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Student parking permits

If you are coming to Southampton to study, please consider where you would park before you decide to bring a car. Parking spaces at halls of residence are very restricted (see the relevant university or college’s advice for details of their parking permit schemes) and if you are living in private accommodation you may find that parking is limited, restricted or even prohibited.

Residents parking permits

Some areas of the city with particularly high demand for parking have permit schemes which restrict the number of cars that can park in that zone.

If you are a student living in a private residence in a residents parking zone you MUST apply for a residents' parking permit if you want to park your car.

However, not all properties in a zone are eligible for permits and there are restrictions on the number of permits that can be issued

  • Depending on the zone, the number of permits that will be issued to any one postal address is limited to one (Zone 1) or two (Zones 2 to 16). This may mean that, for example, not all residents of a shared house will be able to park a car in the permit zone, and you should take this into account when deciding who in your house will be using a car while living there. Permits are issued by the Council on a first come, first served basis.

  • If your housemates apply for a parking permit before you do and use up the allocation of permits for that property, you will not be able to get one. The Council will not resolve these issues, so we suggest that you agree with your housemates beforehand, who will get access to the parking permits

  • If the property you are living in has off street parking you should use it. Properties with off street parking have limited eligibility for permits, or may not be eligible at all. (see Permit eligibility guidance)

  • If the property you are living in was built or subdivided since March 2001, you are not eligible for a permit due to restrictions in place as part of planning permission. 

  • It is your responsibility to apply for and obtain a valid resident’s permit; we advise you NOT to rely on anyone else (e.g. landlord, letting agent) to do this for you. You need to understand the rules and park your vehicle accordingly, because the registered keeper will be liable for any penalty issued as a result of not following them!


For full details of residents' parking schemes and how to apply please see the Parking Permits page and Residents’ permits eligibility guidance. You can apply online, by post or in person.

Charges

Permit costs vary according to the zone - see Apply for a new resident’s permit for details.

What you will need in order to apply

In order to obtain a residents' permit you will need to know what zone you are in and provide proof of residence and vehicle ownership.

  1. Permit zones: use the interactive map to find your address and confirm the residents permit zone. You need to use the application form for the relevant zone. Please read the terms and conditions carefully before applying. 
  2. Proof of residence: This must be a document in your name showing the address for which you are applying for the Parking Permit; see Permit application guidance for details of documents accepted. 
  3. Proof of DVLA vehicle registration: If you are the registered keeper of the vehicle, you must register it at the address you are living at. You will need to provide a copy of the front of the DVLA’s V5C registration certificate (log book) showing your name and the address for which you are applying for the Parking Permit.

If you are waiting for change of address details to be processed you can apply for a temporary permit, but will still need to provide proof of vehicle ownership, for example a copy of the completed Section 10 “new keeper’s details” from the V5C.

If you are not the registered keeper you must provide a letter from the registered keeper. The letter must

  • include a copy of the V5C registration document for the vehicle

  • specifically authorise you to use this vehicle

A letter of acknowledgement will be sent to the registered keeper of the vehicle confirming that a Resident's Parking Permit has been issued.

For full details of how to apply, see Apply for a new resident’s permit and the Permit application guidance pages.

Visitors

You can also apply for visitors’ permits for occasional visitors; these must not be used by residents of your property in lieu of a resident’s permit. You do not need to have a resident’s permit in order to apply for an Annual Visitor Permit or to buy visitor scratch cards. You will need to provide proof of residence (see Permit application guidance for details) for the address for which you are applying. One Annual Visitors Permit and up to sixty visitor scratch cards in a twelve month period are available per eligible address.

If your address is not eligible for a resident’s permit, for example because of its planning consent, then it is also not eligible for visitor permits.

Please make sure that you and your visitors read, understand and abide by the instructions for using the permits.

If you and/or your visitors do not park in accordance with current parking regulations and/or the terms and conditions of the permit scheme, vehicles may be issued with a penalty charge notice. The council can also cancel a permit if it is misused, or suspend your household’s eligibility for parking permits.