Regulations & Enforcement

Parking rules and regulations are essential to maintaining a safe, fair, and efficient campus environment. At Michigan Technological University, the Board of Trustees established the Parking and Traffic Ordinance, which provides the framework for how parking resources are allocated and shared across campus. These regulations are designed to promote equitable access to parking, keep emergency routes clear, and support the safe movement of vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists alike. Responsibility for enforcing these rules is shared among the Department of Public Safety and Police Services, Transportation Services, and Facilities Management, all of which work collaboratively to ensure campus safety, manage traffic flow, enforce parking policies, and maintain streets and parking areas. Transportation Services leads the day-to-day enforcement efforts, helping to reinforce accountability while preserving order and accessibility for the entire campus community.

Parking Enforcement & Courtesy Patrol

Parking Enforcement Officers plays a key role in maintaining order, safety, and accessibility on campus. Their primary responsibility is to ensure that parking rules and regulations are followed by monitoring lots and roadways, issuing citations when violations occur, and providing guidance to drivers on proper parking procedures.

Outside of their primary role in enforcement, they also provide many other services to the campus community including:

Respond to all parking complaints—both those self-generated during routine patrols and those reported by members of the campus community—and ensure that each concern is investigated.
Conducts routine courtesy patrols across all parking lots, not only identifying parking violations but also observing safety concerns, checking for vehicles that may have issues (such as lights left on or flat tires) that drivers may be unaware of, and monitoring areas with heavy usage.
Provides parking and traffic control for essential, high-attendance university events, including Orientation Sessions, Move-In, Commencement, Career Fair, and Rozsa Events.
Provides support to other university departments including Public Safety, Facilities Management, Environmental Health & Safety, Housing, and EMS.
Coordinates parking lot reservations, closures, and event-related parking needs, and collaborates with contractors and vendors to establish temporary work zones.
Responds to motorist assistance requests, including stuck vehicles, dead batteries, flat tires, lockouts, and vehicles that have run out of fuel.

Enforcement Guidelines

Designated parking areas (lots and meters) are enforced 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. (except Saturdays, Sundays, and University-closed holidays), unless otherwise noted below:
- Hillside (Lot 4) meters are enforced 24/7 for ParkMobile payment or by daily or weekly permit.
- Pay Lot 19 meters are enforced 24/7 for ParkMobile payment only. Permits are not valid in Lot 19.
- Both Daniell Heights Upper and Lower meters are enforced 24/7 for ParkMobile payment or by daily or weekly permit.
- Lots 7W, 15E, 15W and 16 are enforced seven days a week from 2 a.m. to 4 p.m. for proper permit.
Faculty/Staff, Guaranteed Commuter, and Standard Commuter Permits are valid only in Lots indicated with their applicable parking permits.
Residential Lots and each Daniell Heights Block are enforced 24/7 for proper permit. Residential permits are specific to an assigned lot/block.

Parking Accommodations

Transportation Services recognizes that unusual circumstances can occur, including:

Emergencies
Vehicle breakdowns
Severe weather conditions that affect access to your parking lot
ParkMobile service outages
Inoperable parking meters

In these situations, parkers are expected to seek appropriate guidance and accommodation. Parkers are not authorized to create or assume their own parking accommodations under any circumstances. It is the responsibility of all individuals to request parking accommodations directly through Transportation Services or if after hours, Public Safety.

Night Parking Ban

November 1 through April 30, between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m., parking is prohibited on campus—whether it is snowing or not. Exceptions:

Residential housing residents must park in their designated lot/block.
Employees who work an assigned shift may park in an overnight parking space assigned to them by Transportation Services.
To request parking during the night parking ban, you may contact the Transportation Services office during normal business hours or Public Safety and Police Services after hours. If approved, you must have a permit or pay to park at the assigned meter area you were given during your request.
Campus visitors with a daily or weekly parking permit is approved to park in either Lot 4 visitor, Upper or Lower Daniell Heights visitor, or Lot 24 near the SDC.

Fraudulent Parking Activity

Any fraudulent parking activity will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to:

Altering or counterfeiting permits
Sharing or misusing permits
Improper use of parking meters or ParkMobile
Theft or malicious damage to property
Falsifying or manipulating financial transaction records
Performing vehicle repairs on campus property
Failing to comply with the directions of a parking enforcement officer or posted traffic control devices
Repeated violations as a scofflaw

Violations of this policy may result in one or more of the following actions:

Referral to Public Safety for a police report
Revocation of all campus parking privileges
Referral to the Office of Community Conduct
Immediate vehicle impoundment
Reassignment to an alternative parking location
Fines and accrued fees

Snow Removal

Transportation Services routinely coordinates with the Facilities Management Department to conduct major snow removal operations in residential parking lots. Whenever possible, these operations are scheduled during academic breaks when lots are empty; however, there are times when they must occur while classes are in session.

