Parking on Campus

The State of California requires that any person driving a motor vehicle must have a valid driver's license and the license must be for the type and class of vehicle being driven (i.e., persons driving cars must have a class "C" license and persons driving motorcycles must have a class "M" license.) Thus, Whittier College requires all persons requesting a parking permit to be a licensed driver.

A. The person in whose name the vehicle is registered with the Campus Safety Department shall at all times be responsible for any and all parking penalties, fines, and liability of damage claims arising in connection with the possession or operation of the motor vehicle on campus.

B. For vehicles not registered with the Campus Safety Department, but located on campus, with or without permission, the registered owner as listed with the Department of Motor Vehicles shall be responsible for any and all parking penalties, fines, and liability of damage claims arising in connection with the possession or operation of the motor vehicle on campus.

C. Whittier College, including its Campus Safety Department, and the College officers, agents and employees assume no legal responsibility either written or verbally implied for the care or protection of any vehicle or its content at any time, including the time it is on any property owned and/or operated by Whittier College or the time during which the vehicle has been impounded.

D. Receiving a parking permit does not guarantee or reserve parking space for an individual. It does however give you the privilege to park/or drive on property owned and/or operated by Whittier College.

E. It is the responsibility of the student and employee to obtain, read and abide by all the rules and regulations listed herein.

A. All students and employees who operate a motor vehicle on College owned property shall have the vehicle registered with the Campus Safety Department. There is NO initial registration fee for either students or employees.

B. Commuter students shall renew their registration at the beginning of each academic year at no cost.

C. There is a $25.00 replacement fee for lost, stolen or mutilated permits.

D. A vehicle shall be registered in the name of the student or employee who is the primary operator of the vehicle on campus.

E. Any change or addition of license plates and/or vehicles shall be reported to the Campus Safety Department without delay.

F. Visitors and temporary vehicles must have a temporary/ guest parking permit from the Campus Safety Department. These permits are available 24 hours a day and are free of charge. All students and employees are responsible to ensure their guests obtain a guest permit.

G. Current State Department of Motor Vehicles registration and a valid driver’s license are required to register your vehicle with the Campus Safety Department.

H. Permits are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

I. Unregistered vehicles are subject to being towed at the owner's expense at the discretion of the Campus Safety Department.

A. Every registered vehicle shall have a registration permit or temporary parking permit.

B. The temporary parking permits are to be hung from the rear view mirror. If the vehicle does not have a rear view mirror, then the permit shall be placed on the dashboard (driver's side) with information fully visible through the windshield.

C. The College parking permits are to be placed on the inside of the front-windshield, lower drivers side. Clean the area with cleaner so permit will adhere. Peel backing from the permit and place on the inside of the windshield. The wording on the permit should be readable from the outside of the vehicle. The permits are not permanent so they will not leave any residue on the window.

D. Motorcycles shall be registered, a permit will be issued.

A. The speed limit in all parking lots and driveways is 15 miles per hour. Regardless of the posted limit, a vehicle operator shall not drive at speeds that are excessive or imprudent for existing road, weather or traffic conditions.

B. A vehicle shall be parked within a designated parking stall as painted in parking lots. If there are no parking stall lines, the area is not designated for parking.

C. Pedestrians have the right-of-way at all times.

D. All state and local laws are enforced on property owned and/or operated by the College.

E. All traffic accidents shall be reported as quickly as possible to the Campus Safety Department.

F. No vehicle is to be driven through campus or be parked on any sidewalks or grass areas. Campus Safety, emergency and Maintenance vehicles are exempted when necessary.

G. All posted traffic signs and roadway markings are to be obeyed.

H. Vehicles must be removed from restricted parking lots by 7:00 am; Monday through Friday.

I. Motorcycles, mopeds and scooters are not to be parked in car stalls and cars are not to be parked in motorcycle, moped and scooter areas.

K. All vehicles driven on Whittier College property must comply with California State Vehicle Code equipment regulations.

L. Vehicles which are inoperative for longer than 15 days are considered abandoned and are subject to removal at the owner's expense.

Driving while intoxicated on private property is a crime in the State of California. Calif. Vehicle Code 23152(a) & (b) states: "It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or any drug, or under the combined of an alcoholic beverage and any drug. It is unlawful for any person who has 0.08% or more, by weight, of alcohol in his/her blood to drive a vehicle." California Vehicle Code 23136(a) states, "It is unlawful for a person under the age of 21 years who has a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.01% or greater to drive a vehicle."

Parking areas and zones are enforced during business hours only (Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). View the campus map.

Full-time employees (faculty and staff)

• Mendenhall (MH)
• Shannon Center (SC)
• Platner (PLT)
• Science & Learning Center (SLC)
• College Hall (CH)
• Broadoaks, Maintenance, and Weingart lots are open only to employees in those departments.

