Parking Near UK Campus
Parking around the University of Kentucky runs on three separate systems: city residential permit zones, streets the university controls, and game-day relocation rules for students. This page explains where parking is restricted and who to contact when something goes wrong. It does not identify places where parking is allowed. The posted signs on the block are the final authority.
How Permit Parking Works Near Campus
Lexington runs a Residential Permit Parking Program, known as RPPP, through LexPark. The Urban County Council approved the program in 1990. Today it covers 50 districts affecting more than 1,000 properties, and a large share of the residential streets around the university sit inside one of them.
On an RPPP street, only vehicles displaying a valid permit for that specific zone may park during the restricted hours shown on the signs. A permit for one zone does not work in another. Parking there without the right permit during restricted hours means a citation.
Who can get a permit
Permits are issued to residents of the street itself. Living nearby, working nearby, or attending class nearby does not qualify a vehicle for a residential permit.
Cost and term
Permits are $10 each and run July 1 through June 30. A household on an RPPP street can obtain two primary permits and two guest permits.
Citations on city streets
Citations issued on city streets are handled by LexPark, which takes payment and appeals. LexPark, 859-231-7275.
The practical warning for anyone driving to campus: do not assume a street is open simply because it looks residential and has open curb space. Permit districts near the university are dense, and the restricted hours vary from district to district.
Read the posted signs on the block before parking. Signage is the final authority on where and when parking is restricted.
Streets UK Controls Near Campus
Not every street at the edge of campus belongs to the city. Under a 2017 land-swap agreement between the University of Kentucky and the city, the university took control of several roads in and around campus. Those campus-edge streets are managed by UK Transportation Services rather than by the city, and the rules on them are not the same as the rules on a city street a block away.
On these streets, parking requires a valid UK permit during the hours the university controls them. Which permit applies and which hours are enforced differ block to block. Parking there without the right permit during controlled hours can result in a citation or an impound.
Because these rules change and vary by block, this page does not list permit types or enforcement hours for individual streets. Confirm the current rules for a specific block with UK Transportation Services, 859-257-5757.
Read the posted signs on the block before parking. Signage is the final authority on which permit applies and when it is enforced.
Towed Near Campus? What To Do
The first thing to establish is whose property the vehicle was parked on, because that determines who to call. Campus property, city street, and private lots are handled by different parties.
Parked on UK lots, structures, or property
Contact UK Transportation Services, 859-257-5757.
UK-directed tows in other areas
Contact Denali Towing Inc., 859-241-3031.
A citation on a city street
A parking citation issued on a city street is a LexPark matter, whether the intent is to pay it or to appeal it. LexPark, 859-231-7275.
Have the vehicle plate, the make and model, and the block where it was parked ready before calling. Those three details are what any of these offices will ask for first.
Game Day: When Students Must Move Their Car
On home football Saturdays, parts of campus convert to stadium parking. Students and permit holders parked in those areas are required to relocate their vehicles ahead of the game, and a vehicle left in place risks a citation or an impound. This is a separate question from where fans park. For fan parking, free game-day garages, tailgating, and shuttle details, see the Kroger Field parking guide.
Must be moved before 7 a.m. on game day
- •Kroger Field Red Lot
- •Kroger Field Blue Lot
- •Commonwealth Drive
- •College Way East Lot
- •College Way West Lot
- •Sports Center Garage (PS #7)
- •Sports Center Drive
- •Ag Greenhouse lots
Kroger Field Green Lot: vehicles must be moved before 10 p.m. the night before the game, not the morning of.
Relocation window: vehicles may move to the relocation areas after 3:30 p.m. Friday and must be back by 5 a.m. Monday.
Hilltop Avenue Garage (PS #2): vehicles parked here do not have to move on game day.
Free public garages on home football Saturdays
Hilltop Avenue Garage (PS #2), 538 Rose Street. Free, about 0.8 miles from Kroger Field.
Press Avenue Garage (PS #6), 721 Press Avenue. Free, about 1.2 miles from Kroger Field.
2026 UK home football dates
- •September 5: Youngstown State
- •September 12: Alabama
- •September 26: South Alabama
- •October 10: LSU
- •October 24: Vanderbilt
- •November 14: Florida
- •November 28: Louisville (Governor's Cup)
Kickoff times are set by the SEC on a rolling basis through the season, so they are not listed here. Confirm the kickoff time and the current relocation map with UK Transportation Services, 859-257-5757, before each game.
Relocation areas and deadlines can change from season to season. Read the posted signs in the lot or garage before leaving a vehicle overnight on a home game weekend. Signage is the final authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park on a street near UK without a permit?
Often not. Many residential streets around campus fall inside a Residential Permit Parking district, where only vehicles with a valid permit for that specific zone may park during the restricted hours. Other streets at the campus edge are controlled by the university and require a valid UK permit during controlled hours. Rules differ block to block, so read the posted signs on that block before parking.
What do I do if my car was towed near campus?
Start by working out whose property the vehicle was on, because that determines who to call. For UK lots, structures, and property, contact UK Transportation Services at 859-257-5757. For UK-directed tows in other areas, contact Denali Towing Inc. at 859-241-3031. A parking citation on a city street is a LexPark matter, at 859-231-7275.
Do I have to move my car for UK football games?
Students parked in certain campus areas do. Vehicles in the Kroger Field Red and Blue lots, Commonwealth Drive, the College Way East and West lots, the Sports Center Garage (PS #7), Sports Center Drive, and the Ag Greenhouse lots must be moved before 7 a.m. on game day. Vehicles in the Kroger Field Green Lot must be moved before 10 p.m. the night before. Vehicles parked in the Hilltop Avenue Garage (PS #2) do not have to move.
Where can I park for free on a home football Saturday?
Two UK garages are free and open to the public on home football Saturdays. The Hilltop Avenue Garage (PS #2) at 538 Rose Street is about 0.8 miles from Kroger Field, and the Press Avenue Garage (PS #6) at 721 Press Avenue is about 1.2 miles.
Permit rules, enforcement hours, and game-day relocation areas change. Confirm current details with LexPark for city streets and UK Transportation Services for campus property, and read the posted signs before parking.