Explore information about parking procedures and where you should park when you arrive on-campus. Short term changes to these parking procedures are sent via Worcester State email.
When you are driving and parking on the Worcester State University campus, you should always show consideration for pedestrians, who have the right-of-way, and be aware of persons with disabilities. You must abide by Worcester State traffic and parking policies while on campus.
Speed limits for all vehicles are:
Our parking lot designations are as follows and can be viewed on the campus map:
A – Dowden B – Wasylean C – Parking Garage D – May Street Lot F Lot G Lot H – Sullivan (contains visitor spots) K – Administration L – Student Center O – Wellness Center (Gym Lot) P – Front Roadway Q – Chandler Street Lot (formerly Temple Lot) R – 140 Goddard Memorial Drive (across from the T.J.Maxx Distribution Center)
Loading and unloading zones are designated near each building. University Police is aware that many faculty need an unloading area as the semester begins and will accommodate that need.
Worcester State strictly enforces parking policies and assumes no responsibility for damage to any vehicle or its contents.
Report all motor vehicle accidents on campus to University Police at 508-929-8911 or at Wasylean Hall, Office 102.
All vehicles parked on our campus or in our satellite lots are required to have a valid parking decal, hang tag, or visitor pass, which designates where you should park. Decals must be securely affixed to a rear, driver-side passenger window, passes must be displayed on a vehicle’s dashboard, and hang tags must be attached to a rear-view mirror.
Qualifying for and accepting a Worcester State parking permit means that you understand and pledge to abide by all Worcester State parking and traffic regulations.
Student parking decals are required throughout the academic year for day, evening, and weekend classes. For information about obtaining a decal, click on the appropriate category below.
Vehicles parked in handicap spaces must display a valid handicapped placard/plate.
Worcester State-issued parking decals are not transferable from one vehicle to another. In the event you have a rental car or a substitute vehicle, you may obtain a temporary vehicle pass from the Parking and Transportation Office. Please remove expired decals from vehicle when a permit is renewed.
A parking permit does not guarantee you a parking space in a particular lot or garage. Parking is available on a first-come, first-use basis within each designated parking area.
If you are a commuter student, you will receive a C parking decal by mail or from the Parking & Transportation Office before the beginning of your first semester. If you have not received a decal by the start of classes, visit the Parking & Transportation Office located in Wasylean Hall room 102. Please bring your student ID with you.
You can park in surface lots D, F, G, H, K, L, and O, and the overflow Chandler Street Lot (Lot Q).
To park on campus as a resident student, you must first apply for a decal.
Apply for a decal
If you have been approved and have purchased a resident-student parking decal, you will be able to park in the following approved lots. Dowden Lot (A) or Parking Garage Lot (C) on floors three (3) and four (4)or Goddard Memorial Lot (R). Permits designate the appropriate lots.
Resident students who have not received approval and purchased a decal are prohibited from parking on campus or in the Chandler Street Lot (Lot Q).
Massachusetts law requires college and university students who operate motor vehicles in Massachusetts that are registered in another state or country, whether they live on campus or not, to register that vehicle with the Registry of Motor Vehicles annually using the Massachusetts Nonresident Driver Statement. This form also is available from the Parking and Transportation Office.
If you are an out-of-state student in this situation, you must do the following to comply with this law:
Once your form is delivered in person to the Parking and Transportation Office, you will then be issued your required decal. Affix this decal to the uppermost center portion of your vehicle’s windshield.
The penalty for a non-resident student’s failure to comply with this law is a fine of up to $200.00.
If you are an adjunct faculty member or part-time employee (AF and S), you will park in Wasylean Lot B. You also may park in the overflow Chandler Street Lot (Lot Q).
If you are a full-time faculty or staff member and you currently do not have an F or E hang tag, you must get one from the Parking and Transportation Office. No hang tags will be mailed or delivered. You must present your valid OneCard ID to pick up your hang tag.
