Frequently Asked Questions
The following is a list of commonly received questions regarding parking general information.
A virtual permit is a digital parking permit linked to your vehicle’s license plate number. Instead of displaying a physical sticker or hangtag on your car, your license plate is used to verify parking privileges.
Visit the UTRGV Parking Portal to purchase your permit. During checkout, you’ll be asked to enter your vehicle’s license plate number and other details like make, model, and color. The vehicle will be linked to your permit number.
No. Physical permits are no longer required for general parking. Your registered license plate acts as your permit. However, a hangtag is still required if you plan to park at TSC (Texas Southmost College). You can obtain a hangtag at our Brownsville Parking Office located at BVAQP-A, Room 1.101A.
Yes. You can register up to two vehicles for one permit. However, only one vehicle may be on campus at a time. If both vehicles are on campus simultaneously under one permit, one will receive a citation.
Update your vehicle information immediately through the UTRGV Parking Portal to avoid receiving a citation.
You will receive a confirmation email after purchasing your permit and registering your license plate. You can verify your information anytime by logging into the UTRGV Parking Portal.
No. Parking privileges are based on your permit type (e.g., Zone 1, Zone 2, etc.). Be sure to park only in the zones allowed by your permit.
You can add temporary vehicle information in the UTRGV Parking Portal. Make sure to enter the correct license plate details and remove the vehicle when it's no longer in use.
Yes, but only if each user has their own valid permit. If two people share a car, both must have their own virtual permits to avoid citations when parking separately on campus.
Dealer-issued paper plates are acceptable if the plate number is clearly visible. Update your information with the permanent plate number as soon as you receive it in the UTRGV Parking Portal.
Purchase your UTRGV virtual permit first. Then, visit the Parking Office in Brownsville to receive a special hangtag required for TSC parking. Our Brownsville office is located at BVAQP-A, Room 1.101A.
Enforcement officers use mobile cameras to scan license plates and verify them against the permit database. If your plate isn’t registered or is parked in the wrong zone, you may be cited.
Log into the UTRGV Parking Portal to view the citation and appeal.
Yes. Mobile Pay spaces allow visitors and others to park in designated spaces (those marked as Mobile Pay spaces) by simply texting an SMS short code or scan a QR code to access the online payment portal through a web browser.
Mobile Pay Locations:
As long as your plate is legally visible and readable, it should work with the system. If issues arise, contact Parking Services.
Yes. U.S., Mexico, and Canada plates are supported. For other international plates, contact Parking Services for guidance.
If your vehicle doesn’t have a front plate, you must park head-in so your rear plate is visible to enforcement unless you are parking in a space that is angled. If parking in an angled space, please visit our parking office for a temporary placard.
Recommendations to increase parking permit rates are voted upon by the Parking and Traffic Advisory Committee (“PTAC”). PTAC membership consists of representation from Student Government Association, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, Facilities Management, Police Services and Parking Services. The purpose of this Committee is to a) review parking and traffic regulations, b) develop recommendations for regulation revisions, as necessary, and c) to develop an efficient parking and traffic system as it relates to differential parking zones, parking fees, penalties for violations of regulations, arrangements for bicycles, motorcycles, and pedestrian traffic.
There are no plans to increase zone 1 permit rates.
We continuously analyze supply and demand for parking spaces, redistribute spaces across zones depending on use, and recommend additions.
The current parking industry standard ratio for permits to spaces is approximately 3:1. UTRGV’s parking ratio is approximately 3:1.
UTRGV assesses supply and demand for parking on a continual basis. While it may become a necessity in the future, there is currently an availability of underutilized parking spaces (Zone 1 specifically). The cost for construction of a parking garage, at minimum, would be about $31,000 - $42,000 per space. (For purpose of comparison, a surface lot costs an estimated $4,000 per space.) Funding such a structure would cause permit prices to increase substantially (we would not receive state funding and tuition cannot be used to pay for the garage) and would not result in the same quantity of spaces that could be achieved with surface parking. Many Texas public universities with parking garages sell parking permits in the range of $400-$600.
Zone 1 often has the most open parking spaces, particularly during peak periods of the day. Peak periods are generally between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday. VOLT vehicles make trips from and to the remote parking lots providing students with FREE rides to designated drop-off locations on the Brownsville and Edinburg campuses. Students can download the TransLoc mobile application to see when the next bus will arrive. View the TransLoc app for more information.