Information for new employees

In order to sign into your parking account, you will need an active UW NetID login. If you are an inactive employee, or are waiting for your UW NetID to be activated, you may purchase parking at a pay station in lots E1 or E18.

You may also utilize any of the pay-by-phone (PBP) lots, or purchase parking at a gatehouse (during their hours of operation).

Yes. To register an out of state license plate, please add the vehicle information to your account in the customer portal. Detailed instructions are available at the Customer Portal guide.

Pay-per-use parking (PPUP) permits cannot be purchased on the Customer Portal, but there are a few steps you must first take on the portal before applying for a PPUP permit.

1. Log in to the Customer Portal with your UW NetID and go to the “Vehicles” page.
2. Add your vehicle information, including make, model and license plate. Detailed instructions for this are available at the Customer Portal guide.

Once you have done this, you are ready to apply for PPUP:

1. Email the Transportation Services Sales Office with your PPUP request. Please be sure to include your Employee ID (EID) and home address in the email.

If you are unable to log into the Customer Portal, there are a few alternatives for purchasing parking: 

• Use a pay station to purchase a permit in lots E1 or E18.
• Park in one of the pay-by-phone (PBP) lots and follow the pay-by-phone directions.
• Visit a campus gatehouse during their hours of operation and purchase a permit there.

To access your U-PASS, you must first get a Husky Card. It can be obtained at the Husky Card Office, located on the ground floor of Odegaard Undergraduate Library, near the By George Café, or at one of the following locations:

• UW Medical Center-Montlake, Public Safety Office, Room BB-120 
• UW Medical Center-Northwest, Parking Office, Room B-120
• Harborview Medical Center, Photo ID/Parking Office, Room 1 CT 153 
• UW Bothell, Welcome Desk in Husky Hall
• UW Tacoma, MAT 253 in the Office of the Registrar

Once you have a Husky Card, your U-PASS will take 12-24 hours to activate on the card. 

U-PASS can be used for the following: 

• Unlimited rides on King County Metro Transit, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Kitsap Transit, Everett Transit and Sound Transit, which includes regional buses, Link light rail and Sounder trains
• Full fare coverage on King County Water Taxis and Kitsap Fast Ferries
• Full fare coverage on Seattle Streetcar and Seattle Monorail
• Full fare coverage on regional paratransit services for eligible members
• Full fare coverage on King County Metro’s on-demand ride service Via to Transit
• Full fare coverage on vanpool and vanshare on King County Metro, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Kitsap Transit, and Island Transit
• Unlimited rides on NightRide, the UW’s evening shuttle service
• Emergency Ride Home

The U-PASS does not cover travel on Washington State Ferries. For more coverage information, see the U-PASS page.

As of July 1, 2022, all personnel paid by the University of Washington are eligible for a fully subsidized U-PASS. This benefit does not apply to student hourly employees, academic student employees, unpaid academics, affiliates, or other appointees who are not paid by the University of Washington. For more information about eligibility, please see the Human Resources website.

Upon eligibility, your U-PASS will be automatically added to your Husky Card and it will be ready for use within 12 to 24 hours.

If you have a current Husky Card, log into MyUW and select “Accounts” from the left side menu. When the U-PASS membership status is set to “current,” you are eligible and your U-PASS benefit is activated. 

If the U-PASS membership is set to “not current,” you may be in an ineligible position OR if you are a new hire, there may be a delay in receiving your information. Please contact your department’s HR representative to ensure your appointment or new hire information is accurate in Workday. 

No. Your U-PASS will be ready for use within 12 to 24 hours after fully-subsidized U-PASS eligibility or purchase of an opt-in U-PASS.

To use your U-PASS on a transit service, tap it on an ORCA card reader as you enter a bus, or on a reader mounted on a wall or pole at at Link, Sounder or Swift stops. 

First, check if your U-PASS is active:
If you have a current Husky Card, log into MyUW and select “Accounts” from the left side menu. When the U-PASS membership status is set to “current,” you are eligible and your U-PASS benefit is activated. If the U-PASS membership is set to “not current,” you may be in an ineligible position OR if you are a new hire, there may be a delay in receiving your information. Please contact your department’s HR representative to ensure your appointment or new hire information is accurate in Workday.

If your U-PASS is active in MyUW but does not work on ORCA card readers:

Make sure you are holding your U-PASS up to the ORCA card reader until you see a green checkmark. The new ORCA card readers installed in 2022 on regional transit agencies require a longer “tap” to read your card information. When tapping your card, make sure you separate your Husky Card from any other cards you may have that include RFID technology, such as an UWMC badge. Check your Husky Card for damage. Scratches, bending, or holes in your Husky Card can damage the RFID chip inside the card and prevent it from working properly.

If your card is still not working, log into your MyUW account with your phone and click on the Accounts tab. You can show that your U-PASS membership is current/active and use it as a “flash pass” for the driver.

For additional U-PASS troubleshooting support:

Please contact commutequestions@uw.edu and provide the following information:

• Your name and UW employee number
• The error message displayed on the ORCA card reader
• Name of the transit agency you were taking
• The route number
• Destination
• The time you boarded the bus or train