How to Avoid a Parking Ticket

You can pay by the hour using a mobile payment provider such as Parkmobile, Passport Parking, or PayByPhone. There are also pay stations and pay by phone options in each facility; check signage for payment options for each lot.

You can purchase a permit through our website that can be valid for a year, semester, month, or other time frame as noted. Rates are listed on our website.

Never loan, buy, sell, trade, or barter parking permits. The permit holder is responsible for tickets to the vehicle. Parking permits can have multiple license plates associated to a single permit, but only one vehicle can use the parking permit at a time. Example: If a permit holder has a loaner vehicle for a day because the primary vehicle is in a repair shop, the loaner vehicle can be added to the account.

Avoid parking in restricted areas without a proper permit such as No-Parking Zones, Loading Zones, and Fire Lanes. Check our signage page for more information..

This does not mean parking is free. Parking is enforced seven days a week and at all times. Look for signs that restrict parking in certain spaces or parking lots. The spaces might be restricted to permit parkers only or there might be time restrictions before the non-permit parkers can park.

There will be a several signs in each lot indicating restrictions and charge rates, even if there is not an individual sign located in front of each individual parking space.

Tip: Pay lots, “24-Hour Towing,” and “No Parking” areas are enforced AT ALL TIMES.

Unless there are two yellow parking lines for your vehicle to park between – don’t park there!

Tip: Parking in non-designated areas “for just a minute” with flashers on is not legal parking.

UWM faculty/staff and students are NOT visitors! Therefore, they may not use spaces designated for visitors. Check for gray signs that indicate it is open to anyone with payment or parking validation for applicable spots.

Tip: Instead, feel free to use hourly pay lots or metered spaces and pay the parking fee.

Avoiding a parking ticket can be as easy as avoiding backing into a parking space. Vehicles cannot reverse into a parking space. Vehicles must park with the rear of the vehicle facing out. Violators will be ticketed. The exception to this regulation are the four gated garages on the UWM Campus; Union, Lubar, Northwest Quadrant (NWQ), and Pavilion.

Parking on campus is restricted typically from 2:00 to 5:00 AM.

Overnight parking is only allowed if you purchased a designated overnight parking permit at one of the following garages:

• Cambridge Commons
• Kenilworth Apartments
• NWQ
• Pavilion
• RiverView
• Sandburg

If you have overnight guests, you may be able to purchase a 24 daily parking pass at Kenilworth or Sandburg garage. Transportation Services may be able to authorize overnight parking for guests at NWQ or Pavilion garage, but this requires prior authorization. Authorization depends on availability and other factors.

Faculty/staff members who work overnight may qualify for a parking permit on designated surface lots, so contact Transportation Services for more information.

Check the Dates for Student Breaks and Holidays

When classes are not in session (student spring and fall breaks, official holidays, or summer sessions), lots are still enforced according to the permit. Parking meters, pay lots, and all reserved spaces are enforced.

Example for Students: Students with a NWQ Garage permits can park in any available space in the garage that is NOT reserved for Faculty/Staff (as designated by a black sign) or ADA (as designated by blue sign) unless applicable.

Example for Faculty and Staff: Most faculty/staff members have annual parking permits, which run from June 1 to May 31 of the following year. It is the permit holder’s responsibility to renew. If you do not have a permit or your permit lapses during part of the year, Parkmobile (but not Passport or PayByPhone) offers 30 minutes of free parking after 8 pm and before 2 am on weekdays as well as from 5 am to 2 am on weekends.

Your permit is only valid at the facility or facilities you had purchased it for from 5 am to 3 pm on weekdays. Only certain designated Residential permits allow overnight parking at Cambridge Commons, Kenilworth, and RiverView residence halls as well as NWQ and Pavilion/Klotsche garages.

Most parking permits (except U-PARK) allow you to park in any other (ungated) surface lot on main campus between 3 pm and 2 am on weekdays and between 5 am and 2 am on weekends. Lot 1 Library/Garland is restricted to Lots 1 and 8 Library/Enderis permit holders until 4 pm on weekdays, and other permit holders can park there from 4 pm to 2 am.

Faculty/staff members can register up to two vehicles per permit, but only one of them can be parked at a time. The additional vehicles needs to pay for daily/hourly parking or needs another permit.

Register all license plates when purchasing a permit, this includes the UPARK permit. Enforced is done by license plate, failure to update a vehicle(s) can result in a citation.

Verify a Parkmobile, PayByPhone, and Passport Parking session has started by checking for the following:

• Countdown timer
• License plate number
• Zone number