Parking on Campus

Finding parking can be daunting at times. It is our policy to provide parking areas for the safety and convenience of university personnel, students and visitors. Parking a motor vehicle on campus is a privilege, not a right.

View Campus Map with Parking Information

Parking Permits
To ensure equal and appropriate consideration for limited parking resources, all faculty, staff, and students are required to obtain and properly display a current parking decal on any vehicle, including motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds, that will be parked in campus parking lots. Parking decals may be obtained at Campus Services, located at the Bookstore in the Student Center.
Parking Decals

Parking decals authorize the holder to park in specific campus parking lots. They do not designate or guarantee a parking space. Parking decals are valid for one academic year.  

Student Parking Decal Fees
Parking decal fees will be applied to the account of every enrolled student at the beginning of the academic year, based upon the parking category of the students. Categories and the related fee assessed for the 2022-2023 academic year are as follows:

Category Decal/Lot Color Fee

  • Residential Students: Orange*, Yellow, $160
  • Commuting Students (includes graduate students): Green, $80
  • Cross-Enrolled Students with primary enrollment at an applicable local educational institution: Green, $0
  • Senior Citizen Enrollment Program Students: Green, $0
*Decals for orange parking near residence halls are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. If residential students with an orange parking decal receive multiple citations, they may lose those parking privileges and be assigned a yellow parking decal.
 

Fee Waivers
A parking fee waiver may be granted to students not wishing to park a vehicle on campus. To receive a waiver and refund of parking fee, the student should submit a waiver request. The Vice President for Student Affairs will make the final determination regarding the waiver and if approved, a refund will be applied to the student's account.

PLEASE NOTE: Parking fee waivers are for students who will NEVER have a car on campus. If a student has been granted a parking decal fee waiver and is found to be parking a vehicle on campus, the student will be fined for improperly parking and a full parking fee will be applied to the student’s account.

Replacement Parking Decals
Damaged, destroyed, or otherwise irretrievable parking decals may be purchased from Campus Services. A majority of the damaged decal must be presented to qualify for a free replacement. If remains are not available, a new parking decal can be obtained for $15. Proof of accident or proof of sale will be required.

Parking Decal Placement
The parking decal is to be displayed in the lower left-hand (driver’s side) corner on the inside of the back windshield. Grand View University does NOT guarantee protection of vehicles parked in university lots; nor does it provide reimbursement for damage while parked in university lots.
Vehicle Registration

Students may register vehicles online via myGVU; then visit Campus Services with an ID to pick up the decal. The following information is needed to register your vehicle:

  1. Name of student
  2. Current license plate number
  3. Make, model and year of vehicle
  4. Color of vehicle

It is the responsibility of the decal holder to assure that Campus Services has updated information in the event of a new vehicle and/or license number during a decal period. If the vehicle does not match the sticker registration information, a citation may be issued, even with an otherwise valid decal.
 
Only one parking decal sticker will be provided per student. A second vehicle parking decal can be obtained at Campus Services by paying an additional parking fee of $50. Parking decals only allow parking within the specific lot; they do not designate or guarantee a parking space.
No Parking Areas

No parking areas include:

  • sidewalks
  • crosswalks
  • grass
  • lawns
  • front of driveways
  • in fire lanes
  • all yellow curbs
  • blocking fire exits
  • interfere with the use of a fire hydrant
  • in a handicapped space without proper decal
  • in a loading zone unless loading
  • if you create a hazard or interfere with the free and proper use of a roadway or parking area

Signage need not be displayed to designate these areas!

Towing
The university reserves the right to tow away vehicles when deemed necessary. The owner of the vehicle will be responsible for all costs incurred. For complete policy regarding towing, visit the policy section on myGVU.

Snow removal, construction, and special events may require properly-parked vehicles to relocate from assigned parking lots. Should an accumulation of snow, short-term construction activity, or special event require the moving of properly-parked vehicles, notices will be posted in each residence hall and myGVU. It is the vehicle owner’s responsibility to move the vehicle by the deadline posted in the notice. If vehicles have not been moved in a reasonable amount of time after proper notification, they may be towed at the owner’s expense. If you are off-campus for several days in winter, consider leaving your car keys with a friend or RA in case your car needs to be moved to clear the snow.

Parking lots shared with neighboring churches may be closed to Grand View University usage during special services such as funerals and church programs.

Car temporarily disabled in the wrong spot? Let Campus Security know at (515) 263-6000 as soon as possible to receive a short grace period for repair/removal!

Temporary Parking Decals
Temporary permits showing an expiration date for special parking exception must be obtained from Campus Services prior to parking in campus lots. The temporary decals are only available for short periods of time for a reasonable cause that cannot otherwise be accomplished through regular parking procedures. Find more info on the Campus Services section of myGVU.
Visitor Parking
Ample visitor parking is available in various areas throughout campus and is marked as such with signs for every stall.  Vehicles with current parking decal will be ticketed if found in Visitor Parking spaces. Temporary parking decals may be obtained by students for anticipated guests’ use in parking spaces not reserved for visitors.
Disabled Parking

Vehicles in parking stalls reserved for persons with disabilities must display both a State-issued disabled decal and the Grand View University parking decal to avoid citation from both Campus Security and city authorities.

Temporary disabled parking decals may be obtained from Campus Services for students who are disabled for a short period of time. These decals, which include an expiration date, will enable the students to park in a disabled space in Grand View University parking lots, but are NOT valid on any city street or in any public disabled parking spaces.

The temporary disabled parking decals are not to be used in the designated disabled (handicapped). Those will only allow someone to park in a lot they’re not normally allowed so that they can get closer to their building.
Parking Tickets & Fines

All vehicles on Grand View campus property without a current GV campus decal properly displayed, appropriately parked in the designated parking lot, may receive a citation and/or be subject to towing at the owner’s expense as per the policy detailed on myGVU.
Transportation Options

Because Grand View University is in the heart of Des Moines, we have additional options for getting to campus or around town than other colleges and universities. Check out your options below. 

Public Transportation
As parking is limited, Des Moines' commuting students may wish to take advantage of the Des Moines Metropolitan Transit Authority (DART) which provides bus service to and from Grand View University along two of its major routes, as well as para-transit for those with qualifying special needs. Campus ID’s have the DART emblem imprinted on them at the time of production. Simply show your Campus ID when you board DART. 

City Parking
There are options for free parking on the street around most of campus in the residential neighborhoods. Please take note of any time limits and city regulations that may be posted.