Citation Hearing and Appeals Procedure

Any individual who receives a parking or traffic citation is required to submit all appeals online.  Log into the parking account portal to request a hearing on the citation, complete a citation appeal form, or make a citation payment online.

The following reasons are NOT acceptable grounds for dismissing a parking or traffic citation:

• Ignorance of regulations
• Inability to find a legal parking space
• No spaces available
• Inclement weather
• Late for class
• Improperly displayed a federal or state-issued handicapped placard or visitor/special event perking pass
• Failure to register a vehicle license plate and/or purchase a parking permit number
• Someone else parked the vehicle

Requests for a parking violation hearing must be made within five calender days of issuance of the citation.

Hattiesburg Campus:  Students shall have a hearing before a student judicial board. Faculty and staff members shall have a hearing before a faculty/staff board.

Student hearings will be held weekly during fall and spring semesters. During the summer semester, student hearings will be held once per month.

Faculty and staff hearings will be held each month that school is in session full-time. The ruling of the board(s) may be appealed to the Parking Committee in writing within five calendar days from the decision of the board(s). The decision from the Parking Committee is final.

Gulf Park: Faculty, staff and students hearings will be heard by the Parking Committee once per month. The decision from the Parking Committee is final. 

GCRL: The School of Ocean Science and Engineering associate director will hear faculty, staff and student hearings once per month. The decision from the associate director is final. 

A person requesting a hearing may be present at his or her parking violation hearing and may present information as permitted by the board(s) regarding the citation:

• Parking violations "Request for Hearing" cases where the alleged violator wishes to be present are decided by the board(s) at the hearing.
• A diagram or other pertinent information describing details concerning the citation may be submitted to the Department of Parking and Transit Services Office.
• Citations are considered pending during the parking violation hearing process.
• The board(s) will hear the matter and render a decision.
• The board(s) may:
  • find that a parking violation occurred and impose the appropriate penalty; or,
  • find that no parking violation occurred and dismiss the citation; or,
  • suspend half or the entire fine imposed as a result of a finding of fact in the hearing.

The decision of the board(s) is transmitted to the alleged violator at the address supplied online.

How to submit a citation appeal or make a citation payment

You will need the following information:

• Campus ID Credentials (example: W123456@usm.edu and password) or visitor account
• A valid email address
• The citation number that you are appealing

A credit card can be used to make a secure online payment. Cash, Visa or MasterCard are accepted at the following locations:

Hattiesburg Campus

• The Department of Parking and Transit Services in McLemore Hall, First Floor lobby

Gulf Park Campus

• The Department of Parking Management located at 138 Beach Park Place

 If you have any questions or problems, please contact Parking and Transit Services by emailing parking@usm.edu or calling 601.266.4943