Parking Tickets and Appeals
Mercer Police Officers are authorized to write tickets for illegal parking. They are also given the authority to write state tickets that can affect driving records and must be handled in courts. State tickets are written for ignoring officer instructions, for creating or participating in a pattern of disregard for university parking/traffic regulations, for moving violations such as speeding or failure to stop, or parking in a handicapped parking space without a state permit. No one except a law enforcement officer can authorize you to park in a handicap parking space without a state permit. An officer would do this only in an emergency. The diagonal lines adjacent to a handicapped space are considered part of the space and you can be ticketed for parking on them.
State tickets must be handled in accordance with the instructions on the back of the ticket. Failure to do so can result in your arrest.
Mercer Tickets
Fines for parking offenses are printed on the parking citations. The first offense is $25. Fines increase $10 per offense with each new ticket you receive.
Student fines will be added to student accounts and should be handled through the Bursar’s office. Employee fines can be paid at Mercer Police, Monday-Friday 9am-3pm. Payments can be made via cash or check; make check to Mercer University.
If you receive a Mercer ticket, you have 5 days to appeal. Appeal forms can be printed from the Mercer Police Website or picked up at the Police Station on Winship St. Completed appeal forms must be in the possession of Mercer Police within 5 days of the ticket being written. The ticket being appealed must accompany the form.
The following are not valid reasons for seeking a ticket appeal:
- In a hurry
- Was only there a moment
- No other parking
- Was told I could park there
- Flashers were on
- Others were parked there without being ticketed
Appeals will be screened, if needed, appeals will be delivered to the Ticket Appeal Committee. It consists of representatives of students, staff, and faculty. The committee will meet to discuss several appeals at one time. You will also be invited to the meeting to discuss your appeal. It is your responsibility to make changes to your schedule that will allow you to attend the meeting. Failure to attend the meeting may result in the automatic denial of your appeal.