ID/Parking

Parking at Prairie State College (PSC) is complimentary. However, all vehicles parked on campus property are required to register with the ID Center. A parking permit/sticker will be issued for each registered vehicle and must be displayed while parked in Lot A.

Lot D is designated for visitor and Conference Center parking. Lot B is temporarily designated for the Secretary of State Driver’s Facility only. The Children's Learning Center parking lot is for employees displaying a RED parking permit/sticker or a valid faculty/staff parking permit/sticker. Student parking is not authorized.

Parking Enforcement Responsibilities:
Vehicle code violations and handicapped and fire lane violations will be enforced by the PSC Police and Campus Safety Department (PSCPD) or the Chicago Heights Police Department (CHPD). Citations issued by CHPD will be handled in accordance with City of Chicago Heights , policies, and procedures. Violations of PSC parking regulations will be processed by the PSCPD.

If a vehicle is left unattended or abandoned on PSC property, it will be towed. There are signs in the parking lots explaining the towing procedure and where you can pick up your vehicle. The cost of retrieving the vehicle from the towing company is the responsibility of the vehicle owner.

Parking Registration:
All vehicles parked in Lot A, Lot B and the Children’s Learning Center are required to display the proper and valid PSC parking permit/sticker for that lot. Green and short-term parking area in the designated spaces of the circle drive, east of the main entrance. Several spaces are marked with signs for Green Parking, and four spaces are marked for short-term parking. Short-term parking is provided for a maximum of one hour in the designated spaces of the circle drive east of the main entrance.

Visitors Parking:
Visitor parking is available in LOT A, front row, on the east side. Students and staff are not authorized to park in visitor parking. Permits may be issued to specific individuals and are not transferable. Permit holders are responsible for compliance with all parking regulations and any fines assessed. (Parking Lot C, D, and E (north of Vollmer Road), are open lots, and parking without a permit is authorized except in designated spaces.

How to Obtain a Permit:
Parking permits/stickers do not expire and are good for as long as a student attends PSC; however, they are not transferable. Permits are free and can be obtained through the ID Center in room 1101. Replacement stickers and second vehicle stickers are $5 each. Fees must first be paid at the Business Office, room 1110. To register your vehicle, you must have your vehicle registration or your license plate number. Permits are to be placed on the lower left-hand side of the back windshield. If you have tinted windows, place your parking permit in the front window on the left-hand side.

Valid vehicle registration is required for Green Parking. To be eligible for a Green Sticker, your vehicle must be on the Electric Vehicle or Low Emissions Vehicle list. The list is available here.

Student: Students can park in the yellow-lined spaces in LOT A. White-lined spaces are for Faculty/Staff only. Students, Faculty/Staff, and visitors may park in LOT C, LOT D, and LOT E with or without parking permit/stickers.

Faculty and Staff: Faculty and staff permits are issued to all full and part-time faculty and staff at no charge. A vehicle displaying this permit is allowed to park in the designated, white-lined Faculty/Staff parking spaces in LOT B*. If the designated Faculty/Staff spaces are full, Faculty/Staff are permitted to park anywhere in LOT A. Faculty and staff may not park in LOT B (reserved for VIP and executive parking). Parking is allowed for Faculty/Staff in the Children’s Learning Center lots with Faculty/Staff parking permit/stickers and red staff parking permit/stickers.

*Lot B is designated for the Secretary of State Driving Facility; therefore, faculty and staff must park in Lot A until further notice.

VIP: VIP permits are issued with the approval of the President’s Office. A VIP permit is permanent, and no renewal is required. A vehicle displaying a VIP permit is authorized to park in designated VIP parking spaces and all reserved places, including Faculty/Staff parking, but excluding areas designated as handicapped or fire lanes.

Handicapped: Handicapped placards/license plates are issued by the Illinois Secretary of State and must be displayed to park in designated handicapped places. PSC does not issue temporary permits for handicapped parking. Visit cyberdriveillinois.com for more information.

Electronic Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations: EV stations are located in LOT B at the north end of the lot against the main building.

PSCPD officers are authorized to issue parking citations for the violations listed in the Violation and Fines section below. Officers may issue warnings as appropriate. A three-part citation will be issued. Part 1 will be left on the violator’s vehicle, Part 2 goes to the PSCPD, and Part 3 to a suspense file.

Violations and fines: Violations and fines: A monetary fine will be assessed for the following violations:

• Improper permit for a lot in which vehicle is parked
• No PSC permit in Lot A
• Blocking driveway/intersection/lane
• Violation of signs
• Parking outside yellow/white lines
• Unauthorized parking in a loading service area
• Parking overnight without a permit
• Parking on grass/sidewalks/trails
• Parking in visitor lot without a temporary visitor permit
• Parking in visitor lot without a temporary visitor permit
• Parking in a handicapped space not displaying a placard or license plate will result in a $250 fine.

Payment of fines: Violators will have ten calendar days from the date the violation is issued to pay the fine at the Business Office, room 1110. A $5 late penalty will be added for late payments. Failure to pay a fine may result in a hold placed on student records/registration until the fine is paid. Part 1 of the citation may be mailed by the violator in the envelope provided. Payment of fines in the form of money order or certified check may be mailed to the Prairie State College Business Office, located at 202 South Halsted Street, Chicago Heights, Illinois 60411. The Business Office will mark Part 1 as paid and forward it to the PSC police. Violators who lose the original citation may request a copy in writing using the ticket tracking form. Do not mail an appeal form in the payment envelope. Do not mail cash. Unpaid violations for students will be referred to the Business Office to be added to the student’s account.

Forgiving and Voiding Citations:
The President or any Vice President may forgive a violation by notifying the PSC Chief in writing. Forgiven citations are considered voided by the person notifying the Chief of Police. The Chief of Police may void a citation only when a clear administrative error has been made on the part of the issuing officer. The issuing officer must return all three parts of the citation with a written explanation of the voiding of the citation. The voiding process will not be used as an appeal process. The Chief of Police is not authorized to void citations not found to be an administrative error. The Chief will refer all other citations to the Appeals Committee. Each citation will be numbered and accounted for by PSCPD.

Parking Appeals:
A parking violation may be appealed by forwarding a written appeal to the PSC Parking Appeals Committee. Appeal forms are available at the PSCPD office, in The Welcome Center, and online. The Appeals Committee will review the appeal. The committee can either declare no violation or sustain the violation. If the violation is sustained, the violator will have ten days from the date of notification to pay the fine. The $5 late penalty will not be assessed if: the appeal is received within ten days; the violation is sustained, and the fine is paid in 10 days, or the violation is dismissed. If the committee declares no violation, the citation is considered dismissed.

Parking Appeals Committee:
The Parking Appeals Committee is a five-person board with one member from the student body, faculty, support staff, and administrative staff. The PSCPD Chief or his/her designee will serve as ex-officio and non-voting chairperson. The Parking Appeals Committee will meet monthly at a regular time to review all appeals. Three members present represent a quorum. A majority vote of the committee members present is needed to declare no violation. Failure to obtain a majority vote of no violation results in the violation being sustained. Tie votes result in the appeal being denied. Only one appeal is permitted per violation. The decision of the committee is final.

Download Campus Parking Regulations Booklet