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Citations and Appeals Process

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Parking citations must be paid or appealed within 10 calendar days of the citation issue date. Failure to submit payment or a formal first appeal within this timeframe forfeits the right to appeal the citation and may result in additional fees.

Payment of a citation is not considered an admission of guilt. If a citation that has already been paid is later reduced or dismissed through the appeals process, the appropriate refund will be issued to the original method of payment whenever possible.

How to Submit a First Appeal

A citation may be appealed within 10 calendar days of the citation issue date.

Appeals may be submitted:

  • Online through the Virginia Tech Parking Portal
  • In person at Parking Services, 505 Beamer Way
  • By email to parking@vt.edu

All appeals must be submitted in writing.

When submitting an appeal, please ensure that your email address, telephone number, vehicle information, citation information, and any other requested information are complete and accurate.

 

Citation Discussion Hours

The Ticket Adjudication Office offers walk-in hours for individuals who would like to discuss a citation:

  • Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 8–10 a.m.
  • Tuesday and Thursday: 1–3 p.m.

Please note that speaking with a staff member about a citation does not constitute an appeal. All appeals must still be formally submitted in writing within the required 10-calendar-day period.

 

The First Appeal Process

Parking Services' Appeals Hearing Officer reviews all written first appeals involving parking violations.

The purpose of the first appeal is to determine whether the citation was issued correctly and in accordance with Virginia Tech Parking Rules and Regulations. The Appeals Hearing Officer reviews the citation, applicable parking regulations, permit or payment information, signage, vehicle information, photographs when available, and any supporting documentation submitted with the appeal.

If the review determines that the citation was issued in error or that the vehicle was in compliance with parking regulations at the time the citation was issued, the citation may be dismissed.

If the citation was issued correctly, the citation will generally be upheld at the first appeal level. Parking Services employees do not administratively void properly issued citations, and citation dismissals are subject to university review and auditing requirements.

Circumstances that do not, by themselves, establish that a citation was issued incorrectly include:

  • Not knowing or misunderstanding a parking regulation
  • Not intending to violate a parking regulation
  • Being late or unable to find another parking space
  • Parking for only a short period of time
  • Observing other vehicles parked in violation
  • Having previously parked in the same location without receiving a citation
  • Failure to obtain or activate the required permit or ParkMobile payment

Certain violations involving safety, accessibility, or restricted areas will generally not be viewed favorably during the appeals process except when documentation demonstrates a genuine emergency or that the citation was issued incorrectly. These may include parking in:

  • ADA or ADA access areas
  • Fire lanes
  • Bus lanes
  • Roadways
  • Air intake areas
  • Yellow curbs or other no-parking zones
  • Timed spaces beyond the posted time limit
  • Areas outside of designated ParkMobile zones when using ParkMobile as the parking authorization

Individuals seeking consideration of mitigating or extenuating circumstances after a citation has been determined to have been properly issued may request a Second Appeals Hearing, subject to the requirements below.

 

Second Appeals

If you disagree with the decision of your first appeal and believe additional circumstances should be considered, you may request a hearing before the Second Appeals Hearing Subcommittee.

The citation must be paid in full before a Second Appeals Hearing can be scheduled.

A Second Appeals Hearing must be requested within 10 calendar days of the date of the first appeal decision letter.

The Second Appeals Hearing Subcommittee is composed of faculty, staff, and students who are not affiliated with Parking Services. This provides an independent review of the citation and appeal decision.

Second Appeals Hearings are conducted virtually through Zoom. The Zoom meeting link and additional hearing information will be provided approximately two to three days before the scheduled hearing.

During the hearing, appellants will have approximately three to five minutes to present their case. The committee may ask questions before deliberating.

The committee may decide to:

  • Uphold the citation
  • Reduce the citation
  • Dismiss the citation

Parking Services will normally provide the committee's decision by email within five to seven business days following the hearing.

If a citation is reduced or dismissed after payment has been made, the applicable refund will be initiated to the original method of payment whenever possible. Refund processing may take approximately four to six weeks.

To schedule a Second Appeals Hearing, contact Parking Services at 540-231-3200.

If the deadline to request a Second Appeals Hearing has passed, the opportunity for further appeal is forfeited and any outstanding citation balance and applicable late fees are due in full.

The Second Appeals Hearing is the final step in the Virginia Tech Parking Services appeals process. Decisions of the Second Appeals Hearing Subcommittee are final.

 

Second Appeal No-Shows

Individuals who fail to appear for their scheduled Second Appeals Hearing will be assessed a $25 no-show fee.

