Student Residence Revalidation Stations

Those using a student card to access their residence must tap their card at a revalidation station at least once every 24 hours.

Revalidate for your safety

As an additional safety measure, students living in residence are required to validate their access daily at a revalidation station before entering their residence rooms.

Simply tap and hold your uOttawa card for 5 seconds on one of the revalidation stations. Each revalidation lasts up to 24 hours, so as long as you tap once within a 24-hour period, you will be able to gain access to your room. 

Revalidation Stations are available at the entranceway of your residence building as well as in the Dining Hall in UCU.

How it works

  • Hold your card vertically against the revalidation station for at least 5 seconds.
  • Make sure your card is centered.
  • When the light turns green, you know you're good to go!

Note that the light will turn red if you revalidate your card in a residence building other than your own. Your card is still revalidated for access to your own building, so no worries there! 

Revalidation station graphic with text "Validate your card"

FAQ

Does this mean I’ll get locked out of my room forever if I go away for more than 24 hours?

Of course not!  Going away for the weekend? No problem, just make sure to tap your student card on the revalidation station in your residence entrance BEFORE heading back up to your room.

I forgot to revalidate my card and now I’m locked out of my room! Help!

You just need to go back to the entranceway of your building and tap your card on the revalidation station, holding it for 5 seconds. Once the light turns green, you’re good to go back to your room!

Can I only revalidate my card at the station in my own building?

Nope! You can revalidate your card at any Revalidation Stations, however you might not see the green indicator light, so make sure to hold your card there for at least 5 seconds.