Garage Parking FAQ

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about the parking garage at ECU. If you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us, (252) 328-6294 or email parking@ecu.edu.

Where is the parking garage?

The Main Campus Student Center parking garage remains ECU’s sole facility, located at 501 E. 10th Street behind the Student Center, with entry via Student Center Drive. It offers 724 spaces (709 standard, 15 ADA-compliant), up slightly from prior estimates, and includes two electric vehicle (EV) charging stations near the entrance with a 4-hour usage limit to ensure equitable access.

Do I have to pay to park in the garage?

Yes. Parking in the garage requires either an annual garage permit or payment of the hourly parking rate. Hourly parking is $2 per hour and is charged 24/7. Parking and garage operations are fully self-funded through these revenues, without reliance on tuition, fees, or state allocations.

With the new gateless parking system, your vehicle’s license plate is used to track your parking session. Hourly visitors can pay using the ParkMobile app (location 2032) or by scanning the QR codes posted throughout the garage. Payment should be completed during your visit to avoid receiving a parking invoice. Overnight parking is prohibited.

How do I get a garage parking permit/access card?

Annual garage permits can be purchased by staff, faculty, and students. You will obtain your permit (connected to your license plate) after registering your vehicle and paying the annual fee.  (See garage permit page for details). If you have already registered and paid the annual fee for parking in another zone and are interested in upgrading to the garage, visit or contact the parking office for information about the exchange.

Are there any places to park on campus without a permit, other than the parking garage? Is there Visitor Parking?

Yes, pay by space parking is in the following areas at a cost of $1.50/hour. Parkmobile app accepted.

  • Corner of 5th Street & Harding Street near the main entrance to campus.
  • Between Jenkins Art Building and Garrett Residence Hall.  Enter campus from 5th Street onto Founders Drive. Turn right onto Faculty Way. Lot entrance is beside Jenkins Art Building.
  • East of the Croatan and Rivers Buildings.  Enter off of Maple Street; or, turn onto campus at the light on 10th Street and College Hill Drive and turn right to travel beside Fletcher Music to reach the parking areas.

Why do I have to pay to park? What does ECU Parking do with all of the fees and fines collected?

Based on North Carolina laws, state funds cannot be used for parking facilities at state universities; instead, parking costs must be covered by revenue from parking fees. At East Carolina University (ECU), faculty, staff, and students may purchase annual parking permits for a fee, while hourly paid parking is available to all. These fees fund the maintenance, construction, paving, striping, signage, staffing, and other operational costs of campus parking lots. A portion of the parking fees supports ECU Transit, which provides bus services for students from perimeter parking areas. Additionally, North Carolina law requires that 80% of parking fines collected be allocated to the public school system.

Without regulated parking enforcement, finding available spaces could disrupt classes and campus operations. Zoned parking optimizes space usage based on proximity to buildings and their functions. ECU’s strategic plan promotes a pedestrian-friendly campus, encouraging transit use or walking by locating most parking on the perimeter.

Why does it say the parking garage is full, when it looks like there are open spaces?

The Main Campus Student Center parking garage offers a total of 720 parking spaces, comprising 705 standard spaces and 15 ADA-compliant spaces. Approximately 50 individuals hold garage permits, necessitating reserved availability to accommodate their access. When the garage displays a “Full” sign, the parking attendant may grant entry only to permitted vehicles to ensure compliance with permit holder privileges.

Is there ADA parking in the garage?

Yes, there are 15 ADA spaces in the garage. These can be used by permit holders or those paying hourly.

Are there vehicle charging stations in the garage?

Yes, there are 2 charging stations near the entrance to the garage.


Special Event Parking & Department Validations

What if a student arrives for a last-minute, urgent, or unscheduled appointment?

If a student walks in unexpectedly, your staff can simply enter their license plate into your department’s digital portal during their appointment. This will instantly validate their session and retroactively cover their entire stay.

Will a patron automatically get a ticket if they don’t pay within 15 minutes of arriving?

No. Because our office manually reviews garage data for accuracy before any invoice is generated, the system will cross-reference their plate against your department’s validation entries. As long as your staff inputs their plate or they use your link during their visit, they are fully protected from penalties.

What should we do with our remaining inventory of paper validation stickers?

You can return your unused physical validations to our office for a full refund, or email eventparking@ecu.edu to have the exact dollar value applied as a credit toward your new digital validation account.

How will our department manage and issue these new digital validations?

The digital validation portal is fully operational and configured to support your department’s specific workflow. We offer two primary setup options depending on your needs: a Custom Validation Link for visitor self-service or Individual Proxy Access for direct front-desk management.

How do we get our department set up?

Because every department has unique operational timelines, we ask that you proactively initiate this process. Please have an administrative representative from your department email eventparking@ecu.edu to request your setup. Our team will then collaborate with you to establish your custom portal, determine whether a set quantity or an unlimited pool best fits your usage pattern, and provide training for your staff before the go-live date.

How to purchase your annual permit and register your vehicle(s):

  • Visit Parking & Transportation in PiratePort. You will need your Pirate ID and passphrase.
  • Click Account button to update or verify your information

    Please include a valid telephone number

  • You will need your license plate number, vehicle year, make, model and color
  • If everything is up to date, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Order Permits and follow the directions

We ONLY accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover online and in our office. If you wish to pay by cash or check, visit the Parking & Transportation Office at 305 East 10th Street during cashier hours, Monday-Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.

You will NOT receive a parking decal. Your license plate is now your permit to park. Your “permit” is active within a few minutes of payment!

Temporary Permits

Students are allowed up to two monthly permits or eight weekly permits for the academic year in the designated student lot for which they are registered, and as long as permits are available.  This is ONLY for short-term parking. This is NOT to replace a parking permit.

  • Monthly permits $20
  • Weekly $10
  • Day $5

Yearly permit holders

If you have an active yearly permit, you can add a temporary vehicle online for free if you have been in an accident or if you are driving a different vehicle.

ADA Designation

ECU is committed to accessibility and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please see the ADA web page to learn more about the process to have ADA designation added to your ECU parking registration.

Stolen License Plate

Permits associated with license plates that have been lost or stolen will be deactivated and flagged for towing. The individual whom a permit is registered to is responsible for all non-moving traffic violations involving a vehicle carrying a permit issued to him or her.  License plates that are stolen must be immediately reported to the ECU Police Department. Any vehicle found displaying a lost, stolen, or forged license plate will be immediately towed, and the owner will be reported to the proper authorities.

Citations

Citations not paid or appealed in 10 business days will be transferred to the cashiers office and added to your tuition.  If a citation has been transferred from our office you will have to pay it at the cashiers office in the Old Cafeteria Complex or online in Pirateport through your tuition.  For more information, visit Citations.