Step 1: Determine whether all members of your carpool qualify for the carpool discount.

  • Only UCSB faculty, staff, and graduate students who are eligible for a Faculty/Staff annual or multi-year parking permit qualify for the carpool discount. The carpool discount permit is issued exclusively as an annual permit that expires at the end of June each year.

  • All participants must be enrolled in the Transportation Alternatives Program. If you have not signed up for TAP, please click here to join. With TAP membership, qualifying carpool participants are eligible for up to 6-days of complimentary parking per quarter.

  • IMPORTANT: In the “Comments” section of the TAP application, tell us who your carpool partner(s) will be.

Step 2: Decide who will be the PRIMARY permit holder.

  • The primary permit holder is the ONE person who will have the carpool permit in his/her name. If faculty or staff with a qualifying duration of employment, a pre-tax payroll deduction may be taken out of his/her paycheck. If a graduate student UCSB-employed at least 45% of time, payment may be made by cash, check or charge.

  • Carpool members other than the primary permit holder may apply for up to 6-days of complimentary parking per quarter provided by TAP.

Step 3: Cancel ALL UCSB parking permits currently held by members of the new carpool group.

  • When notified by the TAP office or Parking Permit Sales office that the carpool has been approved, ALL UCSB parking permit holders in the carpool group must cancel their UCSB daytime main campus parking permits through the Parking Services Sales Office... The earlier in the calendar month the better. 

Step 4: Primary permit holders: Create and/or update your TPS Online Permit Sales record.

  • If you are the primary permit holder, click here or on the TPS home page to create or update your permit record. Make certain that your mailing address, vehicle information and phone number are current.

Step 5: Primary permit holders: Submit your application.

  • Send us an email. Let us know that you and your carpool participants have (a) cancelled all permits, and (b) completed the application to join TAP. Tell us when you want to pick up the permit: as soon as possible or the first workday of next month.

  • If your group qualifies as specified on this page, you can expect to receive an approval notification via email within two business days.

Step 6: Primary permit holders will be issued a virtual ePermit based on the license plates on file