Citations

If you believe you were parked in accordance with UW parking rules and were incorrectly cited for a parking violation, you may appeal the citation.

For an appeal to be successful, there must be substantial and valid evidence that the parking violation was not committed, that it occurred due to circumstances beyond the customer’s control or that there were other extraordinary circumstances that should be considered. Examples of evidence include: parking permits, photos, emails, hospital notes, tow or repair receipts, or other official documentation.

Instructions for contesting a citation

1. Obtain the appeal form either online or fill it out in person at the Transportation Services office during business hours.
2. Explain your basis for the appeal with as much detail as possible.
3. Include originals or copies of any documents or evidence
4. Submit the appeal form and evidence at the same time either online or in person at the Transportation Services office. All appeals submitted in person require a signature. Appeals are not accepted by email.
5. Please retain a copy of the entire appeal and any evidence for your records.

Appeal a citation online

Appeals sent by mail must be postmarked or received by Transportation Services within 20 calendar days of citation issuance. The postmark or fax transmittal date/time will be used as the received date.

Upon receipt, the appeal is scheduled for review by the Citation Hearing Office. The payment deadline for each appealed citation is placed on hold while under review.

The following are generally not considered valid reasons for appeal:

• I didn’t know the rules.
• Other cars were parked like this.
• It was only for a short time.
• I was running late.
• I didn’t have enough money.
• There was nowhere else to park.
• There was a passenger left in the car.
• I left a note on the windshield.
• I had my hazard lights on.
• I wasn’t taking anyone’s space.

Transportation Services uses a license plate recognition (LPR) system for enforcement in UW parking lots and garages. The LPR system uses vehicle-mounted cameras to capture images of parked vehicles, including their license plates. The system also records location and date/time information. A detailed privacy policy governs how personal data is collected and used.

To reduce and/or avoid the risk of citation, it is important to enter your license plate information correctly. Whether you are a visitor using a self-serve parking pay machine or PayByPhone, or you are a permit holder, please ensure that you have entered your license plate information accurately. 

It is also important to park your vehicle in a space properly so the LPR technology can read your plate information appropriately. Back-in parking can make it difficult for the technology to recognize your vehicle’s plate.

General guidelines

• Enter your vehicle license plate number exactly as it appears on the vehicle registration.

• Do not enter any dashes as a part of your license plate number. Example: 123-ABC should be entered as 123ABC.

• If you have an out-of-state license plate, please enter that information until you receive your Washington license plates. Once you have received and installed your Washington license plates, use that license plate information moving forward when parking on campus.

• Similarly, if you have temporary plates, please enter that information until you receive your permanent license plates. Once you have received and installed your permanent license plates, use that license plate information moving forward when parking on campus.

• Please enter 0 (number zero) and O (letter O) appropriately. If grouped together with numbers (809), the input would be the number zero. If grouped together with letters (KOL), the input would be the letter O. Some plates will denote zeros by putting a diagonal slash through the middle.

If you have further questions about how to enter your license plate in a pay machine or PayByPhone, speak to a gatehouse staff member or parking enforcement member if they are available.

Examples

Here are some common examples of how to enter license plate information properly.

UW plate

The verticle “W” preceding the white text (SMPLE) should be entered as part of the license plate number.

 

WSU plate

The vertical “WSU” preceding the white text (SMPL) should be entered as part of the license plate number.

 

Endangered Wildlife plate

The vertical “EW” preceding the black text (SMPLE) should be entered as part of the license plate number.

 

Seahawks plate

The vertical “SH” preceding the black numbers (12345) should be entered as part of the license plate number.

 

Disability plate

The vertical “DP” preceding the black numbers (03750) should be entered as part of the license plate number.

 

Exempt plate

The vertical “XMT” preceding the black text (33174K) should be entered as part of the license plate number.

 

Military/Veteran plate

The extra text on the plate (Purple Heart, Combat Wounded) is not considered part of the license plate number and should not be entered.

A vehicle found on University of Washington property shall be impounded in cases of:

• Failure to pay fines
• Public safety concerns
• Vehicle abandonment
• Forged/stolen/altered permits
• Obstructing traffic
• Vehicle reported stolen
• Vehicle constitutes evidence/contains evidence

To verify that your vehicle has been impounded, contact Transportation Services at 206-221-3701 during office hours Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. After hours, please call 206-685-1553 from 4 p.m. - 9 p.m., and on Saturdays from 7 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Impounds can only be released during office hours. Please note that our main office is closed on weekends and holidays.

All outstanding fines must be paid in full upon release. Transportation Services will issue release documentation to the vehicle’s registered owner upon receipt of full payment and proof of a valid driver’s license. A person authorized by the registered owner may also receive the documentation after providing a written authorization, accompanied by valid photo identification, to initiate third-party vehicle redemption. A valid driver’s license is required prior to payment or release.