8/10/25

The Ultimate BYU Parking Guide: How to Park, Not Get Ticketed, & Find a Spot Every Time

Hey everyone, let's talk about something that unites almost every student, faculty member, & visitor at Brigham Young University: the shared, soul-crushing experience of trying to find a parking spot. It’s a campus rite of passage, circling lots like a vulture, praying for a sign of reverse lights. Honestly, navigating the parking situation at BYU can feel like you need a secret decoder ring & a whole lot of luck.
But here’s the thing: it’s not impossible. Turns out, there's a system to the madness. It involves a little bit of planning, some insider knowledge, & understanding the complex alphabet soup of parking lots. I’ve waded through the official regulations, scoured student forums, & compiled everything you need to know into one place. This is your definitive guide to conquering BYU parking. We’ll cover everything from the official rules to the unwritten ones, so you can spend less time hunting & more time getting to where you need to be.

The Absolute First Step: Register Your Vehicle. No, Seriously.

Before you even THINK about parking on campus, you need to register your vehicle. This is non-negotiable. In the old days, you might have had a sticker or a hang tag, but now, it’s all digital. BYU uses a license plate recognition system, which means your license plate is your permit.
You can register your car through the BYU Mobile App (under the "Parking" feature) or online at cars.byu.edu. It’s a pretty straightforward process, but you’ll need your vehicle info: make, model, color, & license plate number. A word of warning: the system can take up to two hours to process your registration. Don’t register your car while pulling into the lot for your final exam; you WILL get a ticket. Do it ahead of time.
Students can register up to two vehicles, & employees can register three, but here's the catch: you can only have ONE vehicle active & parked on campus at a time. If you & your spouse are both students & might park on campus simultaneously, you both need to pay the fee. If the system detects two of your registered cars in student lots at the same time, you'll get a citation.

Decoding the Alphabet Soup: A Guide to BYU Parking Lots

Okay, this is where most of the confusion comes from. BYU’s parking system is a hierarchy of letters. What lot you can park in depends on who you are—an undergraduate living off-campus, a grad student, a Heritage Halls resident, or a faculty member. Let's break it down.
For Students Living Off-Campus (The Commuters)
If you live in an off-campus apartment, you're primarily dealing with Y, G, & U lots.
  • Y Lots (Undergraduate Students): These are the main student lots. To park here, you MUST pay the student parking fee, which is $60 per semester for Fall & Winter. Spring & Summer terms are free, but you still need to have your car registered. Paying for a Y lot gives you access to all Y lots & all U lots.
  • G Lots (Graduate Students): If you're a grad student, you get a slight upgrade. For the same $60 per semester fee, you get access to G lots, Y lots, & U lots. This gives you a few more options closer to some of the graduate-heavy buildings.
  • U Lots (Unpaid/Open): These are the FREE lots. Anyone affiliated with the university (students, employees, etc.) can park in U lots without paying a fee, as long as their vehicle is registered. The major U lots are Lot 18 (north of campus by Cougar Blvd), Lot 44 (by the intramural fields), & Lot 45 (way out west of the stadium). These are your go-to if you want to avoid the semester fee, but be prepared for a bit of a walk.
For Students Living On-Campus (The Residents)
If you live in university housing, you have your own designated parking areas. The rules are a bit different for you.
  • B Lots (Heritage Halls Residents): Heritage residents park in B lots. There’s a monthly fee of $25 per month during Fall & Winter semesters. This also gives you access to U lots. A key detail: overnight parking is restricted to B lots & the massive overflow lot, 45U (west of the stadium).
  • C Lots (Helaman Halls Residents): Similar to Heritage, Helaman residents use C lots & also pay $25 per month during the main school year. You also get U lot access, & your overnight parking is in C lots or 45U.
  • D Lots (Riviera Residents): Same deal. Riviera residents have D lots, pay the $25 monthly fee, can use U lots, & have designated overnight areas.
  • YM (Wymount Terrace) & YV (Wyview Park) Lots: If you live in family housing at Wymount or Wyview, your parking cost is included in your housing contract, which is a nice perk. You get to park in your designated residential lots (YM or YV) as well as any Y & U lots.
For Faculty & Staff
  • A Lots (Employees): Full or part-time non-student employees get to park in A lots for free, though they still MUST register their vehicle. This privilege also grants them access to C, G, Y, & U lots. However, this benefit does NOT extend to student employees, TAs, or spouses/children of employees. If you’re a student & your parent is an employee, you can’t just go park in an A lot with their car.

