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.
Our parking permits allow you to park on our Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston campuses unless otherwise noted in your permit documentation.
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.
Where to park on campus
Parking information
Small or compact car spaces are smaller than standard parking spaces and are found throughout all our parking areas.
If your vehicle fits within the dimensions of our marked compact vehicle spaces, you may park there. If your vehicle doesn’t fit (e.g., SUVs), you will be fined.
If you drive a large vehicle, please be mindful of the following guidelines to help us ensure the safety and convenience of all our parking patrons.
If you’re hauling a trailer, you must complete an additional transaction with the trailer’s license plate number.
- Oversized vehicle rates may also apply to the trailer if it doesn’t fit within the lines of 1 standard parking space.
- If you don't start individual parking sessions for your vehicle plate and the trailer plate, you will be fined for one or the other.
Any vehicle that extends beyond the dimensions of a standard parking space (crossing over lines or protruding into drive lanes) can be hazardous to other drivers including:
- Buses
- RVs
- Trailers
- You must start a separate parking session with the trailer’s plate
- Certain vans
- Many pick-up trucks
- Some SUVs
Clearance bars in the parking garage entrances indicate the maximum height of vehicles that can safely enter and navigate the garages. Vehicles that are taller than the clearance bars must find another parking area.
Dedicated parking areas
The following parking areas have larger spaces, fewer obstructions, or are specifically for oversized vehicles:
Portland campus
- Lot P6, by the former Maine Law building
- Lot P11 — bus and disability parking only
- The loop in front of the Planetarium
- Parking Garage 1: On the roof
- Except during snow ban parking
- Parking Garage 2: On the roof
Gorham campus
- G13, by Dickey-Wood Hall, Hannaford Field, the softball stadium
- G20, by the Public Safety (Police) building
NOTE: If your vehicle doesn’t fit within the lines of 1 standard parking space, and you don’t have a valid USM parking permit, you must pay our oversized vehicle rate.
We offer hourly/daily parking at a reduced cost after validation for visitors with legal disability plates or a disability placard. To get your parking session validated, contact us with your license plate information within our grace period to avoid any fines.
- If you receive a fine, please submit an appeal and we’ll dismiss the ticket/notice.
- This does not apply to students, faculty, and staff who must purchase a University parking permit.
We define disability parking as a parking space with a stationary disability sign (blue and white in color and 60” from the ground) and striped in dimensions compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) rules.
Most of our parking areas have marked ADA parking spaces for permit holders and visitors who have legal and visible disability plates and/or placards.
Maine residents with temporary injury or illness ADA requests for disability placards must contact the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) directly.
NOTE: Anyone who alters a disability placard or parks in an ADA space without legal and visible disability plates/placards will be fined.
We have electric vehicle (EV) charging stations on our Portland and Gorham campuses to help achieve our carbon neutrality goal.
All vehicles parked in the designated EV spaces must be actively charging. If your vehicle is parked in an EV space and not plugged in, you will be fined.
- Portland campus: Parking Garage 2 has 58 Level 2 plugs
- Available for anyone with a valid permit or paid or validated parking session
- Gorham campus: Lot G8 has 1 station
- Available only for faculty and staff
Learn about our current charging costs, time limits, the Blink mobile app and other payment options, our EV charging policy, and our EV fleet.
NOTE: We perform regular maintenance to ensure the functionality and safety of our EV charging stations. Any necessary repairs or upgrades will be done promptly, and we’ll notify patrons about temporary station closures.
Carpool permits are free but not stand-alone permits for drivers. Carpool drivers must also have a valid USM parking permit.
Carpool passengers (or riders) must be either:
- Commuters (staff, faculty, or students) who don’t have a vehicle registered with USM
- Gorham campus residents who leave a vehicle in Gorham to carpool to the Portland campus
The carpool driver and each passenger (or rider) must have a valid carpool permit to display while parked in one of the 50 designated carpool spaces on our Portland campus.
- Lot P1
- By Luther Bonney Hall, Masterton Hall, and the McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success
- Starting July 1: Lot P9
- By the Sullivan Gym Complex and the Science Building
- Lot P10
- By Payson Smith Hall
- Starting July 1: Lot P11
- The loop in front of the Planetarium
- Parking Garage 1, first floor
- A row between the exit and entrance
- Part of the back row, along I-295
Learn more about carpooling, read our carpool policy, or register for a carpool permit (driver or passenger/rider).
NOTE: Buyout Program participants aren’t eligible for carpool permits.
As a permit holder, you can add a motorcycle, moped, or scooter with valid license plates to your five (5) total vehicles. There isn’t a separate motorcycle permit with ParkEngage.
You cannot park a personal vehicle and a motorcycle, moped, or scooter on campus at the same time, whether you have a USM parking permit or a paid or validated parking session.
