ALTOONA, Pa. — Several parking updates are taking place this fall to modernize and improve the Penn State Altoona parking experience for employees, students and visitors. These changes are consistent with parking operations at University Park and also are being implemented at three other Penn State campuses.

Penn State Altoona will transition to virtual parking permits and license plate recognition (LPR) parking enforcement. LPR technology allows parking staff to verify permits by reading vehicle license plates, reducing reliance on physical permits, and improving enforcement efficiency.

When LPR enforcement begins:

• Student permits will transition to fully virtual permits linked to license plates.
• Faculty and staff will be notified when it is time to claim a new virtual permit online that will replace their current hangtag permit.

Additional information will be shared with permit holders before these changes take effect.

Visitors will soon have a new digital parking registration option through the HONK parking system.

Visitors will be able to:

• Register through the HONK app or by scanning a QR code posted in visitor parking areas.
• Link their registration directly to their vehicle's license plate.

More details will be shared with the campus community when HONK is available for use.

Beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, student parking permits will be available for purchase exclusively online through a new parking portal.

Students will:

• Purchase permits online.
• Pay using a credit card.
• Register the license plates for vehicles associated with their permit.

Following purchase, students must print their permit from the online parking portal and display it on their dashboard.

This permit display requirement is temporary and will remain in place until license plate recognition parking enforcement begins later this fall. Students will be notified via email when the permit display requirement ends.

All vehicles parked on campus must be parked so that the license plate faces the drive aisle. This positioning allows LPR enforcement vehicles to scan license plates to verify valid permits or parking payments.

Permit holders who prefer to back into parking spaces will have the option to purchase a special front license plate from the Vehicle Registration Office. Additional information about this option will be shared when available.

Failure to park with a license plate facing the drive aisle may result in a parking violation.

• Purchase a parking permit online beginning at 10 a.m. Aug. 18.
• Print and display the permit on your dashboard after purchase.
• Keep license plate information current in the parking portal.
• Park with your license plate facing the drive aisle.

• Continue displaying your current hangtag permit.
• Park with your license plate facing the drive aisle.
• Watch for future communications regarding virtual permit enrollment later this fall.

• Watch for future communications regarding HONK visitor parking registration information.

For additional parking information, visit the Penn State Altoona Parking website.