License Plates: The New Parking Permit
Parking & Mass Transit Services’ will soon begin piloting a license plate recognition (LPR) system, which will replace physical parking decals at UAlbany.
The new technology will launch in February and March 2025, with a full rollout planned this summer for the 2025-2026 parking year.
Under the new system, license plates will act as visitor, student, faculty and staff parking permits.
Learn more about this initiative:
- What is license plate recognition?
- How will UAlbany’s LPR system work?
- Do individuals who park on campus need to make any changes?
- What are the benefits of using LPR technology?
What is license plate recognition?
License plate recognition (LPR) systems use a technology called optical character recognition, which converts images of text into machine-readable text, to read hundreds of license plates and quickly match them with records in the Parking Services database.
LPR has been around for decades and is commonly used on major highways, such as the New York State Thruway, and other SUNY campuses, including the University at Buffalo, Binghamton University and SUNY Brockport.
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How will UAlbany’s LPR system work?
The new LPR system will be integrated into a streamlined UAlbany parking portal, so you can easily purchase your annual permit, update your license plate information, request temporary permits, pay citations and more.
When UAlbany’s parking attendants patrol campus, the LPR system will capture a photo of each vehicle and its immediate surroundings, a photo of each vehicle’s license plate and the date/time.
If a scanned license plate is not associated with a valid UAlbany parking permit or is not parked in the correct lot, our staff will investigate and, if appropriate, issue a citation.
Data collected by UAlbany’s LPR system will be stored securely to protect your privacy and is only used to validate vehicle registration.
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Do individuals who park on campus need to make any changes?
Vehicles must be parked so that a license plate is viewable from the driving lane. For vehicles registered in jurisdictions that do not issue front plates (such as Pennsylvania), this typically means the vehicle will need to be parked “nose-in.”
License plates must also be readable. Devices that cover or obstruct a license plate are illegal in New York State, and the presence of such devices may result in a citation.
For vehicles registered in New York, the state Department of Motor Vehicles has acknowledged that some older license plates’ coating is susceptible to peeling and free replacements are available. Replace a peeling or damaged New York State license plate.
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What are the benefits of using LPR technology?
- Sustainability: The University issues thousands of permits each year, and those plastic decals are distributed in paper envelopes and with paper instructions. By going digital, we’re considerably reducing waste.
- Convenience: You won’t need to visit the Parking & Mass Transit Services office or wait for your decal to arrive in the mail anymore. Once you register for a parking permit, you’ll be ready to park on campus.
- Flexibility: While you can only park one vehicle on campus at a time, you’ll be able to register up to two license plates (applicable fees apply) and head out without needing to remember a hang tag. You can also add a temporary vehicle for up to 10 days per year at no charge when you need to unexpectedly take a different vehicle.
- Support: The new technology will allow parking staff to perform their duties more efficiently and effectively, giving them more time to focus on customer service.
- Safety: Using license plates to verify parking privileges prevents the loss, theft and forgery that can sometimes happen with parking decals.
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