Parking Guide

About Parking Decals and Permits

All members of the UMass Lowell community (i.e., all faculty, students, staff) must obtain a parking permit for any vehicle they operate on campus prior to 3:30 p.m. Student permits have moved to a virtual parking permit format. New permits must be obtained annually. Operation and parking of a vehicle on University property will be at the owner's/driver's risk.

• All members of the university are welcome to park in non-reserved and non-visitor parking spaces except residential lots after 3:30 p.m. without a permit. Reserved and Visitor spaces may be parked in after 5 p.m. unless otherwise posted. Metered Lots are enforced from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and require payment to park during these times.
• Parking is not permitted in any lot on East Campus without a permit.

1. Permits, whether fixed, virtual or temporary, must be obtained BEFORE bringing a new, loaned or rented vehicle onto campus. There is no grace period for parking without a permit.
2. Both applicant and vehicle must meet all legal requirements for operation within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
3. No faculty, student, or staff may have more than one university permit on their vehicle. It is the operator's responsibility to remove outdated permits. Multiple current permits can result in a parking citation.
4. Upon sale of a vehicle, it is the owner's responsibility to remove any university permit. The UCAPS office must also be notified upon the sale of any vehicle with a virtual parking permit. The original owner of the vehicle can be held responsible for any violations committed by the new owner if the old permit was not removed. A paint scraper or "Goof Off" has been found to assist in the removal of expired permits.
5. Students who change from resident to commuter or vice versa or who change their residence hall campus must get a new virtual parking permit. 
6. Faculty, staff and students may register up to three vehicles owned by their immediate family.
7. Children or spouses of faculty/staff, whether they are students at the university or not, may not park in faculty/staff areas.
8. Faculty/Staff permits must be permanently affixed to your vehicle's window. Permits are NOT TRANSFERABLE. Do not try to scrape off the permit and move it to another location. This will invalidate the permit.

Applying for Parking Permits

Permits may be obtained on the web at UMass Lowell Parking website. Have your registration ready (VIN needed) before starting. You will also need your university e-mail address and password before beginning. If the web application cannot find your record, please contact the UCAPS office for assistance or go to the office with your vehicle registration. New permits will be necessary yearly and must be renewed by Sept. 1.

Parking Fees

For a comprehensive list of all permits and their associated costs, please visit our Parking Permit Options and Costs webpage. Refunds are available for students who withdraw from the university or graduate in December. See our Parking Permit Refunds process for complete details and a refund form.

Temporary hang tags

You need a hang tag if you bring a loaned or rented vehicle onto campus. Try to apply for the hang-tag in advance if possible using our online process. There is no grace period for obtaining hang tags or temporary online permits. Please visit our Temporary Permit webpage for more details.

Disabled hang tags

Permanently disabled individuals should apply for HP license plates with your state's Registry of Motor Vehicles and register with the UCAPS office to modify ID cards to grant access to all parking lots. You will also need to purchase a regular UMass Lowell parking permit.

Students with temporary disabilities should go to the UCAPS office with a note from your doctor to receive a temporary HP hangtag. Temporary HP tags are usually good for no more than three months.

If you are unable to come in to the UCAPS office, you can fax a doctor's note and vehicle registration to 978-934-4004 and call 978-934-2800 to make arrangements. We will mail the hangtag to you.

Faculty and staff should contact the Office of Equal Opportunity and Outreach (EOO) at 978-934-3565, equal_opportunity@uml.edu. 

More information on obtaining disabled permits can be found on the Disabled Permits webpage. Please also see our Disabled Parking Locations.

Guest / Visitors

Please see our Visitor Parking webpage for details information!

Parking Permit Display

1. All automobile physical permits should be attached to the lower right-hand corner of the interior driver's-side rear window. If you have no driver's side rear window or if your windows are tinted, place the permit on the driver's side of the windshield.
2. Motorcycle / moped permits should be attached to the license plate of the vehicle.
3. Temporary and handicapped permits must be displayed face-up on the vehicle dashboard. Hang-tags should hang from the rear-view mirror, facing front.
4. Permits are not transferable to other vehicles. Handicapped permits can be used in any vehicle, as long as the permit is displayed properly.

Parking / Traffic Regulations

Violations

Park only between marked white or yellow lines. If an area or space is not specifically marked, parking is prohibited. Posted restrictions must be observed.

Per Massachusetts law, a yellow curb is considered a no-parking zone and is subject to ticketing and towing.

The following practices are not allowed and can result in a fine and the vehicle may be removed (towed) at the owner's expense: Parking Citations and Violations.

Towing

Any of the following violations will result in towing for a first offense:

1. Parking that creates a hazard to other traffic, blocking a roadway, gate and/or vehicles.
2. Parking in a fire lane.
3. Parking in a handicapped zone.
4. Blocking traffic or inhibiting emergency vehicles.
5. Hindering the removal of snow, especially in designated area on roof of garage.
6. Blocking loading platforms or dumpsters.
7. Abandoned vehicles or those not bearing a current license plate.

If your car is missing and you think it may have been towed, call University Police at x2394 or x2398. Cars ordered to be towed by the University Police will be taken to:

Jon Kazanjian Auto Repair Shop
Address: 256 Smith St., Lowell, MA 01851
Phone: 978-454-7547 or 978-459-3300

Fees in addition to our University Violations for registered UMass Lowell students, staff and faculty, subject to change at Demers discretion, are:

• Tow Charge/Removal (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.): $65
• Tow Charge/Removal (5 p.m. to 8 a.m.): $75
• Drop Charge (Hook-up not Towed): $40
• Storage Fee, First 24 Hours: $15
• Storage Fee, Every Additional 24 Hours: $15
• Unlock vehicle or Disengage Transmission or Both: $40
• Car relocation: $50

Fees may be paid with cash or any major credit card.

