Cars to campus
All roads lead to Cal
To get to Berkeley from the north: Take Highway 80 West to Berkeley’s University Avenue exit. Head east on University Avenue (away from the Bay) about 2-1/2 miles. University Avenue ends at the west end of campus.
From the south: Take Highway 880 North to Highway 980. (The sign says Walnut Creek, but you won’t be going that far.) Stay on Highway 980 (which becomes Highway 24 East). Take the Martin Luther King, Jr. Way/51st Street exit. Bear right, following signs for Telegraph Avenue. At the stop sign, which is 51st Street, turn right. Go through the light (Shattuck Avenue), and take the next left onto Telegraph Avenue. Proceed north until you hit the campus.
From the east: Take Highway 680 South to Highway 24 westbound through the Caldecott Tunnel. Take the Berkeley exit, which turns into Tunnel Road/Ashby Avenue. Drive west on Ashby. Turn right on Telegraph Avenue and continue for about a mile until you bump into the southern border of the campus.
From the west: Cross the Bay Bridge eastbound. Take Highway 80 East toward Sacramento/Berkeley and get off at the University Avenue exit. Follow University Avenue east until it hits the campus, about 2-1/2 miles later.
Car sharing
The campus hosts two car sharing services, and one short-term rental service. Each service provides its members with short-term car rentals. Car sharing can be a convenient alternative to automobile ownership for students (pt.berkeley.edu/transportation_alternatives/carshare; 2150 Kittredge Avenue; prktrans@berkeley.edu; 510/643-7701).
Long-distance ridesharing
The Ride Board contains cards posted by students offering or seeking rides to just about anywhere (lower level, Cal Student Store, near the CUBS credit union entrance).
KALX Ridefinder is read daily at 10am and 10pm over the air on your campus radio station, KALX 90.7 FM (510/642-5259).
Parking on campus
Parking is available at student lots on the perimeter of campus, and permits are required at all times (unless signs indicate otherwise for after-hours periods). To be eligible to purchase a permit, students must be currently registered and must live outside of a two-mile boundary from campus. Information and downloadable parking permit applications are available online (pt.berkeley.edu; 2150 Kittredge Street; prktrans@berkeley.edu; 510/642-7701).
Note: Parking & Transportation strictly enforces all parking hours and regulations. Violations are subject to citation and fines (e.g., a $40+ fine for not displaying a current daily permit).
Discounted parking is available when you carpool to campus. Learn more at the Parking and Transportation website (pt.berkeley.edu). For other ridesharing options, visit rideshare.511.org.
Night and weekend parking is available on campus after 5pm on weekdays and all day on weekends, and requires a parking permit and/or daily entry fee.
Overnight parking is generally not allowed on campus between 2am-5am. Check the Parking & Transportation website for options for special circumstances (pt.berkeley.edu).
Residence hall parking is available on a limited basis. Please check the information in your residence hall contract to find out how to apply for a residence hall permit.
Storage lot parking is available for residence hall students who do not qualify for residence hall parking but who want to use their cars on weekends and on breaks. Check your residence hall packet on how to apply for a permit. The storage lot is located near San Pablo between Folger and 67th in Berkeley. It is gated, requires an entry code, and is accessible by public transportation.
Public parking is available at the many parking garages that are located throughout downtown and around the campus (www.downtownberkeley.org). On-campus public parking is available in the MLK Jr. Student Union Garage (M-Sa, 7am-12am; Su, 1pm-9pm; Bancroft Way below Telegraph Avenue; 510/643-7701).
Students with Disabilities—those with state-issued disability placard/license plates—have access to blue DP parking spaces reserved on campus. State credentials must be displayed along with a regular, campus-issued parking permit to avoid citation. See the Parking & Transportation website for information on purchasing parking permits (pt.berkeley.edu/parking; 2150Kittredge Street; prktrans@berkeley.edu; 510/643-7701).
City parking
Parking in Berkeley is difficult to find, and there isn’t much street parking near the campus. (Fines for illegal parking, such as a meter violation, start at $30 a pop.) The City of Berkeley requires residents of neighboring campus areas to obtain a special permit for parking on city streets, and students living in most of the residence halls are not considered Berkeley residents for parking purposes. Without the permit, parking is limited to two hours only (City of Berkeley Residential Parking Permit Program, 510/981-7200). It may be in your best interest to leave your car at home and to take advantage of the Bay Area’s public transit system.
Driver’s license
You must go to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to obtain a California Driver’s License (CDL), or a California State Identification Card (CID) if you don’t drive. This is an important step to take if you plan on writing checks or becoming a California resident for tuition purposes. A CDL costs $28, and a CID costs $23. You will need to bring: your birth certificate (certified copy or original), passport or green card, and social security card. You may need to call ahead to make an appointment. Call or check the website for office hours (dmv.ca.gov; same number for all DMVs, 800/777-0133 or TTY 800/DMV-HEAR).
El Cerrito DMV: 6400 Manila Avenue (at San Pablo Avenue).
Claremont DMV: 5300 Claremont Avenue (one block north of Telegraph Avenue).
Oakland Coliseum DMV: 501-85th Avenue.
Good student auto insurance discounts
Many car insurance companies give discounts to students with a GPA of 3.0 or above. If you qualify, ask your agent for a form, and take it to the Office of the Registrar for verification (registrar.berkeley.edu; 120 Sproul Hall; orreg@berkeley.edu; 510/642-5990). There is a $6 processing fee for this service.