
Visitor Parking Form
Fill out the following form on behalf of a visitor to Amherst College. Please note: the permit is valid only for parking area(s) designated on the front of the pass.
Fill out the following form on behalf of a visitor to Amherst College. Please note: the permit is valid only for parking area(s) designated on the front of the pass.
Fill out the following form if you are an Amherst College faculty or staff member. Please note that you must be logged in to the site to access the page.
Fill out the following form if you are an Amherst College student who wishes to park on campus. Please note that you must be logged in to the site to access the page.
Please use the following form to appeal your parking ticket. Be sure to provide all required information within 72 hours of the issue date on the parking ticket.
Parking Regulations
General Information
Overview
The rules and regulations set forth in this policy have been developed to control traffic movement and parking for all persons utilizing the parking lots, roads and ways at Amherst College.
Parking rules remain in effect when parking on campus during breaks and holidays.
Parking regulations and enforcement are in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Anyone operating a motor vehicle on property owned, operated or controlled by Amherst College is subject to these regulations unless otherwise exempt by State and Federal laws, except as otherwise provided herein. The General Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Rules and Regulations of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles shall apply to the College campus and other lands of the College. It is the responsibility of all persons parking on Amherst College property to be aware of these regulations and obey such regulations.
Authority
The Board of Trustees of Amherst College has adopted these regulations. The Board of Trustees has authorized the Chief of Police and their designees to serve as parking control officers. The Chief of Police has designated every Officer and certain student employees for this purpose. Provided that to expedite traffic or safeguard pedestrians in the event of fire or other emergency or special events, officers of the municipal or state police or fire department may direct or control traffic as conditions may require notwithstanding the provisions of these rules and regulations.
Amherst College assumes no risk or liability for damage or loss for vehicles or vehicle contents when parked on Amherst College property.
Privilege to Operate or Park a Motor Vehicle on Campus
Permission to operate a motor vehicle on the grounds owned, operated or controlled by Amherst College is a discretionary privilege bestowed by the Board of Trustees of the College.
Such privilege may be denied, revoked, suspended or modified by the action of the Chief of Police.
All College employees and students must comply with the rules and regulations regarding parking as part of employment, appointment or enrollment. The regulations also apply to visitors and are considered part of the terms and permission to be on campus.
Vehicles in violation of College policy may be ticketed, towed, or immobilized (booted). This includes all faculty/staff, student, visitor and unregistered vehicles.
Authority to Post Signs
The Chief of Police, or their designee, is authorized to place and maintain all official traffic and parking signs, signals, markings and safety zones required on the campus and other lands of the College including the placement of temporary signs and markings as may be specifically required by emergencies or other special circumstances. Operators of vehicles used in and about the campus and other lands of the College shall conform to such signs, signals, markings and safety zones.
Interference with Signs
Any person who willfully, intentionally and without right defaces or otherwise tampers with, removes, interferes with or destroys any traffic or parking regulating sign, light, signal or marking device lawfully erected or placed on the campus or other lands of the College shall be subject to prosecution under the applicable criminal statute of the Commonwealth.
Temporary Parking Regulation Changes
The Chief of Police may at times during the year suspend, change or revise the normal operating parking regulations to meet the needs of the College community and its operating functions i.e., Concerts, VIP visits, Commencement, Admissions Open House, etc.
Compliance
By bringing a car on campus, the operator is agreeing to comply with the regulations of Amherst College.
Every vehicle on campus must be permitted with the Parking Department and display a decal or temporary permit. Decals or temporary permits that are not correctly displayed are not valid.
Parking Permits
Faculty, Staff, and Student motor vehicle permit requests may be registered online.
Faculty and Staff register at: https://www.amherst.edu/services/parking/amherst-faculty-staff-parking-form .
Students register at https://www.amherst.edu/services/parking/amherst-student-parking-form .
Faculty and Staff “emeritus” or retired are eligible for the same parking privileges as current employees. This can be obtained in the Amherst College Dispatch Center 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Casual Employees that are not permanent employees may obtain a temporary pass for up to 6 months. Casual Employees with employment terms exceeding one year may obtain a Faculty/Staff decal.
