New Student Parking Information
Last Revised: 5/3/2026
Parking permits for on-campus residents will go on sale August 3rd, 2026 at 8am. Parking permits for student commuters will go on sale August 6th, 2026 at 8am. Staff, faculty, and family housing resident permit sale dates can be found on the parking portal, and permits can only be purchased through the parking portal here: https://msu.t2hosted.com/cmn/auth_ext.aspx
Permit Information
Every vehicle must have a parking permit in order to park on campus, whether short-term or long-term. This applies to all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
Using your permit
Your license plate is your permit. License plate reading (LPR) technology is used for parking enforcement with cameras mounted on parking enforcement vehicles that read license plates and identify permit status. Drivers must ensure that at least one license plate is visible from the drive lane. Each permit can have up to 8 vehicles linked to it at a time, but ONLY ONE vehicle can be parked on campus at a time. The LPR system only accesses parking permit information from the plate number, so please be sure to update your license plate regularly and accurately to avoid a citation.
Are you an on-campus resident?
On-campus residents are those who live on campus in Residence Life housing. This does not include University Student Apartments.
Which permits can on-campus residents purchase?
On-campus residents can purchase Bison and Bobcat Resident permits.
- Waitlists are available for permits that are sold out.
Parking permits are limited and are sold on a first-come-first-served basis. Due to the lay out of our campus, many students will not be able to park near their residence. Please keep this in mind before bringing a vehicle to campus.
Are you a commuter?
Commuters are Montana State University employees and students living off campus who regularly travel to campus with a motorized vehicle.
Which permits can commuters purchase?
The Trout, Garage, Elk, Wolf, or Bobcat designations.
- Waitlists are available for permits that are sold out.
How do I purchase parking?
Log into MyMSU and select the 'Campus Apps & Resources' tab, then scroll to find the 'Transportation & Parking' card. From this card, select 'Manage Parking'. This will bring you to the MSU Parking Portal. Students that are either registered for classes OR registered for Orientation are eligible to purchase a parking permit. Students will be able to purchase a permit about 48 hours after completing either step. Additionally, if a student is an on-campus resident, they can only purchase a permit AFTER University Student Housing reports their status as an on-campus housing resident.
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DO NOT create a visitor parking account as long-term permits will not be visible and the student may miss their chance to purchase their preferred permit.
2026-2027 On-campus Resident Permit Prices:
| Permit Designation and Lot Numbers | Annual: 8/1/2026 - 8/15/2027 |
Fall Only: 8/1/2026 - 12/31/2026 | Spring Only: 1/1/2027 - 5/31/2027 |
Summer Only: 5/1/2027 - 8/15/2027 |
| Bison: 1, 2, 8, 9, 22, 26, 27, 28 | $395 | $240 | $240 | $240 |
|
Bobcat Resident: 20, 25 (Previously Stadium Lots 20 & 25)
|
$300 | $195 | $195 | N/A |
| Motorcycle Only | $110 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Low Emission Vehicles | -20% | -20% | -20% | -20% |
Please see the refund schedule at: montana.edu/parking/refunds.html.
For more permit information, please visit our webpage: https://www.montana.edu/parking/permits.html
Parking Regulations
Parking & Transportation Services is an income-generating auxiliary, funded solely through revenues generated by permit sales and other fees. Parking & Transportation Services is located in the Swingle Building at 7th & Grant.
Parking regulations are applicable to all persons operating motor vehicles on university-owned or controlled property year-round. By parking on university property, each person agrees to comply with all parking regulations. Failure to comply may result in a citation or the vehicle being towed at the owner’s expense.
Parking regulations foster convenience and safety for all who park on campus and facilitate the efficient operation of the university. Regulations are deemed part of the privilege to operate motor vehicles on campus. For more information on the authority of Parking & Transportation Services to enforce these regulations, please refer to Montana Code Annotated 20-25-312.
Please be advised that your registered license plate will serve as your parking permit and must be visible from the parking lot drive lane while parked on campus. A parking permit is required for all motor vehicles parked on campus. Vehicles may only be parked in lots corresponding to their permit designation and may only occupy a single parking space.
To view our full regulations, please visit our Regulations page: https://www.montana.edu/parking/regulations.html
CatTracks Shuttle
Need a quick and easy way to get around campus? Hop on the CatTracks shuttle!
The CatTracks shuttle provides convenient transportation around campus, connecting MSU’s perimeter parking lots to the campus core. Shuttles run daily on two academic routes and one summer route that circulate to campus from the stadium lots and MSU offices located west of South 19th Avenue.
