Parking Regulations

Original Date: June 1, 2020
Revision/Review Dates: July 2020, June 1, 2022
Approved: Michael Barton, Director of Public Safety

This manual communicates expectations for the uniform distribution, compliance, and enforcement of parking rules and regulations for Jacksonville State University.   

Organization

Parking Services is a unit under the Department of Public Safety assigned to the Support Services Branch. The unit’s staffing includes one full-time supervisor, one full-time employee, and part-time student assistants.     

Mission

The purpose of Jacksonville State University’s (JSU) Parking Services is to provide public-safety support on the grounds of JSU that enhances the safety and security of the campus community.

Services

Parking Services provide many services to the students, faculty, staff, contractors, and visitors to JSU’s campuses, including: 

Motorist Assistance

  • Security patrols of parking lots
  • Directions
  • Personal escorts to buildings/vehicles
  • Battery jump starts
  • Vehicle unlocking
  • Tire changes
  • Tire airchecks  
  • Delivery and set up of traffic control devices, such as cones and barricades for special events
  • Special event parking lot security and traffic control   

Administration

  • Issuance of parking decals
  • Issuances of visitor’s passes
  • Issuance of accessible hangtags
  • Enforcement of rules and regulations 

Contact Information

Parking Services may be reached during normal business hours by email at parking@jsu.edu or by phone at 256-782-5566.

Outside of normal business hours, a motorist who needs assistance on campus can call the Department of Public Safety at 256-782-5050.   

Location

The Parking Service’s Office is located at the ID Office on the 4th floor of the Theron Montgomery Building (TMB), adjacent to the Mail Center. 

Office Hours

Administrative functions of Parking Services are available in the office or by phone during normal JSU business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.  

Responsibility

The Jacksonville State University (JSU) Director of Public Safety has the authority to create and delegate enforcement of the rules and regulations for the operation and parking of vehicles on JSU property. The responsibilities of the vehicle’s operator are to know, understand, and comply with the parking and traffic regulations and the Code of Alabama, Title 32. The rules are subject to enforcement 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. 

Definitions

  • Faculty, Staff, and Non-JSU personnel – Any person employed by or contracted for JSU as defined by the Human Resources Department. Such individuals may be full-time, part-time, or contract employees. (Student workers or graduate assistants do not qualify for Faculty/Staff privileges.)
  • Faculty/Staff parking decal – A JSU issued decal is defined by a red color designated for faculty/staff of the University.
  • Faculty/Staff parking zone – Any legal parking spot with red striped lines. Red striped parking spots may be used for any operator with a JSU-issued faculty/staff decal.
  • HDC accessible (Handicap) parking zone – Any parking spot with Blue striped lines and/or a sign defining it as an accessible spot.
  • Motor vehicle – Every self-propelled vehicle that has two or more wheels.
  • No parking zone – A space or location not designated for parking.
  • Parked vehicle – Any vehicle, occupied or unoccupied, utilizing a parking space, or illegally stopped on the roadway.
  • Parking Decal: An adhesive sticker that is applied to the inside of the windshield on the lower corner of the passenger’s side of the vehicle
  • Reserved parking – Parking spaces reserved for individual or group parking designated by permeant signage or temporary barriers.
  • Student – Any person registered at JSU for at least one credit hour.
  • Student parking decal – A JSU-issued decal is defined by a white color designated for students of the University.
  • Student parking zone – Any legal parking spot on JSU property with two white striped lines and no other signs defining it as a reserved parking spot. White striped parking spots may be used by any JSU student with a JSU-issued student decal.
  • University property – All property that is owned, managed, or leased by JSU, including all parking spaces. This includes JSU residence halls, apartments, academic buildings, and/or other properties as defined by JSU.
  • Vehicle Immobilizer – A mechanical device used to prevent a vehicle from moving that is secured on the front driver’s side tire.
  • Vehicle Registration –  A receipt issued by a state government for the vehicle’s license plate in the current year
  • Visitor parking decal – A decal defined by a blue color may be obtained for any Non-JSU personnel who does not have a MyJSU account.

Enforcement

JSU Parking Services enforce rules and regulations on JSU property. JSU Parking Services is authorized to issue administrative warning citations and administrative parking citations for violations of the JSU Parking Rules and Regulations. A citation has the penalty of the person it was issued to being financially fined.    

In certain circumstances, Parking Services may place a vehicle immobilizer on a vehicle parked on JSU property when the vehicle is in continued violation of parking rules and regulations. Violators will have forty-eight (48) hours to satisfy the requirements to remove a vehicle immobilizer. If the vehicle owner fails to have the vehicle immobilizer removed within the allotted time, the vehicle is subject to being towed at the operator’s expense.

The University may remove a vehicle from JSU property at the owner’s expense when it violates the Code of Alabama, Ordinances of The City of Jacksonville, and/or JSU Parking Rules and Regulations. 

A vehicle with a tag number and vehicle identification number (VIN) concealed will result in a referral to law enforcement.

The Director of Public Safety has the authority to revoke parking privileges on JSU property.

