Parking citations are a necessary part of regulating our parking lots and we offer an appeals process for any citation that you feel may have been received in error. You can appeal citations through your Online Parking Account. Appeals should be based on the fact that the citation was issued contrary to SDSU Parking and Traffic policy. Submitting an appeal does not automatically guarantee a voided citation.
Justifications such as those listed below are NOT considered legitimate reasons for appeal.
- You were unfamiliar with University parking rules and regulations.
- You don’t have the money to pay for the citation.
- You saw others parked there and assumed it was okay to do the same.
- You have parked there before and did not receive a citation.
- You were only parked there for 10 minutes.
- You parked in a lot that had available spaces so it didn’t affect anyone.
- You had circled a specific lot already but failed to find a space and therefore parked illegally in another lot.
- The weather was too hot/cold/rainy/snowy/windy/sunny. SDSU is a walking campus and you are expected to be weather prepared for a short walk to your destination.
Please note that appealing a citation could result in an additional $10 fee to the citation amount if the appeal is denied. This is considered an administrative fee comparable to court costs. The following procedures are utilized by the University in processing appeals.
First Level Written Appeal
Appeal must be submitted for any unpaid citations within 10 days of issuance. The appeal must be filed through your online parking account (see link above).
Upon submission, the Parking Services staff will review and consider your written statement, evidence and all other documentation. Upon review, the staff will render a decision on the appeal resulting in one of the following actions:
- Granted: The citation will be voided and the fine is dismissed.
- Reduced: The citation is upheld with full amount of the fine applied but no administrative fee is assessed.
- Warning: The citation is reduced to a warning and the fee will be dismissed.
- Denied: The citation is upheld and an additional $10 administrative charge will be added. The citation must be paid within 10 days of denial. If not paid within 10 days of denial, an additional $10 late fee will be added.
Second Level Docket Appeal
If you do not agree with the initial decision rendered by the Parking Services staff, you may file a second appeal, in person, to the Parking and Traffic Appeals Committee (subcommittee of Parking and Traffic Committee). This Committee includes a mixture of representatives from the Student Senate Association, faculty and staff.
You must re-submit the appeal in person or via phone to Parking Services within 5 calendar days of the First Level Appeal decision. At this time, you must pay the fine, the first level appeal administrative fee of $10 and an additional $10 administrative fee. This becomes your bond until the Appeals Committee makes a decision. A date, time and location will be provided for you to appear before the Committee. If you cannot appear on the scheduled date, you are allowed to reschedule an appearance date one time. If a reschedule is required, it must be placed at least three days prior to the original scheduled hearing date. If you miss your hearing date, one will not be rescheduled and you forfeit the posted bond (exception in cases of emergency). At the hearing, you may present your documentation/evidence to the Committee on why your parking citation was issued in error.
Appeals Committee’s Actions – Upon review, the Committee will vote on the submitted appeal with one of the following actions.
- Granted: The citation will be voided and the fine is dismissed.
- Reduced: The citation is upheld and the amount of the fine is reduced.
- Warning: The citation is reduced to a warning and the fee will be dismissed.
- Denied: The citation is upheld. If not paid within 10 days, an additional $10 late fee will be added.
If the appeals committee action is granted, reduced or reduced to warning, the bond or a portion of, will be refunded within 10 days.