At least 24 hours in advance of any scheduled snow removal, Transportation Services will notify permit holders via email and will also post notices on this website and social media. It is the responsibility of vehicle owners to monitor these communications and relocate their vehicles as required to avoid citation and/or relocation.

Routine snow removal is performed in the following priority:

Primary Streets and Roadways
Pedestrian walkways and sidewalks
Faculty/Staff, Commuter, and Visitor parking lots
Secondary Streets and Roadways
General Parking Lot
Residential parking lot travel lanes
Snowmobile, Motorcycle, and Trailer parking lots

Disability Parking

Designated parking spaces are available to people who possess a valid disability parking placard or license plate issued by the Secretary of State after submitting a Disability Parking Placard Application.

Please bring your Driver's License and Handicap Placard to the Transportation Services Office to have it registered with your vehicle.

Students needing temporary accommodations should contact Student Disability Services to discuss options available. Faculty and Staff my contact Equal Opportunity and Compliance for temporary accommdoations.

Community parking locations are available to those with a handicap placard without a campus permit - these are free spaces located by the meters on College Ave, Cliff Drive, Hubbell St, Houghton Ave, outside of the Library and in Visitor Lot 27 located by the Memorial Union Building. Michigan Tech Parking Permits are required to park within any lots (with the exception of Lot 27) on campus. The Transportation Services Office will review permit options with you when you register your handicap placard.

Regulations

General Provisions

Registration

Employee's vehicles must be registered within 48 hours upon arrival on campus. Employees may register as many vehicles owned by them or by a member of their immediate family as long as the vehicle you have on campus for the day is displaying your permit.

Campus Area

These regulations apply to all University property, including the main Houghton campus, Daniell Heights Apartments, Lakeshore Center, Portage Lake Golf Course, Mont Ripley, the Ford Forestry Center, the Michigan Tech Alumni Center, the Mineral Museum, the Keweenaw Research Center, the Alternative Energy Research Building (AERB) and the Tech Trails.

Insurance

The University does not accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, any vehicle or the content thereof. It is recommended that owners carry personal insurance to cover such losses.

Abandoned Vehicles

No vehicle is to be abandoned on campus. A fine, plus towing costs, will be imposed on the owner of record if abandonment occurs. Vehicles without proper plates or parked for 48 hours or more in prohibited areas will be considered abandoned.

Prohibited Vehicles

Hot rods, drag-strip racers, modified stock cars, or other unconventional vehicles (except bicycles, motor-driven cycles, or motorcycles) are not allowed on campus. Vehicles must be licensed and street legal to be on campus property.

Vehicle Maintenance

All vehicles must be in good operating condition. No major repairs will be permitted on roads or in any parking areas on campus. Disabled vehicles must be towed from campus.

Selling of Vehicles

Parking a vehicle on campus in a manner that suggests it is being offered for sale is prohibited. Vehicles displaying advertising materials, posters, or “for sale” signs while parked on campus are not allowed.

Speed Limit

The speed limit is 25 miles per hour on campus roads, unless otherwise posted (e.g. 15 mph throughout Daniell Heights).

Parking Permit and Decal Regulations

Permit Placement

Sticker Permits must be displayed on the inside of the windshield in the lower left (driver side) corner at all times while parked on campus. Hanging Permits must be displayed from the rear view mirror displayed towards the front of the vehicle.
Worn or no-longer adhesive permits can be replaced at no cost. Before requesting a replacement, please try cleaning the permit with warm, soapy water to see if it restores its tackiness. Your old permit must be returned before being issued a replacement.
It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that the permit is visible at all times. On motorcycles/snowmobiles/trailers, the decal must be displayed in plain view in the location stated when the permit was purchased to be considered registered.

Lost or Stolen Permits

Students/faculty/staff who lose a permit are required to purchase an additional permit at the rate of $50 or prorated price (whichever is less) or risk being ticketed.
A police report from a law enforcement agency where you believe the permit was stolen from is required when reporting a stolen permit. There is no charge for the replacement of a stolen permit with a submitted police report.