The best parking method for guests of a student living in a residence hall is to purchase a $6 residence hall visitor permit, Lynnette Forman, office supervisor of MSU’s parking operations, said. These permits are valid from noon Friday to noon Monday or for a 24-hour period on weekdays in Lot 75 near the Breslin Center; Lot 83 near Holden Hall; Lot 89, the commuter lot; or’and’ or ‘or’, can you switch between lots? Lot 91 off Service and Hagadorn roads.

Forman added that if visitors are staying for less time, two-hour visitor permits can be purchased for $1.50 and four-hour permits for $3.

The parking lots in front of residence halls are reserved from 7 a.m. to midnight and some spots permanently are reserved.

For students living on the north end of campus, guests can park after 6 p.m. in the employee spaces of Ramp 5 by Communication Arts and Sciences, or ramp 6, located on Grand River Avenue.

On football game days, Forman said visitors should park in a lot Friday night at the latest and refrain from leaving the lots if they don’t want to pay the football event parking fee or lose their spot.

Downtown East Lansing parking

Dan O’Connor, the parking administrator for the city of East Lansing, said there is a multitude of parking options downtown.

Various garages cost $0.65 per half hour and attended surface lots charge $0.70 per half hour.

O’Connor added that the parking meters on the streets are free from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

A Parking and Code Enforcement, or PACE, official said that if a resident has a guest, they can call the parking desk of the East Lansing Police Department and get parking on a residential street approved from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. This does not apply to “no parking zones” and the granting of permission is very limited.

Those with questions can call the MSU Parking Office at 517-355-8440 or PACE at 517-337-1277.

Check out our map of parking locations on and off campus.