Decals

All students, faculty, staff, coaches, contract employees, and visitors who park a vehicle on JSU property, except for State-owned or leased vehicles, must first obtain an officially issued parking decal or temporary parking pass. The decal must be displayed with its adhesive on the lower corner of the inside of the passenger side of the windshield. The most current year decal supersedes any prior year decal.  

Expiration

All decals expire annually on September 1st. Example: Decal # 2023s00001 will expire on September 1st, 2023).

Students, Staff, Coaches, and Faculty

Faculty, staff, coaches, and students must register for a parking decal on their MyJSU account. Payment for a Student decal is billed to the student’s account. Payment for a Faculty/Staff decal is billed through payroll deduction. Decals will be mailed to the address entered online during the registration process. Allow up to 21 business days for decals to be received.

Contract Employees

Non-JSU personnel employed as contractors at JSU without a MyJSU account must purchase a decal with the Office of Student Accounts at 245 Angle Hall. Once a payment receipt is received from the Office of Student Accounts, the receipt should be brought to Parking Services to obtain a decal. 

Campus Visitors

All visitors to JSU properties must display a parking pass on their vehicle. Occasional day visitors must obtain a temporary parking pass from Parking Services or the Department of Public Safety. Building managers may also issue one-day passes.

Frequent visitors to campus may conveniently purchase a blue visitor’s decal, the same as Contract Employees, with the adhesive backing that can be displayed on their vehicle for the full year of issuance.

JSU Retirees

Persons retired from JSU may present their JSU Retiree Identification Card to Parking Services. A JSU retiree parking decal will then be issued to the retiree at no cost. Retiree decals do not expire. If the decal’s registered driver obtains a new vehicle, the decal may be carefully removed from the old vehicle and placed on the new vehicle. Parking Services must be notified of the vehicle change as soon as it is placed on the new vehicle to prevent the issuance of a parking citation.

JSU Vanity Tags

Students: Students with a JSU vanity tag, also referred to as a J-Tag, must first register for a parking decal on their MyJSU account and then come to Parking Services to pick up their decal. When coming in to pick up the decal, the vehicle operator must have the state vehicle registration and driver’s license to prove the validity of the J-Tag.  Any attempted J-Tag registration of a vehicle without a J-Tag will result in a cancellation of the decal registration.

Faculty and Staff: Faculty and staff must first register for a parking decal on their MyJSU account. Faculty and staff may choose to pick up their decal in Parking Services or may receive it by campus mail to a campus office. 

When coming in to pick up the decal, the vehicle operator must have the state vehicle registration and driver’s license to prove the validity of the J-Tag. Any J-Tag registration of a vehicle without a J-Tag will result in a cancellation of the decal registration.

Employees wishing to receive their decal through campus mail must email Parking Services at: parking@jsu.edu, with an attached image of the tag receipt, along with the name, department, office, and on-campus mailing address information. Mail-outs will be sent as quickly as possible.

Motorcycle

Motorcycle operators must purchase a decal in the same manner as a decal for a standard vehicle license plate. Once the purchase is made, an adhesive decal will be mailed. The recipient should then bring the decal to Parking Services to be exchanged for a metal emblem to be affixed to the motorcycle’s license plate mounting screws for easy display. Motorcycle metal emblems remain valid for as long as the operator owns the motorcycle.

Bicycle

Owners of bicycles on JSU property are encouraged to register and obtain a bicycle decal. This registration can assist in identifying a lost or stolen bicycle and help to identify the owner. Bicycle registration is free and available through a link on the MyJSU account. Once a bicycle has been registered, the registrant should come to Parking Services to receive the decal.

Decals are Non-Transferable between Persons

JSU decals are not transferable to any other person. Swapping decals may result in revoking the decal and/or parking privileges being suspended/revoked.

Purchasing a decal in the name of one person for another person is prohibited. Faculty and staff are not allowed to purchase decals for graduate assistants, student workers, or other students. Improper purchases may result in revoking the decal and/or parking privileges being suspended/revoked.

Decals that are lost, stolen, or damaged cannot be provided. Replacement decals must be purchased through the online registration process at the original purchase price.

Change of Registered Vehicles

Permanent Vehicle Change: If the decal’s registered driver obtains a new vehicle, the decal may be carefully removed from the old vehicle and placed on the new vehicle. Parking Services must be notified of the vehicle change as soon as it is placed on the new vehicle to prevent the issuance of a parking citation.

Temporary Vehicle Change: If a campus community member temporarily drives a vehicle other than the one with an officially issued decal, they first must obtain a free temporary pass from Parking Services. Temporary parking passes may be valid for up to 14 days. (i.e., using a family member’s vehicle or a rental vehicle)

Cost

JSU has established the cost per decal for the current academic year at $50.00 per decal. Vehicles displaying a JSU vanity tag receive one (1) complimentary decal at no cost to the operator, as discussed in the JSU Vanity Tags section.

Parking Zones

Operators must park their vehicles in a designated parking space within the parking zone that corresponds with the issued decal classification for the vehicle operator. Parking zones are indicated by the color of lines for the parking space. 