Hourly parking rates are the same as standard vehicles. If you park in Garage 1, you must park in the marked motorcycle spaces.
Don’t park on painted hash marks, in a fire lane, on a grassy area or sidewalk, at a loading dock, or anywhere that obstructs traffic unless there’s a sign that says otherwise or you will be fined.
NOTE: E-bikes are considered bicycles.
We provide bicycle parking on all three of our campuses next to most of our major buildings — plus covered, secure, long-term storage for 288 bikes on our Portland campus.
No permit is required for anyone to park bicycles (or e-bikes) at any outdoor bike rack on our campuses.
We encourage all students, staff, and faculty to register for a free bike permit. The permit gives you access to the bike rooms in Parking Garage 2 or Portland Commons, which will be added to your USM Card. It also makes it easier for Public Safety to help recover your bicycle if it is ever lost or stolen.
Learn more about available bike parking, nearby bike lanes and trails, the GO MAINE app, Portland’s bikeshare program, and our bike policy.
NOTE: Once approved, you can pick up your bike permit decal from Parking Services in the basement of the Abromson Community Education Center (just inside the doors from Parking Garage 1 on the Portland campus).
Parking anytime between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is considered overnight parking. All vehicles parked overnight must have a valid permit or active paid or validated parking session.
Not all parking areas allow overnight parking including our Lewiston-Auburn campus.
Overnight parking rates are different for our Portland and Gorham campuses.
Permit holders: Check your permit documentation for details.
This includes students, faculty, and staff who park on campus during athletics away games, school breaks, or other USM-related business.
Not all parking areas or permits allow long-term (more than one night) parking including our Lewiston-Auburn campus.
Permit holders: Check your permit documentation for details.
Portland campus long-term parking areas:
- Parking Garage 2 (only for Portland Commons resident permits)
Gorham campus long-term parking areas:
- Lot G13B, near Hannaford Field and the softball stadium
- Resident lots (only for designated resident permits)
NOTE: Staff and faculty parking long-term for non-USM-related business must contact Parking Services to pay the overnight rate.
Current USM students, faculty, and staff: You can add reserved space parking privileges to your parking permit for an additional cost. Choose access to reserved parking spaces 24/7 or only during business hours from the Permit Services menu when purchasing your parking permit.
If you park in spaces marked as reserved without the proper permissions added to your valid parking permit, you will be fined and your vehicle will be towed.
Snow ban parking is typically 9:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m., but this may change due to weather patterns. Please read parking ban announcements carefully.
After a big storm, our Facilities Management team needs access to clear snow across our campuses. We will communicate parking ban details via our Campus Alert system when needed.
- We ask permitted students, faculty, and staff to anticipate parking bans and park in designated long-term parking lots.
- We charge a flat rate for parking in Garage 1 during snow ban hours for anyone without a valid permit or validated parking session (including visitors).
- Any guests of residential students should follow the snow ban rules provided for residents.
- Permitted student-athletes should park in the long-term section of lot G13B during away games.
- During winter break, permitted Gorham residents who leave a vehicle on campus must park in the long-term section of lot G13B.
- Permitted staff and faculty away on USM-related business during winter months should park in the long-term section of lot G13B.
- There’s no long-term parking for staff and faculty on our Portland campus.
Rule changes during snow bans
- Permitted Gorham campus residents must follow the announced snow ban rules and cannot park in Portland.
- Permitted Portland Commons residents should park in Garage 2.
- Electric vehicles may remain in dedicated EV spaces if actively charging unless Parking Services announces open parking, which allows anyone to park in EV spots, and active charging isn’t required.
- During Portland city-wide parking bans, the general public can only park in Garage 1 (not Garage 2 or any surface lots).
NOTE: Anyone who violates snow ban parking rules or vehicles parked in banned lots during the announced snow ban hours will be fined and may also be towed.
Loading zones on each of our three campuses are intended for active loading and unloading of goods, equipment, and supplies necessary for University operations.
If your vehicle obstructs or is parked in a loading zone without active loading or unloading, you will be fined, regardless of your permit status.
Don’t use docking areas for loading and unloading personal vehicles or you will be fined. If you need to access docks for specific deliveries or projects, contact us for authorization.
If your vehicle is parked in a loading zone beyond the allotted grace period for our Gorham and Portland campuses, you will be fined.
If you park a personal vehicle in spaces marked as facilities and maintenance parking, you will be fined and your vehicle will be towed.
Only University-owned vehicles may park in facilities and maintenance spaces.
All departments with vehicles owned by the University of Southern Maine (USM) must email the vehicles’ license plates to parking services immediately.
Permits for USM vehicles must be renewed annually.
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!