There are a lot of misconceptions about campus parking. If you trust the rumors and secondhand information, you may end up with a parking ticket. Read on to get the facts straight from the source.

MYTH: Parking permits aren’t required on campus after 5:00 PM (or 4:00 PM, or 7:00 PM, etc.).

REALITY: Students are required to have permits and follow the parking rules 24 hours a day.

MYTH: If I never register my car with JMU, the university can’t make me pay a parking ticket.

REALITY: Vehicles can be tied to students via DMV records, and a hold will be placed on their account until they register and pay any outstanding fines.

MYTH: Everyone gets a one-time warning or “freebie” ticket before they have to pay a fine.

REALITY: Most violations always carry a fine, even if it’s the driver’s first time getting a ticket.

MYTH: If I put my emergency flashers on, it’s okay for me to park illegally for just a few minutes.

REALITY: Officers are trained to disregard emergency flashers. A car is in violation whether it’s parked illegally for one minute or one hour.

MYTH: There’s no parking enforcement on the weekends, so I can park wherever I want.

REALITY: Campus parking regulations are enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

MYTH: Parking officers work on commission, so they try to write as many tickets as possible.

REALITY: Officers are not offered incentives to write more tickets. Their job is simply to enforce the regulations when they see illegally parked cars.

MYTH: I shouldn’t bother appealing a parking ticket because the appeals process never works.

REALITY: Citations are considered individually and dismissed under certain circumstances.

MYTH: I paid for tuition, so I shouldn’t have to pay for a permit. The university just wants more money.

REALITY: Parking and Transit Services does not receive money from student tuition. Permit fees go directly to fund the parking facilities students use.