Contractors/ Vendors with a multi-year contract with the College, and drive a vehicle without the company name on it may obtain on-campus parking permits Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Parking Department. All other contractors must park in the Contractor Parking Lot.
Family/Gym Any member of the gym not affiliated with the college may receive a gym parking pass valid for 1 year from the date issued. The gym member must show their Amherst College issued ID to obtain the permit.
Disability Placards all official state issued Disability Placards are permitted to park in any marked accessible spot on campus. Faculty, staff, and students are also required to have a College permit.
Inn on Boltwood overflow parking is issued a specific pass for Alumni Lot only and it is issued by the Inn on Boltwood.
Five College Students should find alternative transportation or park legally on town roads or metered areas.
Amherst College is designed as a walking campus. The College does not guarantee available parking for all registered vehicles. During peak usage it may be necessary to park a distance from your ultimate destination.
Displaying a Parking Permit
Amherst College parking decals are designed to be adhered to window glass in a motor vehicle. Decals must be permanently adhered to the driver's side rear passenger window. The window must be closed to display this when parked on campus. A diagram is included when a permit is issued.
For vehicles with only front windows, adhere the decal to the rear window, on the lower corner of the driver’s side.
For motorcycles, keep the parking decal with the valid registration.
Note: Students registered outside the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will be provided an additional decal from the Registry of Motor Vehicles upon retrieving the Amherst College decal. It will be placed on the uppermost center portion of the windshield.
Temporary hang tags must hang on the rearview mirror, with the information facing out toward the hood of the vehicle.
Temporary on-line permits must be placed on the driver’s side of the dashboard, with the information facing upward.
Old permits should be removed and discarded or brought to the Police Department when expired or no longer in use.
Students
Students are eligible to receive a parking permit when they are in their sophomore, junior or senior year. First year students are only allowed permits with permission from the Office of Student Affairs. This permission will only be given upon compelling reason that an exemption is necessary.
Students may only register one car.
Students should contact Accessibility Services in the Office of Student Affairs for accessibility needs and possible parking accommodations beyond what is provided.
Upper class students may not register a motor vehicle belonging to a First Year Student. Attempts to circumvent this rule will result in fines, booting and possible revocation of parking privileges.
Students are never eligible for a faulty/staff parking decal. Any student vehicle displaying a faculty/staff decal will be considered unregistered and in violation of the College's parking rules and regulations.
Students may park in any student space at any time, with the exception of Orr Rink Lot. No student overnight parking is allowed in Orr Rink Lot from 2 AM to 6 AM. On the map, Orr Rink Lot is highlighted in pink. . All other student spaces can be seen highlighted in orange on the Amherst College website here: https://map.concept3d.com/?id=750#!ct/42264
Students are responsible for all violations and fines incurred by a vehicle registered to them regardless of whom was operating the car. Habitual offenders will be notified in writing when they are placed on the Boot list and again if they are placed on the Tow list. The Office of Student Affairs will also be notified, and a complaint may be filed.
There is no fee for student parking decals.
Student registered vehicles are prohibited from parking at any time on the following
residential neighborhood streets:
Lincoln Avenue, Dana Street, Blue Hills Avenue, and Hazel Avenue.
Vehicles parked in violation shall be issued a $50 citation by the Amherst College Police.
Vehicles parked in an unsafe manner will be towed by the Town of Amherst Police Department.
Faculty/Staff
All Faculty and Staff are eligible for parking permits. Faculty and Staff may register more than one car. There is no cost to Faculty and Staff for parking permits.
Employees should contact Human Resources for Accessibility needs and possible parking accommodations beyond what is provided.
Amherst College will honor all State Disability Placards and Plates.
All parking rules and regulations and pertinent Massachusetts General Laws are applicable to Faculty and Staff vehicles.
Parking citations will be put on Faculty and Staff vehicles found in violation of College policy. The Chief of Police will notify habitual violators (more than three citations per year) in writing and the appropriate Department Head or Dean advised.
When a Faculty or Staff person sells or otherwise loses possession of a vehicle the Parking Department must be notified to remove it from the system.
Visitors
Visitors to campus with any official state issued Disability Placards are permitted to park in any marked accessible spot on campus without obtaining any additional permits from Amherst College.