Visitor Parking: A Guide for Your Friends & Family

So, your parents are coming to visit for the weekend. Where do they park? First, let's define "visitor." According to BYU, a visitor is someone who is NOT a current student, not a current employee, & not the spouse of a student.
The main visitor parking lots are:
  • North of the Museum of Art (MOA) in Lot 26.
  • East of the Wilkinson Student Center in the timed visitor lot.
These lots have posted time limits, & visitors may be asked to show their driver's license to an attendant. It’s also important to note that current students & employees are NEVER allowed to park in visitor lots. They will ticket you for this, no questions asked.

Game Day & Major Events: A Whole Different Animal

When there’s a home football game at LaVell Edwards Stadium, all normal parking rules go out the window. The campus transforms, lots are closed off, & the entire area becomes a sea of blue & white.
Public parking is generally available in the lots around the Marriott Center & further out, like the intramural fields. Many lots closest to the stadium become reserved for Cougar Club members with special passes. Tailgating is a huge part of the experience, & the designated tailgate lot is Lot 18, which opens at 8 a.m. on game days. They allow propane & wood-pellet grills, but no charcoal or open fires.
Here's a CRITICAL piece of information for students, especially those living in Heritage or Helaman: if you use the overflow parking in Lot 45 (west of the stadium), you WILL be required to move your vehicle the night before a home game. Housing & Parking Services will notify you, but it’s your responsibility to move it or get towed.
This is where the on-campus system can really leave you in a bind. Imagine having to move your car for a game or trying to find a spot as a fan when thousands of others are doing the same thing. It can be a nightmare. Honestly, this is a perfect time to look for an alternative. This is where a service like Prked can be an absolute lifesaver. Prked is an app that connects people who need parking with local homeowners who are renting out their empty driveways & garages. Instead of fighting for a spot miles away, you could book a reserved driveway just a few blocks from the stadium. You get a guaranteed spot, avoid the campus chaos, & probably get a head start on the traffic when the game ends.

Specialty Parking: Motorcycles, ADA, & More

Beyond the standard cars-in-a-lot situation, there are a few other categories to be aware of.
  • Motorcycles & Scooters: If you have a two-wheeled vehicle, you’re in luck. Parking is generally easier. There are designated motorcycle areas all over campus, & for most students & employees, it’s free to park there (you still have to register the motorcycle). The exception is for residents of Heritage, Helaman, & Riviera, who have to pay the monthly fee even for a motorcycle. You can’t park a motorcycle in a regular vehicle stall.
  • ADA (Disability) Parking: BYU complies with state & federal disability parking regulations. If you have a valid state-issued disability placard or license plate, you can park in any designated ADA stall. If those stalls are full, you may park in other non-disability stalls, with some exceptions (like service stalls, official stalls, or other specially reserved spots). Your placard needs to be visible, & the disabled person must be with the vehicle.
  • Electric Vehicles (EVs): BYU has started to embrace the EV revolution. There are ten Level 2 charging stations located in Lot 20, just north of the BYU Broadcasting building. Anyone with valid BYU parking privileges can use them for a maximum of four hours per day. There is a cost, currently listed at $0.25 per kWh. You can’t just plug into any random outlet on campus; you have to use these stations.
  • Timed Stalls & Loading Zones: You’ll see short-term timed stalls (like 20-minute spots) scattered around campus. These are for quick drop-offs or pick-ups. Don't think you can cheat the system by moving your car from one timed stall to another; they will ticket you for that.

