Online student | Visitor permit |
| Pre-college/early college student | Visitor permit |
| Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) student | Visitor permit |
| Reserved: Business hours | $250/year |
| Reserved: 24/7 | $350/year |
| All access (Expands parking access vs. regular permit) | Request permit |
| Buyout Program pass | Free; by request |
| Carpool*** | Free; by request |
| Bicycle | Free; by request |
* Parking & transportation fees range from $80–$110. To park on campus, you must register for a permit or you will be fined.
** Commuter permits don’t allow you to park on campus for anything unrelated to USM.
*** Carpool permits aren’t considered stand-alone parking permits. Carpool drivers must also have a valid USM parking permit.
NOTE: Each transaction total includes an additional $4.25 convenience fee, which supports the maintenance and improvement of our ParkEngage system, ensuring reliable service and customer support.
Purchase your parking permit
Are you ready to purchase a new parking permit? Go straight to our permit portal to get started. If you want a tutorial on how to use our permit portal, keep scrolling to watch our video or review our step-by-step instructions.
The following is a step-by-step guide through the parking permit purchasing process. If you get stuck and need help, contact us.
Log in to your parking permit account
To add a vehicle, review your permit details, or update your contact information, log in to your ParkEngage account. The parking portal is not part of our single sign-on (SSO) family of applications. To access your account, you'll need your maine.edu email address and the password you created when you purchased your first ParkEngage permit.
General permit rules
- You must have a valid parking permit or an active hourly rate parking session to park in University of Southern Maine (USM) parking lots, driveways, and parking garages.
- You must pay all outstanding parking fines in full before you can purchase a new USM parking permit.
- All USM parking permits include documentation that details specific allowances, restrictions, and available parking areas.
- Your USM parking permit doesn’t guarantee that you’ll find a parking space during peak traffic periods.
- When classes are in session, our peak parking hours are Monday – Thursday, 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- You cannot share a USM parking permit with anyone else.
- You may register up to 5 vehicles (with valid plates) on your USM parking permit. However, you can only park 1 vehicle on campus at a time, including motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters.
- You don’t need to select or switch out your primary vehicle with ParkEngage.
- Permit rates may be subject to additional fees (e.g., admin, vendor, or processing fees).
- These added fees support the maintenance and improvement of our ParkEngage system to ensure reliable service and customer support.
- You can only hold 1 permit at a time, except for:
- Current faculty, staff, and students with a carpool driver permit.
- Other faculty and staff designations (e.g., student employees, interns, etc.) are not eligible for an individual permit that allows residential parking.
- Faculty or staff who live in Portland Commons don’t need an additional residential permit if designated by the bargaining agreement.
- For students, some USM parking permits aren’t included in our standard tuition and fees and cost extra (e.g., Portland Commons residents).
Where to park on the Portland campus
Some permit types and parking areas have restrictions, which are listed on signs located at the entrance of each parking area.
NOTE: If your vehicle is parked in a loading zone without active loading or unloading, you will be fined, regardless of your permit status.
Where to park on the Gorham campus
Some permit types and parking areas have restrictions, which are listed on signs located at the entrance of each parking area.
NOTE: If your vehicle is parked in a loading zone without active loading or unloading, you will be fined, regardless of your permit status.
Where to park on the Lewiston-Auburn campus
Some permit types and parking areas have restrictions, which are listed on signs located at the entrance of each parking area.
NOTE: If your vehicle is parked in a loading zone without active loading or unloading, you will be fined, regardless of your permit status.
Portland Commons Buyout Program
Are you looking for ways to help us reach our carbon neutrality goal? Our Buyout Program aims to reduce parking demand, traffic congestion, and greenhouse gas emissions.
If you’re a Portland campus residential student, you can choose to give up your parking pass privileges for a list of incentives each academic year, starting with the fall term. Contact us to request summer parking privileges.
Safety escort service
Public Safety offers on-campus safety escort services at any hour, as long as our officers aren’t on another call. If no one is available, the dispatcher will let you know how long the delay will be and direct you to a secure location where you can wait.
Call 207-780-5211, and a uniformed Public Safety officer driving a marked vehicle will pick you up at your current campus location (e.g., your vehicle) and drop you off at another campus location (e.g., your residence hall).
Do you have questions or need assistance? We're happy to help!