ECU moves to Permit-by-Plate System to Monitor and Control Parking

Beginning Fall semester 2021, you will not need a decal to park on campus! But, you WILL need to register your vehicle and pay the annual fee. A new “Permit-by-Plate” system is in place, with simple, online registration and payment for parking zones. Once registered, vehicles parking in University lots will no longer have a parking decal to indicate the eligible zone. Parking privileges are identified by license plates, rather than a decal or hangtag.

Following the lead of most of the UNC System schools and many large cities, license plate recognition software (LPR) is now in place at ECU. The Permit-by-Plate system eliminates the need for parking decals for students, staff and faculty; as well as hangtags used by most temporary employees and visitors.

There are many benefits and efficiencies gained by the new system, while some aspects of parking at ECU will remain the same. There will be a fee increase for parking zones for the 2022-2023 academic year.

Faculty/Staff individuals will still be allowed to register up to six vehicles, and the permit validity remains July 1 – June 30 for staff.

Students will only be allowed to register one vehicle and permits are valid August 1 – July 31 for students.

There is no waiting for the decal to be mailed or picked-up as registered license plates are valid immediately. If a new vehicle is being parked on campus, owners can add license plate information online.

Where a hang tag was once needed for temporary or part-time employees, the license plate can be registered, fee paid, and the zone privileges are uploaded to the system. For most, permission is granted immediately without a trip to the parking office. Vendors, one-day or short term visitors will need to come to the Parking Office to register their vehicle and pay the associated fee. License plate and vehicle information will be needed at that time. Departmental Guest permits can be paid by ProCard or other method through the Parking Office.

The LPR system is integrated into ECU Parking vans which recognize registered vehicles. Control officers are alerted when it identifies a vehicle without permission, displaying the information on a dashboard screen. The control officer can then verify the information and alert an enforcement officer if a citation is needed. By giving citations, parking is better controlled, ensuring those with permits have ample parking.

The recognition technology needs a clear license plate view. Unless a vehicle is registered in a state that issues both front and rear plates, individuals will no longer be able to park forward-facing without risking a citation. However, for those who have a rear-only plate and backing-in or pulling through a space is preferred, ECU Parking will offer a unique LPR-readable front plate for purchase. This front plate identifier will be tied to the state-issued plate and be valid as long as the plate number remains the same. Please complete this online form to indicate your interest in purchasing a front plate. You will be notified when it’s available for pickup. The cost is $10.

Note: There is no estimated time frame to when the front license plate/decal will be available.

Other universities have found that using license plate recognition shows cost savings and operational efficiencies. ECU Parking Services forecasts the department will save $ 85,000.00 by not buying decals. Using the software system shortens the patrol time, and also provides reports such as vehicle counts in specific lots, which was previously counted manually.  Parking lot use data helps determine space allotment for various lots and zones and allows Parking Services to make adjustments as needed.

To learn more about the new Plate-to-Permit system, visit https://parking.ecu.edu/license-plate-recognition/ 

or view our video: https://youtu.be/t1z7tIDQfrg