<p>Can someone explain to me how one gets a parking pass if they plan to have a car on campus? Do we purchase them when we submit SIR? How much do they costs? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>[USC</a> Auxiliary Services | Transportation | Guest Services](<a href=“http://transportation.usc.edu/]USC”>http://transportation.usc.edu/)</p>
<p>A follow-up question to that. My son does not yet know his dorm (obviously), but to register for a parking account it asks your dorm. Does he need to wait until he has a dorm assignment to start the parking spot process? Thanks.</p>
<p>well, there are several parking options and the one you want to choose is the one closest to your apartment.</p>
<p>for example if you were going to live in…
-any of the parkside buildings you want PSA.
-southside (marks tower, pardee tower, marks hall, trojan hall) you want PSX
-southside (radisson) you want PS2 or PSX
-northside (birnkrant, new/north) you want PSX or PSD
-westside (fluor) you want PSB. </p>
<p>cardinal gardens and century have their own parking lots, troy/troyeast has parking underneath the structure. all (or almost all) of the off campus housing options have parking underneath or in a gated lot next to them. </p>
<p>check out this link and select “public parking” on the top and “residential” on the left:
[USC</a> Maps](<a href=“http://web-app.usc.edu/maps/]USC”>University of Southern California)</p>
<p>So when making a parking account, which is apparently the first step, should you just put the dorm you hope to get? What if turns out to be another? And if you wait till you know for sure, I would imagine you lose priority?</p>
<p>Two years ago, the parking permit purchase was crazy - the permits became available at a certain time in early May and EVERYONE was online at once trying to get one (parents in the case of freshmen, because it started mid-morning on a school day), the site crashing, refreshing the screen, clicking “purchase…” </p>
<p>As of last year, it is a much calmer process. You have all of May and June to register your preferences. You will sign up for “waitning lists” for up to six structures or lots, and you can change those preferences at any time during the registration period. I recommend you sign up for SIX possibilities, starting with the one closest to your dorm (and you will have plenty of time to change the preferences after you get your housing assignment) to have the best chances of getting a permit somewhere.</p>
<p>Then in July you will get an email stating what structure or lot you got, and your student account will be billed. It went very smoothly last year.</p>
<p>Step-by-step instructions: <a href=“http://transportation.usc.edu/pdf/students-summer-fall-spring.pdf[/url]”>http://transportation.usc.edu/pdf/students-summer-fall-spring.pdf</a> This is from last year, but the process looks to be the same this year.</p>
<p>Oh - costs! I forgot. This is by memory, so check jose’s link for specifics… on-campus structures are $396/semester including LA tax, and the off campus structure is cheaper.</p>