IUPUI Parking & Transportation Services continually searches for opportunities to enhance customer experience, create efficiencies, and adopt new solutions available in the industry. As part of our long-term strategic plan, we are implementing License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology on campus beginning Spring 2021.
LPR Technology comes to IUPUI
What is License Plate Recognition (LPR)?
License Plate Recognition (LPR) is a virtual permit system that allows you to use your license plate as your parking permit. No more worrying about properly displaying your parking permit or transferring your permit between vehicles. With LPR, your license plate is your virtual permit!
LPR is more than just replacing your parking permit. The cameras affixed to Parking & Transportation Services vehicles, which can also be affixed to garages, can also count open parking spaces which will be displayed via a mobile App or other technologies in future phases. This will provide real-time parking options for visitors, students and employees.
How does this work?
When a vehicle is parked on campus, the rear license plate is captured by cameras mounted on Parking & Transportation Services vehicles. LPR works like a supermarket scanner with your license plate functioning as the barcode. When read, the numbers of your plate are automatically referenced against the parking database to verify proper parking privileges for the parking location.
When will this happen?
LPR program implementation is expected to progress through multiple phases over the next 3 – 5 years. Each phase will be measured and assessed to ensure the program provides a positive parking experience on campus and meets our goals. In Phase 1, beginning in the spring of 2021, the impact to your day-to-day parking experience will be minimal. You will continue to display your valid parking permit in your vehicle and park in the same areas as allowed by your current permit. With each new phase, we will communicate information and make updates to this page.
Phases
 | Phase 1:Test and evaluate LPR in surface lots and install cameras in one garage to count open parking spaces. Evaluate the ability of LPR to recognize license plates to operate entry and exit gate arms. | In Progress |
 | Phase 2:Introduce and test LPR in additional garages to test the ability of LPR to operate garage entry and exit gates using a vehicle's license plate. | |
 | Phase 3:Keep gates up in student garages for testing parking permissions and begin using license plate virtual permits instead of physical hangtag permits for students. Install and test visitor pay kiosk and implement visitor pay-by-phone App in one garage. | |
 | Phase 4:Install LPR cameras at remaining garage entry and exits. License plates may become virtual permits for all student and employee parking options. Explore development of a new App or other technologies to report available parking spaces in surface lots and garages on campus. | |
 | Phase 5:Final implementation may include: no physical hangtag permits for visitors or event attendees, removal of all garage entry and exit gates, pay-by-phone option in visitor garages and an App or other technologies announcing open parking spaces throughout campus. |
FAQs
We have developed the following FAQs in anticipation of some common questions related to LPR technology implementations. FAQs will be added or updated as we progress through phases of implementation.
As part of our mission, we are committed to customer-focused solutions that support the needs of our campus community. LPR provides a variety of benefits to campus parking operations. Benefits include:
Improved Customer Experience:
- Simplify/Streamline the permit renewal process – no extra trips to pick up permit, no waiting in line and no waiting for your permit to arrive in the mail
- No more:
- Visiting our office if you forget your permit
- Permits falling from rearview mirror or being improperly displayed
- Replacement fees for lost permits
- Remembering to switch your permit to another vehicle
- Scanning or swiping a permit when entering or exiting a garage. With LPR, it is automatic!
Locate Available Parking:
LPR can integrate with an App or other technologies to help you quickly and efficiently locate available parking.
Commitment to Sustainability:
The LPR initiative will use electric vehicles (EV), which have several environmental benefits compared to conventional internal combustion engine vehicles. EVs have lower operating and maintenance costs, produce little to no mobile air pollution, reduce dependence on petroleum, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to fuel-powered vehicles. By eliminating parking permits, the University eliminates the production materials and waste from parking permit disposal at end of life.
The impact to your day-to-day parking experience will be minimal. You will continue to display your valid parking permit in your vehicle during Phase I and park in the same areas as allowed by that permit.
What we need you to do:
- Log into your IU parking account to update your current vehicle information and license plate.
- Click the “Login” button located in the navigation bar in the upper right corner.
- Click the “IU Login” button.
- Enter your credentials.
- Click on the “Vehicles” button in the navigation bar at the top of the page.
- To edit a current vehicle, click on your “Plate Number”, click Edit and enter your new information.
- To add a new vehicle, click the “Add Vehicle” button (If you wish to delete a vehicle, you must first Add your new vehicle first).
- If you have a personalized plate with a special character (heart, star, hashtag etc) please skip the special character when entering the number into your online parking account. For example, if your plate reads “12#34”, you would enter “1234”.
