Race day · Bags and parking
COTA bags, parking and rideshare
What the circuit says about bag size, parking passes, where rideshare drops you and when the lots open. These are the 2026 rules; 2027 details are not published yet.
Quick answer
Bags must be smaller than 12 × 12 × 20 in. Parking needs a pass bought in advance. Rideshare uses the North McAngus lot, with free trams to the gates. The venue is cashless.1
Updated Oct 25, 2026 · Facts checked against the cited sources on Oct 25, 2026
Bags
- Only bags smaller than 12 × 12 × 20 inches are allowed inside.1
- Bags are screened. COTA uses walk-through detection gates, so items can stay in your bag during screening.1
- The circuit keeps its prohibited items list on its venue policies page; check it before you pack.1,2
- The venue is cashless: Visa, Discover and Mastercard.1
Parking
You need an on-site parking pass bought in advance; without one you cannot park at COTA on race weekend, and no vehicle is allowed on COTA Blvd without a valid pass. Display the pass in your car before you arrive.1
Rideshare and shuttles
- Uber, Lyft and taxis work from the North McAngus parking lot; rideshare cars are not allowed on COTA Blvd.1
- Free trams run from North McAngus to the Grand Plaza front gates, and around the circuit all day.1
- Official shuttles run from Travis County Expo Center and Waterloo Park to the front gates, on dedicated bus lanes.1,3
Tickets and re-entry
Tickets are mobile, in the COTA app, except 3-day parking and 3-day general admission wristbands. You can leave and come back with your original ticket; it is scanned on the way out and in, and you go through security again.1
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Sources
- Circuit of The Americas: Know Before You Go (2026 USGP) (checked Oct 25, 2026)
- Circuit of The Americas: Venue policies (checked Oct 25, 2026)
- Circuit of The Americas: F1 Shuttles (2026 USGP) (checked Oct 25, 2026)