Residential (first-year, transfer, continuing)

• Amphitheater (AMP)
• Athletic Center (AC)
• Founders Hill (FH)
• Harris/Turner (HT)
• Haverhill (HV)
• Wanberg (WNB) 

Commuters (continuing)

• Amphitheater (AMP)
• Canyon Drive (CND)
• Campus Inn (CI)
• Music North (MN)
• Music South (MS)
• Stadium (ST) - open to all commuters

Commuters-1 (first-year)

• Stadium (ST)
• Canyon (CNY)
• ST and CNY lots are locked between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

C. Any exceptions for General Parking (i.e. reserved, service vehicle, handicap, etc.) will be designated through signage and painted parking stalls. Only those individuals' vehicles shall park in these stalls during business hours.  Business hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. 

D. Parking is prohibited in loading docks and trash can areas.

E. Blue Zones- Reserved for disabled parking at ALL times, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These may only be occupied by a vehicle displaying a special disabled license plate and/or placard as issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

F. Green Zones- Reserved for those as specified on parking stall and/or signage (i.e. Reserved, Reserved 24 Hours, Faculty-in-Residence, Employee). If there are no signs or markings, the space is still considered reserved and not for general parking. All reserved spaces are enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except for Employee spaces which are enforced Monday through Friday 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. 

G. White Zones- Reserved for College visitors. These stalls are enforced Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

H. Yellow Zones- Reserved for College service vehicles such as Mail Room, Campus Safety, Maintenance, etc. Enforced Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

I. Red Zones- No stopping at any time. Emergency, Campus Safety and Maintenance vehicles exempted when necessary. All other vehicles may be subject to immediate tow at owner's expense. Enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

J. No Parking (At Any Time) - Undesignated spaces, by barricades, on streets (except where allowed by curb color) on driveways or specifically reserved stalls. Enforced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

K. Commuter Zone-Reserved for registered commuter students only.  Enforced Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

A. Commuter: Non-residential student (living off campus) who is registered as a commuter through Campus Safety. Commuter students receive additional decals every school year.

B. Commuter 1: Non-residential first-year student (living off campus) who is registered as a commuter through Campus Safety. Commuter students receive additional decals every school year.

C. Employee FT: Full-time faculty or staff member with a registered vehicle on campus. Decal is valid as long as employed by the College and does not need to be replaced every year.

D. Employee PT: Part-time faculty or staff member with a registered vehicle on campus. Decal is valid as long as employed by the College and does not need to be replaced every year.

E. Residential: Residential student with a registered vehicle on campus. Student decals are unique to each vehicle registered per student. Decal is valid as long as the student is enrolled and residing at Whittier College and does not need to be replaced every year.

F. Visitor:  A guest of the College. Must display a temporary parking permit, issued by Campus Safety.

A. All penalties and fines shall be paid at the Whittier College Business Office. After paying the citation, a notification will be sent to Campus Safety.

Violations for the following codes will incur a fine

WVC 100Registration not visible

WVC 101Failure to register

WVC 103Improper display of decal

WVC 104Decal displayed registered to another vehicle

WVC 200Parked in posted no parking area

WVC 201Parked in a red zone (red curb)

WVC 202Area not designated for parking (grass, sidewalk, etc.)

WVC 203Parked in a disabled space with no placard or decal

WVC 205Not parked within stall lines

WVC 206Double parked (non-hazard)

WVC 207Parked blocking flow of traffic

WVC 214Vehicle parked in a motorcycle space

WVC 300Parked blocking trash bin area

WVC 301Parked blocking loading zone

WVC 302Parked blocking fire zone or lane

WVC 303Parked in a fire zone or lane

WVC 305Parked blocking a driveway

WVC 400Excessive speed

WVC 405Driving on the wrong side of the road

WVC 412Driving without license in possession

WVC 419Person riding on any portion of vehicle not designed for riding

WVC 422Unsafe starting or backing

WVC 423Failure to stop at a stop sign

WVC 425Driving with headlights off at night

WVC 432Driving through a flare or cone pattern

WVC 433Moving cones/barricades from lots or stalls to park

WVC 434Parked in a blocked off lot or stall

WVC 500Parked in a reserve space with no or improper permit

WVC 501Parked in a restricted lot without proper permits

WVC 999Boot

B. Persons and/or vehicles with five or more citations may have their driving privileges revoked on property owned and/or operated by Whittier College.

C. Failure to respond to a citation by payment or appeal on the date listed on the citation will result in the fine being automatically charged to the individual's College account.

D. Most citation fines will begin at $50.00, including moving violations. After the first citation, $25.00 will be added to each fee, with no cap.

