New parking system
As of July 1, we migrated our parking payment and permitting services from HonkMobile to ParkEngage. All HONK permits expired on June 30 and you must get a new permit. Get the details.
Due to limited resources, parking is not free on our Portland and Gorham campuses. You must purchase a parking permit or paid parking session (or use a validation or promo code provided by a University department) to park on campus.
You don’t need to display a physical permit or receipt on your vehicle (with the exception of carpool driver and rider permits). Our license plate recognition (LPR) technology takes a picture of your license plate to validate your paid or validated parking session or permit.
Why do we charge for parking?
Finding parking at the University of Southern Maine (USM) can be a challenge at times, particularly on our Portland campus.
A paid parking system helps us manage the demand for parking spaces, motivates people to choose alternative transportation methods, and contributes to the upkeep of our facilities including:
- Repairs, cleaning, and other maintenance
- Technology implementation and enhancements
- e.g., the ParkEngage system
- Safety and security measures
- e.g., surveillance cameras, lighting, security personnel
- EV charging technology and maintenance
- METRO Husky Line costs
Parking rates
If you park infrequently on campus, you can pay an hourly, daily, or overnight rate instead of purchasing a monthly or yearly permit.
NOTE: Non-permit rates are different for our Portland and Gorham campuses.
Step-by-step paid or validated parking: QR code or text-to-pay
Starting July 1, our PAY HERE signs will include a number you can text from your mobile phone to start your validated parking session.
Text-to-pay is an alternative option to scanning the QR code, but it still requires a mobile device that can access the internet.
If you choose to extend your validated parking session, you’ll need to begin a new paid parking session at our standard rates.
NOTE: Parking on our Lewiston-Auburn campus is free.
New walk-up paystations powered by ParkEngage
Starting July 1*: New walk-up paystations will be available in high-traffic areas of our Gorham and Portland campuses. Paystations accept credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
NOTE: Parking on our Lewiston-Auburn campus is free.
If you experience any difficulty with your payment via paystation, QR code scan, or text-to-pay link, please email ParkEngage customer support at support@parkengage.com.
Additional ways to pay
Refunds
If you voluntarily move out of Portland Commons during the fall semester, you can request a pro-rated refund based on the number of months left in the academic year and how much you’ve paid on your parking permit payment plan.
We don’t provide refunds for the following:
- Violations of University parking policies
- Illegal activity
- Typos and other user mistakes
- Our system has a 1 – 2-character margin of error; if 3 or more characters are incorrect, it won’t recognize your license plate
- Parking permits and passes
- Validations, promo codes
- Permits with unpaid parking fees
- Portland Commons residents…
- who leave during or after January
- after starting in either the fall or spring term
- with outstanding payments on a parking permit payment plan
- dismissed for violating University policies
- who leave during or after January
Do you want to read our full parking rate policy?
Do you have questions or need assistance? We're happy to help!