How to Avoid a Parking Ticket

Avoiding a parking ticket can be accomplished by following the tips and tricks provided below.


Pay For Parking

Parking is enforced 24 hours / 7 days a week. There is No Free Parking!

You have two options to pay for parking

Buy a Permit

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.

Only Park in Designated Spaces

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.

Not Every Space has a Sign

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.

UWM Faculty and Staff and Students

…are NOT visitors! Therefore, they may not use spaces designated for visitors. Check for yellow Faculty/Staff signs for applicable spots.

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

Read All Signs

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..

Manage Vehicles

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.

License Plates

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.

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

Overnight Parking vs No Overnight

Avoid the garages between 2:00 AM – 5:00 AM without having purchased a residential overnight permit.

Check the Dates for Student Breaks and Holidays
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: With a valid Northwest Quadrant (NWQ) Garage permit, you can park in any unreserved parking space located in the NWQ garage (except Reserved Spaces and Accessible/ADA Spaces if not applicable).

Example for Faculty and Staff: If you have a Lots 7 and 20 SARUP/Cunningham Permit, do not park in the Champman / Enderis Surface Lot (Lot 1) or the Garland / Library Surface Lot (Lot 8) before 4pm. Hunting Permit Holders are able to park in spaces which do not have signage if the “Faculty and Staff” spaces are taken, but keep in mind the spaces with without signage on the individual space is geared for visitors or students. If the lot is full, then go to a different lot.

Check Your Parkmobile Session

Verify a Parkmobile session has started by checking for the following:

  • Countdown timer
  • License plate number
  • Zone number