Parking Services

Visitors to Oakland University may take advantage of free parking on a first-come, first-served basis. To avoid receiving a parking citation, park in a legal parking spot designated by parallel yellow lines on both sides of your vehicle. Visitors should also avoid parking in restricted spots, which are identified by signs in front of the spot.

Fee free parking (except in metered spots) is available on a first-come, first-served basis at Oakland University. Parking lots near the O'rena include:

• P16
• P26
• P11
• P29

Disability parking is available in all OU parking lots with disability parking placards.

Visitors planning to leave a vehicle overnight should familiarize themselves with our overnight parking policy.

Snow emergencies may be declared when 3 or more inches of snow have fallen or are forecast to fall on campus, as reported by the National Weather Service and/or other law enforcement weather resources.  During a snow emergency, all vehicles must be removed from surface parking lots.

Driving or parking on grass or sidewalks is prohibited.

Parking Map O'Rena Safety and Security

If a vehicle becomes disabled while on a campus roadway or parking lot, the owner should:

• Raise the hood of the vehicle and use the emergency flashing system.
• Contact OUPD to provide the exact location and license number of the vehicle to receive help.

Contacting the police ahead of time may help the owner avoid a ticket or having the vehicle towed.

Abandoned Vehicles

If a vehicle parked on campus appears inoperable and has been parked for an extended period of time, it may be deemed abandoned. Once a vehicle is believed to be abandoned, an officer will tag the vehicle with an orange impound tag. Once tagged, the vehicle must be removed within 48 hours per Act 300 of 1949 as amended.

Some examples of why a vehicle may appear inoperable include:

• One or more flat tires or wheels missing
• Equipment required to operate the vehicle is missing (i.e. engine)
• Missing registration plate

What to Do if Your Vehicle is Impounded

Visit the impounded vehicles tab on this page for information on how to retrieve your vehicle.

Ordinance 3.05 Parking Signs, Directives. No person shall park any motor vehicle on campus outside of designated parking spaces or in any location or manner prohibited by any sign posted by authority of the president or a designee, or contrary to the express direction of any Police Officer.

Citations must be paid or appealed within 10 days to avoid late fees.

^ Citations not paid or appealed within 10 days are subject to late fees up to the maximum amount listed.

** Fines may be higher if the issuing officer elects to write a State of Michigan Uniform Law Citation.

What happens if I do not answer a parking citation?

• $10 late fees are applied to unanswered citations after 10, 20, and 30 days.  A citation may accrue a maximum of $30 in late fees. Late fees do not accrue while a citation is under appeal. If the appeal is denied, late fee escalation resumes once a judgment is given.
• The registered owner of the vehicle will receive notice of unanswered citations after 30 days.
• Unanswered citations will be transferred to Citation Collection Services, LLC after 90 days.  A collection fee will be added on top of the face value of the citation and any accrued late fees.

Three (3) or more unanswered citations may hinder your ability to renew your registration plate with the Michigan Secretary of State and may result in the impoundment of your vehicle without further notice.

Disability parking placards are only issued through the Michigan Secretary of State Office. Parking Services does NOT issue disability parking placards.

If you have a disability parking placard or license plate:

• You must either be the driver or a passenger of the vehicle to park in a disability parking “blue space.”
• Don’t park on the blue striped lines needed by vans with wheelchair lifts.
• Disability parking anywhere in the U.S. is available to you.
• Hang the placard from the rearview mirror. (Remove when driving.)

It is against the law to:

• Loan your disability placard to another person.
• Knowingly use a disability placard that has been canceled or replaced.
• Use a disability placard or plate when the disability no longer exists.
• Use the disability placard or license plate of a deceased family member.
• Copy, alter or forge a disability placard or license plate.

Contact us to report violations to the OUPD. Penalties may include fines as high as $500 and up to 30 days in jail.

Accessible Parking Map

Parking is prohibited in most lots between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Overnight parking on campus is designated by fluorescent green striping (except in the parking structures) and is available in:

• Ann V. Nicholson Student Apartments parking lots.
• George T. Matthews Apartments parking lots.
• P5 and P11 parking lots.
• Portions of the P1 and P3 parking lots
• All covered spaces in the P29 and P32 parking structures.

During special events or athletic events on campus, parking may be temporarily restricted or suspended in one or more parking lots. These temporary parking restrictions will be communicated to the campus community with plenty of time to comply with the order. Vehicles left in a restricted area after the deadline will be issued a citation and impounded.

Overnight Parking Map