  • White Parking Spaces: Students, faculty, staff, retirees, contractors, and visitors
  • Red Parking Spaces: Faculty, staff, retirees, contractors, and visitors
  • Blue Parking Spaces: Accessible parking
  • Reserved Parking Spaces: As designated by signage or temporary barriers
  • The Pointe: Residents at The Pointe must have an officially issued JSU parking decal in addition to The Pointe parking registration.

All signage, painted lines, and regulations governing the use of motor vehicles must be observed. 

Accessible Parking

Vehicle operators parking on JSU property with a state-issued disability access license plate or placard must obtain a JSU-accessible parking permit. Permits can be obtained at JSU Parking Services. To obtain an accessible parking permit, the vehicle’s operator must show documented proof of the need for disability access parking privileges. Accepted documentation must be submitted to parking services to obtain the JSU-accessible parking permit. Approved documentation includes 1) written documentation from a physician or 2) the state-issued accessible tag in the operator’s name.  

Once the JSU-accessible parking hangtag is issued, it must be displayed in front of the state-issued hangtag on the rearview mirror when the vehicle is parked on campus. Permanently accessible passes will expire once the JSU decal for the year expires, and a new one will need to be obtained for the next year. Temporary accessible passes will expire once the notice from a physician expires.

Use of a JSU-accessible parking pass that is not in the vehicle operator’s name is prohibited.

Parking Citations

JSU administrative parking citations are issued to the person to whom the vehicle’s decal is registered. If a vehicle is without a decal, a parking citation will be issued to the vehicle. Once the vehicle operator is identified, all previous citations will be applied to the person. Persons loaning their vehicles to others are responsible for citations issued to the vehicle. Below are the citation types and definitions for each: 

  • Parking in the wrong zone ($25.00) - Any person who parks in a zone that is not the one they are registered to park in. An example of parking in the wrong zone is a student parking in a faculty/staff parking space.  
  • No parking permit displayed ($25.00) - Any vehicle parked on JSU property without an issued decal or parking pass.
  • Obstructing traffic ($45.00) - Any vehicle parked where regular vehicle or pedestrian traffic flow is hindered, traffic of an emergency vehicle is restricted, and/or blocking a dumpster.
  • Overtime parking ($25.00) - Any vehicle parked longer than the designated time displayed on a sign
  • Improper decal displayed ($15.00) - Any vehicle with a decal displayed anywhere other than the lower corner on the inside of the passenger side windshield.
  • Yellow curb ($25.00) -  Any vehicle parked next to a yellow-painted curb 
  • No parking ($25.00) – Any vehicle parked in an area not defined as a designated parking space/area by painted lines. 
  • Reserved Parking (1st offense $100.00/2nd offense $200/3rd offense $300)  – Any vehicle parked in reserved parking spaces.
  • Accessible Parking (1st offense $100.00/2nd offense $200 and placement of vehicle immobilizer/3rd offense $300 and impoundment of the vehicle) – Any vehicle parked in accessible parking spaces.

Vehicles may be cited for the same offense within 24 hours if multiple violations are committed.

Moving Violations

University Police have the authority to issue a university traffic citation or the discretion to issue an Alabama uniform traffic citation. A university traffic citation is an administrative citation processed by JSU. An Alabama uniform traffic citation is processed by the Jacksonville Municipal Court or the Calhoun County District Court. 

  • Speeding ($50.00) – Exceeding the speed limit on JSU property of 20 mph.
  • One-way streets ($50.00) – Traveling on a one-way street in the direction opposite the flow of traffic.
  • Failure to yield right of way ($50.00) – All vehicles, even those facing green lights, must lawfully yield the right of way to pedestrians within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk.
  • Stop sign ($50.00) – Failure to come to a complete stop at a stop sign or red light.
  • Noise violation ($50.00) - A driver commits a noise violation when a stereo/audible device can be heard from a distance greater than thirty feet.
  • Seat belt ($10.00) – Driving while not properly wearing the vehicle’s seat belt.

Citation Appeals

If an individual believes that a citation was issued in error, the person who received the citation may petition for an appeal within five (5) days of the ticket being issued. Appellate officials are anonymous individual(s) from JSU, that the Vice President of Student Affairs selects, and are not affiliated with the Department of Public Safety. The JSU appeal form can be accessed at:  https://www.permitsales.net/jsu/violations. A $5.00 appeals fee is added to the citation if an appeal is ruled guilty. All verdicts on appeals are final.     

Accidents

When a traffic accident occurs on JSU property, the accident should be reported immediately, or as soon as safe to do so, to the JSU Department of Public Safety at 256-782-5050. Appropriate help such as emergency medical service, fire department, and law enforcement will be dispatched accordingly. Vehicles should not be moved until the investigating officer instructs the driver(s) to do so.

Copies of traffic accident reports may be obtained after the third business day at the JSU DPS lobby, located in Salls Hall, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Alabama State law requires that all vehicles be insured with at least liability coverage.

Abandoned Vehicles

If a mechanical failure of a vehicle and a vehicle becomes disabled on JSU property, the operator may call JSU DPS for assistance at 256-782-5050. Vehicles blocking lanes of traffic or emergency access areas must be removed immediately. The operator of the disabled vehicle is responsible for the vehicle’s removal.