Parking Registration FAQs

Q:    I will have a car on campus next fall, but haven’t purchased it.  How can I register?     
A:     You have to register by June 24. Registration after that will incur a $25 late registration fee. We recommend you register a parent’s car and then change the information once you obtain your car. There is no charge for updating registrations.

Q:.    Why is there a $25 late registration fee?

A:    There are two primary reasons. First, all of the paved parking lots are filled during the spring online registration campaign. Students who procrastinate and wait to register in September are upset when they find themselves assigned to D Lot. Had they registered online, by their seniority they could have been assigned to one of the paved lots. Second, the security office is flooded with registrations in early September registering cars that just as easily could have been registered online; taking extra time for both the student and the security staff.

Q:   Why does the online registration end in June?  Why can’t we register online anytime?

A:     Lots are assigned by seniority and the student’s preference. The registration system uses those characteristics to make initial assignments. Once filled, everyone else is assigned to D Lot.  We don’t have a way of integrating the online system for daily use.

Q:   How is seniority determined for parking lot assignments?

A:    Seniority is established by either time at Wartburg or credit earned. For example, if a student is entering her third year at Wartburg, but has accumulated 26 credits by the beginning of Fall Term, she can register as a senior. Minimum credits for class consideration are 7 credits for sophomore, 16 credits for junior and 26 credits for senior.

Q:   I will earn enough credits during Fall Term to have senior status in January. Can I register now as a senior? 

A:    No, you must register as a junior. In January, if you wish to upgrade your parking assignments, put your name on the upgrade list by emailing campus.security@wartburg.edu and list the lot you wish to be considered for.

Q:    When will I know which parking lot I am assigned?

A:    We will close the online program on June 25. The program will then make assignments. You will not receive any email informing you of your assignment, but the lot charge should show up on your account by the end of July.  We will assemble parking decals in early August with the goal of having all of the decals placed in students’ campus mailboxes by the time the first students return to campus for the Fall Term. These are normally student teachers or members of fall sports programs that arrive around the middle of August.

Q:   I only will have a car on campus over Winter Term. Do I wait until January to register or register now?

A:    If you are a junior or senior, it is recommended you register now unless you want to be assigned to D Lot.  Contact us when you receive your decal in August. We will take the decal back and hold it for you until January and will credit your account the Fall Term portion of the fee.

If you have any other questions about parking registration, email campus.security@wartburg.edu.