- Shuttles run from 7 am – 6 pm, Monday – Friday
- CatTracks offers two academic year routes starting on the first day of the fall semester:
- Blue (West) line and Gold (East) line.
- CatTracks offers one summer route starting May 11th – August 18th:
- Summer (campus wide) line
MSU Parking and Transportation Services offers two academic year routes designed to make campus travel easier and more accessible for everyone.
See the map below for information on shuttle stops and routes for the academic year:
The CatTracks Campus Shuttle service will provide a special summer route in lieu of the two routes provided during the fall and spring semesters.
The summer shuttle service will run 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, excluding holidays, on a 30-minute interval. The summer route will start May 11th, 2026 and go through August 18th, 2026.
Please find the map below to view the summer stops:
For more information, please visit our Shuttle webpage: https://www.montana.edu/parking/shuttle.html
Bicycle and PTD Information
Montana State University encourages the safe and courteous use of PTDs, which are an efficient and sustainable alternative method of transportation on campus. The University wishes to promote an environment in which people walking, using bicycles, e-scooters, skateboards, motor vehicles, and other PTD's can safely co-exist.
Registration
We encourage you to register your PTD with the University Police to help prevent theft and increase the chance of recovery of your PTD if it is stolen. Registration is free. To register, you must:
- Complete a registration card at the MSU Police Department.
- Make sure you include the serial number so your PTD can be traced.
- Registration stickers should be displayed on the device in plain sight.
- Registration of a PTD is not transferable to another PTD.
For more information, please visit our Bicycle and PTDs webpage: https://www.montana.edu/parking/bicycleandPTD.html
ADA Parking Information
All ADA spaces on campus require a valid ADA hangtag or physical disability plate (MVD), enforced 24 hours, 7 days a week. In addition, a campus parking permit is required 6am-6pm Mon-Fri excluding 24-hour enforced zones (Bison lots and Eagle lots) and the Parking Garage (6am-8pm).
If no ADA parking is available, please call 406-994-1723 for alternate accommodations.
| Parking Location |
|---|
|
Any University Designated Lot: Any ADA parking space on campus regardless of the lot in addition to your designated permit area. *If temporary ADA parking accommodations are needed, please call 406-994-1723. Do not park in hashed stalls. These stalls are located in-between ADA parking spaces and are utilized for loading and unloading only. Violators are subject to enforcement. |
For more information, please visit our ADA webpage: https://www.montana.edu/parking/adaparking.html
Safety and Motor Vehicle Assistance
Parking & Transportation Services provides students, employees and visitors motor vehicle assistance from 8am-5pm on non-holiday weekdays. Please call 406-994-1723 for assistance.
- Access to locked vehicles
- Vehicle jump-starts
- Snow dig outs for vehicles
- Calling tow trucks when necessary
- MSU Police offers 24/7 safety assistance through the Safe Cats app
Motor vehicle assistance is available to anyone as long as the vehicle is located on university property. There is no fee for this service.
For more information, please visit our Other Services webpage: https://www.montana.edu/parking/OtherServices.html
Frequently Asked Questions
Waitlists will be available for permits that have sold to capacity. You can add yourself to a waitlist by logging into the parking portal and from the main page, clicking "Add/Edit Waitlists". From there you will see the waitlists options available to you. If medical accommodations need to be made, please email parkingservices@montana.edu.
This may happen when trying to pay for more than one item at a time. Try paying for each item individually. If the issue persists, please email parkingservices@montana.edu
If the permit you want is not shown as available for purchase, then it has been sold to capacity. Waitlists will be available for permits that are sold out. You can add yourself to a waitlist by logging into the parking portal and from the main page, clicking "Add/Edit Waitlists". From there you will see thewaitlists options available to you. Please view our permits page to find what permits are purchasable by student residents, student commuters, university student apartment residents, and faculty/staff members.
Please double check that the billing address you are entering for the payment matches exactly what is on the card. If the issue persists, please email parkingservices@montana.edu.
All citations must be paid or appealed within 10 days of the issue date. Failure to pay on time will result in an accumulation of late fees, student account holds, payroll deductions, or transfer to a collections agency.
You can add up to 8 vehicles on your permit. However, only one vehicle associated with a permit may be parked on campus at one time.
All visitor areas on campus require a visitor parking permit. Long-term parking permits do not allow the permit holder to park in visitor areas on campus without having an additional visitor parking permit.
