Motor Vehicle and Parking Regulations
All vehicles on campus must be registered with the Department of Public Safety. Student and Guest passes are available. If you wish to park on campus for any amount of time, at any time of day, you must register your vehicle. Failure to register carries a fine and possible loss of motor vehicle parking privileges on campus.
Motor Vehicle Registration
All students including students who live off campus wishing to park on campus must register their vehicle(s) with Public Safety during the first week of the semester. Proof of registration is required when registering a vehicle. We will accept a photo of the vehicles license plate or the actual registration card from the vehicles glove box. In the event that a student brings a vehicle to campus at a later date, the student must register it with Public Safety within three (3) class days. The registration fee is $80.
Student registration decals are valid for one academic year; consequently, all vehicles must be registered each year. Current information is required and it is your responsibility to update your vehicle information with Public Safety. Failure to do so could result in a fine.
Only students who are full-time employees and part-time students, as verified by the Registrar’s Office, are allowed Faculty/Staff parking permits. 1782 parking permits are not to be used by students.
Parking Regulations
All vehicles must be parked in a lined parking space. Student parking spaces are lined but not marked as reserved. Faculty/Staff parking areas are off limits to students Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Students are free to use the Faculty/Staff spaces before 8 a.m. and after 3 p.m. and all day on weekends and holidays. This does not include the Faculty/Staff spaces behind Health Services, which are off limits at all times to anyone other than Health Services staff members. There is no student parking near academic buildings on campus or in the loading dock area behind Hodson Hall.
The lack of a convenient parking space is NOT an excuse for violating parking regulations. Vehicles are considered parked when left unattended, with or without flashers on. If a registered vehicle is loaned to another person and a traffic citation is issued, the registered owner is responsible for the payment.
Permits are not transferrable. Any student exchanging their Washington College registration permit is subject to having their on-campus parking privileges suspended.
If a student vehicle becomes disabled, it is the student’s responsibility to notify Public Safety of the details. Failure to do so will not be a valid excuse for violating parking regulations.
Off-Campus Students
Off-campus students who drive to campus must register with Public Safety and obtain a WC parking permit in order to secure campus parking privileges. Once registered, off-campus students can park in student/open spaces. Students are responsible for abiding by all local statutes regarding off-campus parking.
Resident Assistant Parking
Resident Assistants will have reserved parking spaces in the vicinity of their assigned dormitories. These spaces are strictly limited to authorized vehicles with Resident Assistant Parking Permits. All others in these spaces will be ticketed.
Temporary/Visitor Parking
All vehicles on campus must be registered. Parking spaces marked “Visitors” are reserved for official guests of the College only. If you have a friend or family member who will be visiting campus, please stop by the Public Safety Office to obtain a visitor pass. You will need your student ID as well as the vehicle information (make, model, tag number) for your visitor. These passes are issued free of charge and allow your visitor to park in any open parking space.
Non-student visitors who are attending a show or event on campus are not required to obtain a visitor parking pass. However, parents of students are encouraged to obtain a visitor pass when visiting campus. If a parent or guest receives a parking citation they believe is in error, have them contact Public Safety.
Motor Vehicle Fines
Fines are as follows:
Reckless Driving: $100
Parked in Handicapped Zone/Hash Zone Failure to Obey Traffic Control: $100
Device Impeding Traffic Flow: $50
Parked in Fire Lane: 50
Driving on Lawn/Parking on Lawn: $35
Parked in Faculty/Staff, RA, or Visitor Space Parked in No Parking Zone: $30
Parked in Reserved Area: $30
Unregistered with Washington College Invalid Vehicle Registration: $30
Parked on Pedestrian Walkway: $30
Other: $30
Warning: No Fine
Penalties
Responsibility for payment of penalties incurred rests with the student registrant, and if the registration has not been completed, it lies with the owner and/or operator of the vehicle. The person receiving the fine has the right to appeal the offense. You must appeal your ticket online (address is shown on ticket) within ten (10) days of the ticket being issued. Appeals will not be considered after this deadline.
Any person who receives more than five tickets may lose all parking privileges. Those who continually violate Washington College traffic regulations and/or parking guidelines may find their vehicles booted at the owner’s expense and may be subject to disciplinary action. There is a $50 charge to have a boot removed from a vehicle. Any attempt to remove the boot will result in disciplinary action. Continued violations may result in further disciplinary action.
The college may withhold grades and/or transcripts as a result of the failure to pay fines.
Parking Ticket Appeals
The following are situations that are typically not accepted as valid circumstances for parking in violation of Washington College parking policy:
An appeal based on how long you were parked in violation
Public Safety Officers will issue a citation to any vehicle parked in violation of regulations. An appeal that states that the vehicle was only parked for two minutes, five minutes, etc., is not considered valid.
An appeal based on your need to get to class/work/an appointment on time
It typically requires a few minutes to locate a parking space within the campus parking system. It is suggested that faculty, staff, and students plan their schedules such that there is sufficient time to find and park in a legal space.
An appeal based on lack of a parking space near your destination
Parking spaces in certain areas are limited, and the campus parking system does not guarantee a space in a specific lot. Faculty, staff, students, and visitors must park in a legal space.
An appeal based on your need to load or unload
With the exception of the beginning and end of the semester, parking illegally next to a building to load or unload is not a valid excuse.
An appeal based on not seeing the sign or line markings
It is the driver’s responsibility to comply with all posted signage, notices, and line markings. A map is available on the Public Safety webpage.
An appeal based on use of four-way hazard flashers
Four-way flashers are designed to warn other motorists that a vehicle may be a hazard. Use of four-way flashers does not allow you to park illegally for any period of time.
Community Parking
If you find the need to park in the community surrounding the campus, please follow posted signs indicating the town’s parking regulations and the Residential Parking Permit Zones.
Currently, there are parking restrictions imposed by the Town of Chestertown along the south curb of Campus Avenue, both sides of Mt. Vernon Avenue and Greenwood Avenue, as well as the north curb of Brown Street. These areas are designated for Chestertown Resident Parking only. Non-resident vehicles parked on these streets will be in violation of local ordinances and subject to enforcement. The College has no authority over these spaces and cannot intercede with town authorities on behalf of individuals who park illegally and receive citations. Additional restrictions might be imposed in the future, and the Town of Chestertown will post any such restrictions.
Students are asked to be considerate of the College’s residential neighbors and their parking needs.
Vehicle Damage
Washington College is not responsible for damage that may occur to vehicles while parked on campus. This damage includes (but is not limited to) foul balls or objects cast by lawn mowers. Reports of damage can be made with Public Safety, and reports will be given to the vehicle owner upon request.
Bicycle Registration
We encourage our students and others to use bicycles on and around campus as an environmentally friendly mode of transportation.
If you plan on having a bicycle on campus, you are asked to register your bike with our office. This is no cost to register your bicycle. This will help officers if your bicycle is lost or stolen. All bicycles on campus should be placed in a bicycle rack and secured with a lock at all times. If you do not have a lock, Public Safety will loan our students a lock free of charge.
Information on how to register your bicycle will be sent out via email at the start of the semester.
If your bicycle is found unsecured on campus it may be secured by Public Safety with our lock. If this happens you will need to contact Public Safety to access your bike. Bicycles are to be removed from bike racks at the end of each school year. International students or others who have difficulty transporting bikes home may contact Public Safety to seek an exemption. Any bikes left behind at the end of the year will be considered abandoned and will be removed by Public Safety.