Students and employees are REQUIRED to show a valid UMass Lowell ID when recovering vehicles in order to obtain the Student / Employee discount.

Directions to Demers Towing

• From UMass Lowell North: From University Ave. take a right at Olsen Hall onto Riverside Street; follow to the intersection of Riverside and Lakeview. Turn right. The towing service is about 1/4 mile on your left.
• From UMass Lowell South: Take Broadway Street to Fletcher St., take a left, and follow to the end. At traffic lights, take a right onto Pawtucket St. Take a left onto University Avenue over the bridge. At Olsen Hall take a right onto Riverside St. to the intersection of Riverside and Lakeview. Turn right. The towing service is about 1/4 mile on your left.
• Via public transportation: From either campus (University Avenue or Wilder Street) take the bus marked "Downtown." Once downtown (transit center on Merrimack St.) take the Centerville Bus #8 and get off at Paul Demers Towing & Service on Lakeview Avenue.

Traffic Regulations

When operating a motor vehicle on campus, drivers must adhere to Massachusetts driving laws and the following regulations:

The campus speed limit is 15 miles per hour (MPH) or the posted limit, whichever is lower.

1. A pedestrian in the crosswalk has the right of way.
2. Vehicles entering a street, road, or main traffic lane from a parking lot shall yield to on-coming traffic.
3. Drivers involved in an accident on University property must report it to University Police immediately and remain at the scene until an officer arrives.
4. In the event of a mechanical failure, the driver of a vehicle must:
   • Drive or push the vehicle into the nearest legal parking space. A vehicle with a mechanical problem may not be left in a fire lane or in a handicapped space without a handicapped permit.
   • Call 978-934-2394 to request assistance from an officer.
5. No vehicle may be left in parking lots during the intersession/summer, or spring breaks without prior arrangement with University Police.
6. During snow emergencies, commuters, faculty and staff vehicles may not be left overnight in University lots. Resident students will be notified when their vehicles are to be moved to permit the clearance of snow.

Motorcycle and Moped Parking

Motorcycles and mopeds must park in the areas designated with motorcycle parking signs. They may not park in such a way as to block sidewalks, handicap spaces, ramps and fire lanes.

Find detailed information on our Motorcycle and Moped webpage.

Special Event and Emergency Parking

From time to time, special events, activities and emergencies may necessitate the imposition of special regulations or waivers of regulations. In such cases, drivers should be guided by notices or onsite supervisors.

Off-Campus Parking

A city ordinance limits parking in both the Pawtucketville area and the region surrounding the South Campus to residents who have an appropriate residential sticker or a visitor parking sticker.

To obtain a resident sticker, your car must be registered in Massachusetts and pay an automobile excise tax to the City of Lowell.

Open Gates

Occasionally parking gates may be left open for a special event, snow or other emergency or the gate may be broken. Vehicles must still have the correct permit type for that lot. Violators will be ticketed and/or towed.

All commuter surface lots will open at 3 p.m. on weekdays and all hours on weekends during the fall and spring semesters. These lots are also open all hours during winter and spring intersessions. No University permit is required to park in these lots during these times. Parking is not permitted in reserved spaces prior to 5 p.m. on weekdays unless otherwise posted, and no parking zones and handicapped spaces are enforced 24 hours. These lots include:

• Riverside Lot A
• Riverside Lot B
• Broadway Lot

All non-reserved staff lots on North and South will open at 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and all hours on weekends. No University permit is required to park in these lots during these times, but no overnight parking is permitted. Parking is not permitted in reserved spaces prior to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays unless otherwise posted, and no parking zones and handicapped spaces are enforced 24 hours. These lots include:

• Olsen
• Wilder Faculty/Staff
• Upper Mahoney

All faculty lots and reserved lots will open at 5 p.m. on weekdays and all hours on weekends unless otherwise posted, but no overnight parking is permitted. No University permit is required to park in these lots during these times, but no overnight parking is permitted. Parking zones and handicapped spaces are enforced 24 hours. These lots include:

• Pinanski / Costello
• Solomont Way

Parking is not permitted at any time in any lot on East Campus, in resident lots, or parking garages without a valid permit. Metered parking lots are enforced 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and require payment regardless of permit.

Snow Removal Policy

Each residence hall will be provided adequate notification of pending snow removal. If a vehicle is not moved to a designated lot in the allotted time, it will be towed for a $25 charge.

Fines and Appeals

Parking fines may be paid in one of three ways:

1. Cash, check or credit card, in person, at the UCAPS Office in University Crossing Suite 190. Bring the ticket or a CLEAR and LEGIBLE copy.
2. Credit card over the phone. Have the ticket number and UMS number available before calling 978-934-2800.
3. U.S. mail addressed to:

Unpaid Parking Tickets

All unpaid fines of 21 days or more may be sent to The Registry of Motor Vehicles. Owners will be unable to register a vehicle or renew a driver's license until fines are paid.

Appeals

Appeals are handled by the Parking Appeal Committee. Appeals are performed on-line on the UMass Lowell Parking website. Appeals that do not follow the instructions below will be denied:

1. The appeal must be submitted online to the UCAPS Office within 21 days after the date of the ticket. 
2. An appeal must address the violation and be based on a dispute about the validity of the ticket or on extenuating circumstances. Lost tickets, forgetfulness, parking for a short time, failure to display a parking permit, ignorance of parking regulations and/or not seeing the signs are unacceptable grounds for an appeal.
3. The appeal will be reviewed by a committee comprised of a representative from the UCAPS Office, University Police, a faculty/staff member, and a student. You will be notified in writing of the Committee's decision. Decisions are typically made 2 to 3 weeks after the appeal but can take longer depending on volume and time of year.