This story was updated on Jan. 24 with new information.
Digital parking permits are in full effect for students at Fresno State this semester.
One vehicle per account is permitted and vehicles can be updated or changed at any time via the Fresno State Parking Portal. The updates will be made in real-time.
“However, to minimize the chances of citations during these situations, Traffic Operations has implemented a brief buffer period for enforcement purposes,” said Derek Brantley, Fresno State Police Department parking and transportation manager.
According to Brantley, citation appeals can be filed online or in person at the Fresno State Police Department parking lobby.
“Appeal results will be sent to the vehicle’s registered owner at the address on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles,” Brantley said. “Citations remain on-hold while under review and the process takes approximately 7-10 business days.”
The License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology being used will have a one-time installation cost of $113,000 while the annual operation cost is said to be $125,000.
Digital permits for staff and faculty are planned for Fall 2025.
ORIGINAL STORY ( posted Jan. 16)
The Fresno State Police Department has introduced its first digital parking permit to students.
Beginning this semester students must purchase a fully digital parking permit online using the Fresno State Parking Portal.
The department says this digital initiative aims to distribute parking permits quicker and make the purchasing process easier by cutting out a mail-in period.
Fresno State Police Department parking and transportation manager Derek Brantley says this change could potentially decrease the number of citations issued.
“Vehicles will only be cited if they are found to be out of compliance with campus parking regulations,” Brantley told The Collegian in an email. “We recognize that this transition represents a significant change for the campus community, and our enforcement procedures will emphasize a ‘spirit of the law’ approach rather than a strict ‘letter of the law’ approach.”
Traffic enforcement will patrol campus parking lots as usual, but their vehicles will be equipped with License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology that will verify parking status.
A student ID number and a single license plate number will be attached to the virtual permit.
At this time it is unclear how long the wait would be to adjust a license plate number, or how often it could be changed, if the original vehicle were to be unavailable.
This means that students may not be able to avoid a ticket even if emergencies like car trouble or vehicle theft arise and they cannot take their originally registered vehicle.
When asked, Brantley simply maintained that all students could file a three-step appeal if they felt that a citation was unjustly given to them.
“In cases where a vehicle is disabled and cited, California Vehicle Code Section 40215 provides an appeal process that students may use,” Brantley said. “This process ensures that such circumstances are reviewed and addressed appropriately.”
Fresno State isn’t the first college campus to roll out an LPR system, though.
Schools like the University of California, Merced and San Diego State have also implemented similar systems in recent years.
In these cases, LPR has been used to locate stolen vehicles or serve as evidence for ongoing investigations of theft and other related crimes.
Fresno State sent an email blast to students regarding the changes on Jan. 9 but full details have yet to be released. Brantley says the department is still working on some last-minute adjustments.
“The university is in the final stages of testing the new system,” Brantley said. “We plan to communicate detailed information about this change to the campus community in early January.”
Despite being digital, these parking permits remain at the same price of $93 per semester or $186 for the academic year beginning in Fall 2025.
Permits for the Spring 2025 semester were made available for purchase on Jan. 6.
Questions that have been asked, but remain unanswered:
• What happens if a vehicle breaks down and a student needs to drive another car?
• How long will it take for the permit to reset if another vehicle is needed?
• How do you transfer your permit to another vehicle?
• How often can someone register a different vehicle?
• Where would one file the appeal process and how long does this usually take to resolve?
• How much is this LPR technology costing to implement?
The Collegian will update this story when more information becomes available.
Johny Depth • Jan 18, 2025 at 10:49 am
The green permit still seems like the better choice for convenience sake, since many people may have to switch cars due to whatever reason in the semester. Traffic police looking at green permits is also easier than them scanning every car one by one. This just feels like they wanted to justify buying and using the license plate scanners.
I hope that they answer all the Collegians questions, because it really is an inconvenience in the long term if they do not have ways where people can change the permit to another car if they ever need to. What is the point of buying the parking pass if people are unable to use it when they can’t use the car it was registered to, the reality is that life happens and no one can guarantee their car will be available or work at all times.
Jamie • Jan 16, 2025 at 2:11 pm
I’m curious to know if this is the same for the student carpool parking. I haven’t seen much info about this, would it also be virtual?