Failure to appear for the scheduled hearing forfeits any further opportunity to appeal the citation. The citation decision and no-show fee will become final.

 

Citation Fees

Virginia Tech Parking Services uses citation categories that group similar parking violations under a common citation type.

Unauthorized Parking — $45

Examples include:

  • No overnight parking
  • Overtime parking
  • Reserved space, including Faculty Principal spaces
  • Unauthorized area
  • Parking in an area not authorized for your affiliation or permit
  • Other unauthorized parking violations

No Parking Zone — $80

Examples include:

  • Air intake areas
  • Bus lanes
  • Fire lanes
  • Hashmarked areas
  • Loading docks
  • Posted no-parking zones
  • Sidewalks
  • Roadways
  • Service drives
  • Service vehicle spaces
  • Turf or landscaped areas

Permit Misuse — $200

Includes unauthorized use, fraudulent use, alteration, duplication, theft, or other misuse of a Virginia Tech parking permit or parking credential.

ADA/ADA Access Violation — $300

Includes unauthorized parking in an ADA parking space, ADA access aisle, or other designated accessible parking area.

Unauthorized RV — $300

Applies to unauthorized RV parking.

Improper Plate Display — $20

Virginia Tech parking permits are virtual, and a vehicle's license plate serves as its permit identifier. License plates must be properly displayed and readable by Parking Services' License Plate Recognition equipment in accordance with Virginia Tech Parking Rules and Regulations.

 

Late Fees and Outstanding Citations

If Parking Services does not receive payment or a first appeal within 10 calendar days of the citation issue date, a one-time $10 late fee will be added beginning on the 11th calendar day.

Faculty and staff may request that eligible parking citation fines be paid through payroll deduction. Payroll deduction must be requested separately for each citation by emailing parking@vt.edu.

Outstanding balances may also be assessed against other money due to an individual from the university where permitted. Delinquent accounts may be referred to a collection agency and will be subject to applicable collection costs.

 

Responsibility for Parking Citations

When a vehicle is found in violation of Virginia Tech parking regulations, responsibility for the citation may be assigned to:

  • The person, company, corporation, or other entity to whom the vehicle is registered through the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles or the corresponding agency of another state or nation
  • The individual associated with the Virginia Tech parking permit or parking account connected to the vehicle
  • An eligible Virginia Tech student or employee who is the son, daughter, spouse, or ward of the vehicle's registered owner, as applicable under university parking regulations

 

Payment of Parking Fines

Parking citations may be paid by credit card online or in person.

Hokie Passport is also accepted for citation payments made in person at Parking Services.

Individuals may:

  • Pay online through the Virginia Tech Parking Portal
  • Pay in person at Parking Services, 505 Beamer Way, Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech Parking Services is cashless. Cash and checks are not accepted for parking citation payments.

One-Time Educational Waiver

Virginia Tech Parking Services, in partnership with the Undergraduate Student Senate (USS) and the Commission on Undergraduate Student Affairs (CUSA), has launched a new pilot program that allows eligible students to have one qualifying parking citation waived after completing an educational course.

The goal of this initiative is to increase awareness of campus parking regulations and promote responsible parking behavior.

Program Overview

Eligible students may complete an online educational course instead of paying for one qualifying citation. To earn the waiver, participants must score a 19/20 on the course assessment within two attempts.

The Parking Quiz cannot be completed in advance of receiving a citation. Completing the quiz before a citation is issued will forfeit your eligibility to use the one-time educational waiver. Once a citation has been issued, an email will be sent to the registered vehicle owner the following business day with a link to access the Parking Quiz.

Eligibility Criteria

To participate, students must meet all of the following requirements:

  • Be a currently enrolled Virginia Tech student.
  • Only one waiver is available per student (first waiver only).
  • The waiver cannot be applied to citations over $65 or to serious violations such as ADA, fire lane, or unauthorized entry infractions.
  • The waiver request must be submitted within 10 calendar days of the citation issue date. It is strongly recommended that students begin the process as soon as possible after receiving the ticket.
  • Students who choose to complete the course waive their right to appeal the citation. Participation in the course and submission of an appeal are mutually exclusive; students may only pursue one option.
  • The course must be completed after receiving the citation.
    • Students must achieve a 19/20 on the course assessment to qualify.
    • Only two attempts are permitted to pass the course. 

    • Upon successfully passing, students will receive instructions on how to request the waiver through Parking Services, subject to program rules and eligibility.