Ordering and Opting Out

A current parking permit must be properly displayed at all times when on campus, or a Virtual Permit with the license plate of the vehicle used must be used; otherwise, your vehicle is at risk of being in violation.

All students, even residential students not bringing a vehicle to campus, must log in to the SMU Parking Portal to either purchase or opt out of a permit to comply with the City of University Park ordinances. Failure to opt out may result in being charged the annual permit fee.

Ordering Parking Permits

To order a parking permit and register your vehicle, visit .

To purchase your permit (Students):

  1. 48 hours after you register for classes, log on to your SMU parking portal account with your SMU ID and password.
  2. Once logged in, click "OrderPermits."
  3. Select "Vehicles" at the top of the screen on the left, and the system will prompt you for your vehicle information. Have your license plate number, vehicle identification number (VIN), and your car's make/model/year readily available. Enter the information with no spaces or dashes.

Student permit fees will be charged to your my.SMU.edu account. They are paid on SMUPay and are not paid on through the Parking Portal. Student permit fees are based on the total number of credit hours of enrollment.

To purchase your permit (Employees):

  1. 48 hours after your permission have been assigned, log on to your SMU parking portal account with your SMU ID and password.
  2. Once logged in, click "OrderPermits."
  3. Select "Vehicles" at the top of the screen on the left, and the system will prompt you for your vehicle information. Have your license plate number, vehicle identification number (VIN), and your car's make/model/year readily available. Enter the information with no spaces or dashes.

Employee permit fees will be collected through payroll deduction. 

Opt-out of a Resident Parking Permit

To "opt-out" of a resident parking permit, you need to log on to your parking account as though you're ordering a parking permit.

  • Select "Order Permit" when you get to the permit selection screen. You will need to select the "opt-out" of permit option on the bottom of the list of permit options.
  • You must agree to the parking rules for the University and then complete the process just as you would if you were ordering a permit.
  • The very last screen is the "order receipt" page. We recommend that you print and save this page for your records.

Please Note: Purchase of a permit does not guarantee space. Parking is first come, first serve.