Parking Citations and Appeals
If you park without a valid permit, park outside of the stall space or violate another U of A traffic or parking regulation, you can be issued a parking citation and in some instances, towed.
What is a parking citation?
A parking citation is another way to say a parking ticket. You are issued a citation based on the citation codes and fines listed below. If you have valid grounds for appeal, please see the appeals section for more information.
View Citation Codes and Fines Citation AppealsPaying your citation
Traffic and parking citations can be paid:
In person
Visit the Parking Services office to pay. We accept cash, cheque, debit, credit card (VISA, MasterCard, American Express) or money order
By mail
Mail a money order or cheque payable to the University of Alberta
Note, there is a three-week waiting period for cheques to clear; citations and encumbrances won't be cleared until after this waiting period.
Non-payment of a citation
Not paying a citation is serious. Non-payment can lead to you being towed or prevent you from purchasing or renewing a permit. Moreover, although Parking Services has its own team that manages operations, it’s still under the U of A umbrella, which means non-payment can directly affect your ability to register in courses, apply for graduation or obtain official transcripts. See U of A’s Parking and Traffic Management policy for more information.
Citations in the Mail
Parking Services uses license plate recognition technology to enforce parking with the camera systems that track non-payment of parking fees. Citations that are not paid within the allotted time frame are automatically mailed to you.
Appealing a Citation
A citation can be appealed online or in writing at the Parking Services office. Your full name, address, email address and the citation number must be included with your appeal.
- If your citation is less than seven (7) days old, you may appeal without paying the citation fine.
- If your citation is more than seven (7) days old, you must pay the citation fine before appealing. Appeals will not be considered if fines from a citation over seven (7) days old are not paid in advance of submitting the appeal.
- All appeals must be made within thirty (30) days of the citation. Appeals made after 30 days will not be considered.
The appeal officer will refer to photographic evidence on file and uphold or deny the appeal based on the photographic evidence on file. Photographic evidence coupled with motor vehicle registry records will be used as the final determining factor in such cases. After an appeal is made, please allow ten (10) to twelve (12) weeks for the ruling on your appeal.
Read the section on non-payment of a citation for more information.
Valid appeals
Citations are issued based on information gathered by the enforcement office. If a factual error is noted on the citation, an appeal may be filed.
Invalid appeals
Paying after you have been issued a citation or not paying for enough time are not valid reasons for appeal. Parking payments are expected to be made promptly from the time of entry.
Additionally, forgetfulness, parking only for a short period, parking in a nearly empty lot, not knowing the regulations and/or not seeing the signage are not considered acceptable grounds for appeal.
Citation Codes and Fines
These rates include GST and have been approved by the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta.