Parking at DVC
All persons parking on any of the campuses in the Contra Costa Community College District must have a valid permit displayed on their vehicle. To avoid a citation, please take care to park only in authorized spaces on the college campus with a valid permit properly displayed. (There is a grace period the first week of each semester.)
Parking is particularly challenging the first two weeks of class. Please arrive early to allow time to find a spot. There is usually (but not always) space available in the overflow lot off Golf Club Road. See campus map. If you find it is necessary to park in the surrounding neighborhood streets, please be courteous of our neighbors.
Parking fees *
The parking fee is $2 for a daily permit or $35 for a full-term permit (fall and spring.)
The summer permit fee is $20.
Please note that the daily parking fee will soon go up to $3.00 per day. Signs will be posted on parking permit machines.
College parking permits are required daily except weekends (Friday 5 p.m. through Monday 7 a.m.) and holidays.
You can purchase a parking decal at the Cashier's Office, Book Center or at the Admissions and Records Office. DVC parking permits are also valid at CCC and LMC campuses. The parking fee is $20 per term for students who qualify for the Board of Governors Enrollment Fee Waiver.
Parking at the San Ramon Campus is free. Contact all other off campus locations for their parking policies.
Where do I park?
Students may park in the lots designated as student lots. For parking lot locations at DVC, please see the campus map.
Do I need to display my permit?
All permits must be displayed in plain view with all numbers and markings clearly visible It is the responsibility of the driver to have the permit displayed.
What is the fine for a citation?
Failure to properly display your permit will result in a citation. Purchase and/or possession of a permit does not authorize parking on college facilities unless the permit is correctly displayed on the vehicle. The fine for illegal parking without a permit is $40.00. (Effective spring 2010)
A grace period for student parking permits is allowed for the first week of each semester. No citations are issued for vehicles properly parked in marked student spaces during this period. Vehicles illegally parked in staff, disabled, no parking, or other restricted areas are subject to citation at all times. Grace period for spring 2010 semester is from January 22 through January 28.
How do I contest a parking citation?
If you feel you have a valid reason to contest a parking citation (see below for more information) please visit www.4cd.edu/police and select "forms". Select Parking Citation Appeals Form, print, complete the form, and mail to the address on the form.
General reasons that violations won't be dismissed
Below are some commonly listed reasons given for violating parking regulations. While these reasons may seem valid to the violator, they do not address the laws of the State and the College. These reasons generally will not result in the violations being dismissed, or the violator being successful in a hearing.
1. Short Errands No errand, no matter how short or how important to the driver short of a bona fide medical emergency, is an acceptable excuse for illegal parking. A short errand is a very common excuse. It is not a valid reason for illegal parking.
2. Late For Business Or Personal Appointment Being late does not permit the driver the privilege of parking illegally.
3. No Place Else To Park - The Lot Was Full Other than being an invalid excuse, this, in fact, confirms the driver's liability. It is every driver's responsibility to locate legal parking.
4. I Didn't See The Sign - I Didn't Understand The Sign Drivers are required to look for signs when parking. This may mean checking an entire lot from corner to corner. Drivers are also required to abide by the directions on the sign. A person indicating that they did not see a sign preventing parking is not an acceptable excuse.
5. Only Part Of My Car Was Illegally Parked A violation is not based on a certain percentage of the vehicle being illegally parked. If part of the vehicle extends into a restricted area, the violation is the same as if the entire vehicle encroached.
6. I Left Someone In The Car; I Left My Parking Lights On Or Blinking; I Left A Note In The Car As To My Whereabouts With The Motor Running Many drivers seem to think that evidence of a short stay mitigates the offense. It does not. The purpose of parking regulations is to restrict from certain places or permitted at times, motor vehicles which are not in motion. The presence of a passenger, a sign or blinking lights does not satisfy this purpose and, therefore, does not constitute a valid reason to dismiss a violation.
7. It Was Only A Few Minutes This explanation is one of the most common claims. Even if true, parking in a prohibited area is illegal.
8. Nobody Else Got A Ticket Sometimes this excuse is raised as discriminatory enforcement. The officer may have had to leave the area before checking all the vehicles, however, a citation stands on its own.
9. Someone Else Had My Car Under the new law, the registered owner (R.O.) has joint responsibility with whoever was driving their car. Unless it can be shown by the R.O. that the car was driven without permission, the R.O., renter or lessee is responsible for a parking citation.
10. An Official Saw Me Park And Didn't Say Anything - Or Said It Was OK For A Few Minutes Generally speaking, employees have no authority to give permission to break the law. Whenever possible, an officer will caution about illegal parking, but silence by an official does not waive parking restrictions.
11. This Violation Has Not Been Enforced In The Past This normally is not the case, however, inadequate staffing or other priorities may give rise to violations not being enforced continually; but, nowhere does apparent failure to enforce parking laws constitute a valid excuse for illegal parking.
12. I've Done It For Years - Everybody Does It This is never a valid excuse for illegally parking. Nobody should be rewarded for getting away with prior violations.
13. The Permit Machine Wasn't Working It is often discovered that the permit machines are working fine. The inability to get a permit from the machine is most often due to operator error. Read the instructions on the machine. In any event, if a machine is not working, there are several others on campus and it is YOUR responsibility to purchase a permit from another machine. Report any machine malfunction immediately to the police dispatcher The college HIGHLY recommends purchasing a SEMESTER PERMIT from the cashier, admission’s office or the bookstore. It will save you time and money.
* All fees are subject to change by the state legislature.
This is a summary of DVC Parking Policies. Detailed information, including faculty/staff and student lot locations, is available from the District Police Office near parking lot 1.
All parking requires a parking decal or a daily permit, which must be displayed on the student’s vehicle. Students may park only in student parking lots. Parking is available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and having a permit does not guarantee that a student will find a parking space. For more information, contact police services located in the Student Services Building.
To avoid a parking citation, please park in designated student parking areas in lots 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Be sure you properly display a current semester or daily permit. Daily permits may be purchased at any of the dispensers in the parking lot and the cost is eight quarters. You can purchase a semester permit from the Cashier's Office, Book Center, or Admissions and Records Office.
