Parking

Parking 

Procedure

Durham Technical Community College (Durham Tech) offers its students, employees, and visitors parking options intended to provide convenient and accessible entry to the College. Durham Tech requires all individuals to adhere to state of North Carolina vehicle laws as well as the parking procedures and guidelines outlined here. The Campus Police and Public Safety Department, empowered by NCGS § 115D-21.1 and the President’s authority, shall enforce these laws and guidelines and may levy appropriate penalties. Individuals found in violation will be subject to penalties ranging from fines to disciplinary action.

Regulations

The following parking regulations apply to Durham Tech students and employees parking on College premises:

• Students and employees may use any campus parking space except ones marked for special use, including those designated as no parking, loading, and fire zones.
• Students are prohibited from using spaces the College has reserved for service vehicles, employees, and visitors.
• Employees are prohibited from using spaces the College has reserved for service vehicles and visitors.
• Students and employees may not park along curbs marked as fire lanes, on the lawn or sidewalks, in driveways, on neighboring property, or in any manner that blocks or obstructs the passage of pedestrians or vehicles.
• Students and employees may not occupy more than one (1) parking space at a time.
• Students and employees parking at off-campus locations for College-related purposes must comply with the agency’s parking regulations.
• Students and employees must display a valid parking permit/decal at all times while parked on College premises. Student parking permits/decals must be renewed each academic year. Permits/decals must be displayed facing outward and without obstruction.

The following regulations apply to visitors parking on College premises:

• Visitors, including prospective students and prospective employees, may park in designated visitor parking spaces.
• If visitor spaces are not available, visitors must obtain a temporary visitor’s permit from Campus Police and Public Safety (Building 8). The visitor permit must be clearly displayed inside the left front windshield of the vehicle. The permit is valid only for the timeframe noted on the permit.

A parking permit/decal may be obtained by visiting the Campus Police and Public Safety office (Building 8; 919-536-7255) during the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students and employees must complete a parking permit request form and present their driver's license and proof of enrollment or employment at the time of their request.

Fees and Fines

Fees – The parking permit/decal fee for curriculum students is included in the student administrative fee. Continuing education students pay a College access, parking, and security (CAPS) fee. Students enrolled in classes that have no tuition costs are not required to pay the CAPS fee. There is a $10 replacement fee for lost permits/decals.

Fines – Vehicles parked on College premises without a valid and properly displayed permit/decal will be ticketed and may be towed. Cited students are responsible for fines and are subject to the penalties outlined below. Cited students may also be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. Cited employees are responsible for fines and are subject to the penalties outlined below. They may also face disciplinary action as outlined in the Disciplinary Actions, Suspension, and Termination of Employment policy.

Durham Tech will issue a citation and levy a $5 fine against the permit holder or vehicle owner for any of the following violations:

• Failure to display a parking permit/decal;
• Improper display of a parking permit/decal;
• Display of an outdated decal;
• Parking in a no parking, loading, or fire zone;
• Parking in a tow-away zone, reserved area, fire lane, or on the lawn or sidewalk; and/or
• Using more than one (1) parking space.

Parking citations may be appealed according to the Parking Citation Appeals procedure.

Payment

Students and employees may pay parking citation fines at the Cashier’s Window (White Building/Building 1) or online via Self-Service once their individual AR account has been updated. The College accepts payment via credit card (VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express), cash, check, or money order.

Students who fail to pay their parking citation fines will not be eligible to register for classes and will not be permitted to apply for graduation or obtain copies of their College transcript. They may also be subject to the following additional penalties:

• Having their vehicle towed if they have unpaid fines totaling more than $25;
• Having their vehicle equipped with a vehicle immobilization device or “boot”, which can only be removed by Campus Police; and
• Disciplinary action as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.

Employees must pay their parking citation fines within fifteen (15) working days of receiving the citation. Employees who fail to pay their fines will be subject to the following penalties:

• Having their vehicle towed if they have unpaid fines totaling more than $25;
• Having their vehicle equipped with a vehicle immobilization device or “boot”, which can only be removed by Campus Police;
• Refusal of any discretionary benefit requests, such as tuition waivers and tuition reimbursements; and
• Disciplinary action as outlined in the Disciplinary Actions, Suspension, and Termination of Employment policy.

Additionally, Campus Police and Public Safety will notify the supervisors of any employees who accrue two (2) or more violations of state parking regulations so the offenses may be noted during the annual Performance Review and Evaluation process.

Accessible Parking

To use handicap parking spaces on College premises, individuals must have a state-issued handicap permit. The permit must be issued to the individual using the handicap space while parking on College premises, and he or she must register the handicap permit with Campus Police and Public Safety when requesting a College parking permit/decal.

The handicap parking permit must be visible, facing outward in the front of the vehicle and without obstruction. College parking permit holders or vehicle owners who park in a handicap parking space without a handicap permit are subject to College sanctions as well as penalties imposed by the state of North Carolina ($250 fine and court costs of $110). Individuals displaying a handicap permit that does not belong to them will be also be subject to sanctions and disciplinary action.

After Hours Parking and Abandoned Vehicles

Students, employees, and visitors must remove their vehicles by 11 p.m. each evening. Only official College vehicles may be parked on College premises between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. College employees on official overnight travel are allowed to leave their personal vehicles overnight with authorization from Campus Police and Public Safety. If extenuating circumstances arise, individuals may request an exception to this rule by contacting Campus Police and Public Safety. Individuals who are approved to park their vehicle overnight must provide Campus Police and Public Safety with justification and vehicle information.

Vehicles parked on College premises for more than forty-eight (48) hours will be towed at the individual’s expense unless the permit holder or vehicle owner has received prior authorization from Campus Police and Public Safety.

Definitions

College Premises – Any property in use by the College including property that is leased, owned, used for College functions, or used by the College in the offering of any of its courses

Students – Any individuals, regardless of age, who are currently enrolled in Durham Tech courses, who have active program status, and/or who are currently participating in Durham Tech instructional programs, including Middle College High School, Career and College Promise, and College and Career Readiness programs. Individuals with active program status are those who have been accepted into a program, have taken classes within the program, and have been continuously enrolled at the College since beginning the program.

Valid Parking Permit/Decal – For the purposes of this procedure, a valid student parking permit/decal is one printed with the current academic year. An employee parking permit/decal is considered valid as long as the permit holder is an active and current College employee.

Working Days – Days the College is open and operating under a normal schedule. This excludes weekends, closings due to adverse conditions, and holidays.