E hang tags permit parking in the garage (Lot C), level 2; the front roadway (Lot P); in Dowden (Lot A); and in the overflow Chandler Street Lot (Lot Q).
F hang tags permit parking in the garage (Lot C), level 1; the front roadway (Lot P); and, when unit-designated spots are filled, faculty members may follow the procedures set forth in the CBA.
Hang tags, university-issued keys, and OneCard IDs must be returned to the Employee Services Office when you terminate employment with Worcester State or take a position with a different union on campus.
Visitors are permitted to park in commuter surface lots with a valid visitor pass displayed on their vehicle’s dashboard. To request a pass prior to your visit, please complete the Visitor Parking Pass Request form. Passes also are available at the Parking and Transportation office.
Admissions visitors will find parking near the south entrance of the Shaughnessy Administration Building. For more information, please refer to the visit us page or contact the Admissions Office at 508-929-8040.
Vendors and contractors must contact our Facilities Department for a pass.
During snow or other weather emergencies, parking advisories may be issued to inform the campus community of parking changes.
All guests and overnight guests must check in with the student worker stationed in Dowden Hall, Sheehan Hall, or Wasylean Hall on the night of their stay.
All guest vehicles on campus must be registered with University Police and must display a valid overnight parking permit. These permits are available beginning at 8pm and can be acquired in Wasylean Hall room 102. Guests who are parked overnight must park in designated overnight parking areas and remove their vehicle by 8am the following day.
Vehicle owners who violate this policy are subject to having their vehicle cited and/or towed without notification at the owner’s expense.
Worcester State police officers fully enforce of state laws that call for state of Massachusetts citations to be issued. Officers are authorized and trained to enforce Massachusetts General Law Chapter 90 as it pertains to the safe operation of motor vehicles on the Worcester State campus.
University Police have the ability to issue enforcement action to motorists who violate the provisions of that law by ticketing offenders. Officers are authorized to issue Massachusetts Uniform Citations and Warnings, which in some cases may require a fine to be paid or a court appearance.
If you receive a ticket for a parking violation from University Police, you may appeal it by following several steps. All appeals must be:
Appeal forms are available online and the Parking and Transportation Office in Wasylean Hall, Office 102.
Parking tickets can be paid to the Parking and Transportation Office by:
The Worcester State OneCard is not accepted for paying fines.
Parking fines are regulated by Chapter 90, Section 20A 1/2 of the Massachusetts General Laws. You have 21 days from when a ticket is issued to either pay or appeal it. Failure to pay on time will result in additional fines and, potentially, the involvement of the state’s Registry of Motor Vehicles. RMV actions could include prohibiting the vehicle’s registered owner from renewing their driver’s license and/or vehicle registration until all outstanding tickets are paid.
When the Registry of Motor Vehicles becomes involved, a surcharge of $20.00 is added by the RMV for each violation. As long as a fine remains unpaid, the RMV will not allow the vehicle’s registered owner to renew their driver’s license and/or vehicle registration until all marked tickets at Worcester State are paid.
Yes. All vehicles on campus must display a valid parking decal or pass while parked on campus.
You should scrape the old decal off your vehicle and bring it to the Parking and Transportation Office, where you will complete a form to obtain a new decal. You will be issued a replacement decal at no charge for your next vehicle. Your old decal will be recorded as being returned to the office.
Yes, you can use a temporary vehicle on campus; however, you need to come to the Parking and Transportation Office to obtain a temporary parking pass at no charge. Temporary passes expire on the date printed at bottom of permit. Please bring a valid form of identification and the registration of the motor vehicle.
Yes. If you are a resident student who does not have a vehicle with a decal, you can get a temporary parking pass from the Parking and Transportation Office. These passes are limited, and approval is not guaranteed.
No. Drivers are only allowed to park in handicapped parking if they have handicapped plates or an appropriate handicap permit.
Yes. Visitors are welcome on campus. See the Overnight Parking section for more information.
University Police can issue you a temporary pass.
Contact University Police at 508-929-8911. They will direct you as to how to park without being ticketed.
