BATON ROUGE - This year's permit sales at LSU are being released by class standing, with seniors receiving the first opportunity to register before sales open to juniors, sophomores and freshmen.

Some students said they experienced long waits after logging on Tuesday morning.

"I refreshed at 9:30 whenever they opened, and I was number 2,000-something in the queue," senior Cameron Venetis said, adding that he waited about an hour and a half before he could purchase a parking permit.

The new process follows students' concerns about on-campus parking during the first weeks of last fall's semester.

Senior JT Graham said he's hopeful that getting a permit is only part of the challenge.

"It's a lot harder to get passes in my opinion, but the first couple of weeks when everyone goes to class, it's insanely hard to find a spot," Graham said.

In a statement, LSU said it implemented the staggered registration system and virtual queue in response to student feedback to reduce server overload and better manage wait times.

The university said the queue does not affect permit availability and that ample Commuter 1 and Park & Geaux permits remain available during each student's designated registration window.

LSU also said it does not anticipate running out of permits.

LSU students began purchasing parking permits for the upcoming fall semester on Tuesday under a new registration system designed to stagger demand and reduce strain on the university's website.