Temporary permits for guests of faculty and staff may be sought 24 hours a day at the Amherst College Dispatch Center or via an authorized college employee online at https://www.amherst.edu/services/parking/amherst-college-visitor-parking-form
Visitors on campus should receive a temporary permit from the Amherst College Dispatch Center.
Guests of students may park in student parking spaces only. They will need to obtain a permit from the Amherst College Dispatch Center when parking Monday through Friday, 2:00 AM until 4:30 PM as well as overnight during winter parking ban. Guest parking may not exceed 72 hours.
Hosts are responsible for notifying their guests or visitors of the parking rules and regulations and ensuring compliance.
Special Events
When a department is hosting a special event on campus and a large number of unregistered vehicles will be present, the event host must coordinate parking with the Police Department. The police department will work with the event host to ensure that participants know where to park so as not to adversely impact the good working order of the College. Event parking may be restricted to certain lots. Event hosts are responsible for notifying attendees of the parking rules and regulations.
Summer Programs
Parking Rules and Regulations are in effect during the summer months. The Summer Programs Office notifies participant groups of the parking regulations and issues short term parking permits.
Regulations & Violations
Regulations
Service Spaces and loading docks are reserved for the use of authorized College vehicles, contractor vehicles or emergency services vehicles. All other vehicles are prohibited from using these spaces. Offending Vehicles may be towed at the direction of the Police Department.
Amherst College Dispatch 413-542-2291 must be notified of all disabled motor vehicles. If a vehicle is interfering with the safe flow of traffic Police will tow it at the expense of the vehicle owner. If the vehicle is merely parked in a designated area for which it is not permitted, a twenty-four-hour exemption will be granted to the owner to arrange removal or repair.
Violations
Vehicles in violation of the parking regulations will be ticketed, towed or booted. Vehicle owners/permittees are responsible to remedy the violation upon receipt of a notice on the windshield.
Student Ticket violations: Students’ Accounts will be directly charged the violation fee. Please see the Controller’s Office Website for information on payment options at: https://amherst.edu/offices/controller
Student Boot Removal Fee - $50 - This fee will be charged to a student account. A ticket will be placed on a booted vehicle each day the violation goes unresolved. After the third ticket, the vehicle may be towed.
Non-Student (only) Boot Removal Fee - $50 – will be made online via the link listed below
The Ticket violations are:
Schedule A: $15 Violations
A-01 Not Registered with the College/Failure to Obtain a Parking Permit
A-02 Permit displayed improperly or lacks data
A-03 Parked in Violation of Signage, including parking overnight on campus between April 1st and November 30th.
A-04 Parked in electric car charging station and not charging/not electric car
A-05 No parking zone (i.e. loading dock, blocking dumpster, outside marked lines, etc.)
Schedule B: $25 Violation
B-01 Parked on grass or sidewalk
B-02 Impeding flow of traffic
B-03 Violation of Winter Parking Ban
Schedule C: $50 Violation
C-01 Parked without College Faculty/Staff issued permit in faculty/staff space between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM
C-02 Accessibility parking violation
C-03 Failure to stop on the signal of a police officer
C-04 Operating in an unsafe manner, negligently or dangerously
C-05 Parked in a posted FIRE LANE
C-06 Parked in residential neighborhood streets
Towing/Booting
Tow Fee - The towing rates and storage fees are set by the Department of Public Utilities of Massachusetts.
Students: 6 Tickets = Boot List
3 Boots = Tow List
3 Tows = Loss of parking privilege and tow for continued offenses
Visitors: 3 tickets = boot list
3 Boots = Tow List
3 Tows = Loss of parking privilege and tow for continued offense
Notification
A copy of the citation will be left on the vehicle at the time of the violation.
Habitual offenders will be notified by the Chief of Police when it becomes apparent that there is a chronic problem.
Questions
Questions about parking should be sent by email to ACparking@amherst.edu.
Appeals
Appeals for parking violations must be submitted through the Parking Appeals form (https://www.amherst.edu/services/parking/amherst-college-parking-appeals-form) found on the Parking Information and Regulations page (https://www.amherst.edu/services/parking) within 7 days of the violation. The outcome of the appeal will be submitted by email to the requester.