Avoiding the Dreaded Ticket: Enforcement & Fines

BYU Parking Services is… diligent. They are out there from day one of the semester. Here are the key rules to remember to keep your windshield free of those little white envelopes.
  • Enforcement Hours: Parking rules are enforced from the first day of Fall & Winter semesters. They are a bit more relaxed during Spring/Summer terms, when students can park in most Y, G, & U lots for free (though specialty stalls are still enforced).
  • The 1 AM to 5 AM Rule: This is the BIG ONE that gets so many people. Parking is prohibited in ALL non-residential lots on campus between 1:00 AM & 5:00 AM. They do this to clear the lots for cleaning & security sweeps. If you’re planning an all-nighter at the library, you either need to move your car off-campus or risk a ticket.
  • Fines: The fines can be steep. Parking in the wrong zone or without a registration will set you back $60. Parking in a disability stall without a permit is $150. Blocking a road is $75. They do offer an "early pay" discount if you pay the citation within seven calendar days. For example, a $60 "Wrong Zone" ticket is reduced to $45 if you pay it quickly.
  • Appeals: If you feel you were ticketed unfairly, you can appeal online within 14 calendar days.

Insider Tips & Student Secrets

The official rulebook is one thing, but there's also the wisdom of the crowd. Here are a few tips passed down from seasoned BYU students:
  • The Early Bird Gets the Parking Spot: This is the golden rule. If you have an 8 AM class, you’ll probably have your pick of spots. If you roll onto campus at 10:30 AM on a Tuesday, good luck. The lots closest to the center of campus fill up FAST between 9 AM & 2 PM.
  • Know Your 'Escape Valve' Lots: When things get desperate, it pays to know which lots almost always have space. These are usually the ones furthest from the action. Lot 45, west of the stadium, is enormous & rarely completely full. The walk is long, but it’s better than being late.
  • Use Public Transit: Your BYU ID card is also a UTA pass! The Utah Valley Express (UVX) bus route runs right through campus & connects to major hubs in Provo & Orem. It’s fast, frequent, & completely free for students. If you live anywhere along the UVX line, it’s often much, much easier to just take the bus.

When Campus Fails: The Off-Campus Parking Dilemma

Let's be real: even with the best-laid plans, on-campus parking is not a guarantee. There are more registered cars than there are parking spots. This pushes the problem into the surrounding Provo neighborhoods, where street parking is fiercely competitive & governed by its own set of city permits & regulations. Trying to find a spot on a residential street can be just as stressful as a campus lot.
This is the exact problem that makes a service like Prked so valuable. Instead of endlessly circling the same streets day after day, you can go on the Prked app & find a homeowner near campus who is renting out their driveway. Think about it: you could have a reserved, guaranteed spot that’s just a short walk from your first class. No more showing up 45 minutes early "just in case." You can rent these spots by the day, the week, or even for a whole semester. For a commuter student, securing a private driveway through Prked for the semester could be one of the best investments you make—saving you countless hours & a fortune in potential parking tickets.
And the usefulness of Prked doesn't stop with parking. Let's say you're moving out of your apartment for the summer or just need to declutter your tiny shared room. Where do you put your stuff? Instead of a pricey, inconvenient storage unit across town, you could use Prked to find someone renting out their empty garage, basement, or even a spare closet just a block or two away. It’s a smarter, more convenient, & often more affordable way to handle storage.
I know this is a TON of information, but hopefully, it makes the whole BYU parking situation a little less intimidating. The key takeaways are simple: register your car early, know which letter corresponds to you, get to campus before the mid-morning rush, & be hyper-aware of the overnight & game-day rules. And if the official system fails you, remember there are clever alternatives like Prked that can take the stress out of the equation entirely.
Hope this was helpful! Let me know if you have any of your own secret parking tips. Good luck out there, & may the parking odds be ever in your favor.
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