E. Vehicles with 3 or more citation violations will be subject to immobilization until fees are paid, or an arrangement has been made.

Citations for violations are ordinarily issued directly by an officer of the Campus Safety Department to the driver of the vehicle. Parking and/or registration citations are attached to the vehicle. Once a citation is issued, the officer is not authorized to void or cancel the ticket.

NOTE: The Whittier Police and L.A. County Fire Depart. reserve the right to issue citations and tow vehicles for the violations of state and local laws.

The Director of Campus Safety may cause the removal of any vehicle abandoned or left on the property owned and/or operated by Whittier College when the academic year ends, or upon revocation of privileges or when a vehicle is found blocking the free movement of emergency vehicles or causing a safety hazard to people, traffic, or property (i.e. blocking a fire lane or gate). Any vehicle abandoned or inoperative for longer than 15 days may be removed from the property. The costs of any removal and storage will be charged to the person(s) whose name the vehicle was registered to, or the primary operator.

Only three types of appeals will be considered for appeal:

1. An appeal based on unclear regulations.
2. An appeal based on unclear parking lot lines or curb paint.
3. An appeal based on circumstances that made the violation necessary and unavoidable.

The following reasons will not be accepted for an appeal:

1. Ignorance of the regulations will not be considered a valid excuse for the violation.
2. Lack of space is not considered a valid excuse for violation of these regulations. Parking spaces are not guaranteed.
3. Arriving late, or after dark is not an excuse for parking in a restricted area, either overnight or for a short period of time. If the individual's responsibility to find an escort if one is required by the situation.
4. Tight scheduling must schedule activities so that sufficient time is allotted for walking to and from the vehicle. This is regardless of where the vehicle is parked.

Appeal process:

1. Citations may be appealed via email within 30 days of the issued citation. Allow 48 hours for a response.
2. An appeal must be done within 30 days, or it will be automatically denied.

Registering your bicycle with the Department of Campus Safety is required and serves several purposes including a deterrent to theft; aiding in the identification of lost or stolen bicycles; enabling Campus Safety to plan more accurately for improved bicycle parking and safety on the Whittier College campus.

All bicycles operated on the Whittier College campus shall be registered annually with the Whittier College Department of Campus Safety through the bicycle registration program. A bicycle is registered free of charge, and if a bicycle is lost or stolen, the owner can easily be identified when it is recovered by law enforcement. The registration requirement applies regardless of whether the owner is a student, faculty, or staff member. Bicycle operators may contact Campus Safety to register their bicycle. It is a very simple process which entails obtaining your name, address, phone number, make of bicycle, color, and serial number.

Operators are encouraged to park bicycles in designated racks placed on campus. When parking your bike, please do not obstruct walkways, railings, doorways or ramps intended for use by pedestrians or people with disabilities.  Improperly parked bikes will be removed and impounded by the Department of Campus Safety. The Department of Campus Safety shall not be responsible or liable in any way for lost, stolen, or damaged bicycles. Bicycles shall also be kept in good working order and shall not be allowed to deteriorate or become otherwise derelict.

If left unattended or parked in inappropriate areas (as stated above), a bicycle may be impounded by the Department of Campus Safety. The Department of Campus Safety has the sole authority to determine whether a bicycle is abandoned or parked where it may be obstructing others. A bicycle is determined to be abandoned when it is found in the same location over an extended period of time (generally two weeks or more) with any combination of missing parts, is dust/cobweb covered, has flat tires, and a rusted chain. If an impounded abandoned bicycle is registered under this policy, the Department of Campus Safety shall make a good faith effort to contact the registered owner so that the bicycle may be reclaimed. If an abandoned bicycle is not registered under this policy, the Department of Campus Safety will dispose of the bicycle after holding it for thirty (30) days. The Department of Campus Safety is not responsible for the cost of locks, chains, other security devices, or any other item that may be damaged or destroyed as a result of removing any bicycle. The Department of Campus Safety has no responsibility or liability to replace or make compensation for such items. If the bicycle is impounded there will be a $35.00 fee assessment for the impounding.

The College has the authority to sell, surplus, destroy, or otherwise dispose of any removed bicycle. Students who think that their bicycle was impounded for being abandoned within the past thirty days, please contact the Department of Campus Safety to arrange an appointment to review the impounded bicycles inventory. Be prepared to show proof of ownership and ID in order to have the bicycle released. The Department of Campus Safety has sole authority to determine the sufficiency of such evidence, and the determination shall not be subject to protest, appeal, or review. Prior to the Department of Campus Safety releasing the bicycle to its owner, if the bicycle is not already licensed, the owner will be required to license the bicycle in accordance with Campus Policy.