- Please pull straight into parking spaces to ensure your license plate is always facing the drive lane in order for the LPR cameras to read it. Because Indiana only has license plates on the back of the vehicle, please do not pull through or back into any spaces when parking.
- If you are having difficulty with your online account, please email us at
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Phase I will be used to test and evaluate the technology and to make any adjustments needed before moving on to additional phases. Full implementation is expected by 2025. We will communicate with permit holders as we progress through each phase.
Phase I is expected to begin Spring 2021. You will see vehicles equipped with cameras driving around in surface lots and garages scanning license plates. To collect space counts in the garages, LPR cameras will be installed on the entrance and exit of some garages. The cameras on the garage will be utilized to gain access using a license plate in future phases of LPR.
The benefits and impact to you will be minimal during Phase I as we continue to collect data. You should continue to display your valid IUPUI permit during Phase I, and park in the same areas as allowed by your permit. Normal enforcement of the campus during Phase I will be solely tied to the permit privileges, not your license plate. Communications will be disseminated throughout each phase of LPR so you will always know what to expect.
Yes. You may register up to five vehicles under your account; however, please remember that only one car may be parked on campus at a time with a permit or when LPR is implemented.
No. If you have not registered your vehicle through your online parking account, you will receive a notice to register your vehicle. Non-registered vehicles may be subject to a citation in later phases of the project. Communications will be sent alerting permit holders to this change when it occurs.
Cameras must be able to read your license plate. However, we understand some habits are difficult to break. We are using Phase I to help educate to future changes, so if you pull through or back into a space, you will not receive a citation as long as the vehicle is parked legally in a non-angled space.
Remember vehicles are prohibited from backing in or pulling through an angled space so that it is parked opposite the flow of traffic as outlined in the IUPUI Rules and Regulations. This will continue to be a citable offense.
Although a physical permit will no longer be required, there are other costs associated with managing an effective LPR system. As such, permit costs are not expected to change.
IU Parking Operations obtained all approvals required to proceed with this portion of the project. The LPR technology vendor went through the standard approval processes including a legal, policy and security review on privacy.
The only information captured is a picture of your license plate. This information will not be shared with other departments or outside entities, unless required by law (such as a subpoena). All license plate photos are deleted after 120 days of capture unless they were taken as a result of your vehicle receiving a citation.
Open parking space counts from the LPR system can be communicated via an App or other technology for a better parking experience and used to maximize space in surface lots and garages to better serve the campus community.
Log into your IU parking account to update your current vehicle information and license plate.
- Click the “Login” button located in the navigation bar in the upper right corner.
- Click the “IU Login” button.
- Enter your credentials.
- Click on the “Vehicles” button in the navigation bar at the top of the page.
- To edit a current vehicle, click on your “Plate Number”, click Edit and enter your new information.
- To add a new vehicle, click the “Add Vehicle” button (If you wish to delete a vehicle, you must first Add your new vehicle first).
It is important your license plate and vehicle information are current and correct to avoid an unnecessary citation (future phases of LPR). Please visit your IU Parking Account to update your information any time a change occurs. Remember to also delete old or unused vehicle listings from your account. Please make sure to enter your new vehicle first before deleting old ones.
During Phase I, ensure your parking permit is displayed in your new vehicle. In future phases, LPR will be able to recognize new vehicles without state-issued license plates. Register your new vehicle’s temporary plate through your IU Parking Account to be able to park on campus and update your IU Parking Account when the new license plate arrives.
We will use Phase I to determine the best way to manage these situations in later phases of the LPR project. During Phase I, please continue to display your parking permit in any of these circumstances.
During Phase 1, continue to display your motorcycle sticker as usual. In future phases of LPR, the system will read motorcycle license plates. Make sure your motorcycle information is listed correctly in your parking account.
LPR technology will recognize the first vehicle on campus as valid. Any additional vehicles on campus at the same time will be subject to a citation.
The visitor parking experience will not change during Phase I of the LPR project. You should continue to direct your guests to park in visitor garages or metered kiosk spaces as appropriate. Positive changes to the visitor parking experience are not expected until the end of the project and will be communicated at that time.
During Phase I, permit parking privileges will not change. IUPUI campus parking privileges are available on the Intercampus Parking page. Please continue to display your parking permit while parking at IUPUI.
Yes. However, since Purdue already implemented LPR, they no longer issue physical permits. Therefore, students and employees from Purdue should visit the Parking Office at Purdue first. Upon verification from their office, we will issue a physical permit parking at IUPUI for the same time frame their permit is valid at Purdue. Changes to this process in future phases of LPR will be communicated.