Mills College has established the following regulations to govern parking and traffic movement on campus. These regulations are specifically designed for the safe and orderly flow of vehicles and pedestrian safety at Mills. Permission to park and operate a motor vehicle on Mills property are privileges subject to these regulations.
Mills College is private property. Entry to campus is granted only to those persons who agree to comply with College rules and regulations and the lawful direction of campus authorities.
Authorized parking areas on the campus are specifically marked. All vehicles parked along the roadways must have their wheels within 18 inches of the right curb and not extending into any landscaped or unimproved area. You must park in a valid parking space, between two white parallel stall lines. Vehicles must be parked so as to occupy only one space or stall. Vehicles parked anywhere other than a designated parking space are liable for fines and/or towing.
Vehicles may not park:
Lack of available or convenient parking is NOT a valid excuse for parking in prohibited areas.
| Red | Fire lane, no parking at any time |
| Yellow | Commercial loading/unloading zone only, 15-minute limit |
| Green | Time-limited parking/special reserved spaces. Guest Parking at the Oval is open to anyone after 5:00 pm. |
| Blue | Accessible parking with Mills, Office of Motor Vehicles, or ADA parking placard only |
| White | Passenger loading and unloading only |
| Gray | Authorized general parking |
Campus parking, including individual stalls, lot, and curb spaces, are designated by Commuter, Residential, Guest, and Faculty/Staff access.
All spaces, including reserved residential and administrative stalls, are indicated by signage and/or pavement markings. Unmarked pavement or lack of signage does not guarantee open access.
Motorcycles, motorized bicycles, and scooters are considered to be motor vehicles and are subject to all traffic and parking rules and regulations. They must be parked in designated areas only and are not permitted on pedestrian pathways or sidewalks, in or near buildings and their entrances, or in any pedestrian areas. Motorcycles, motorized bicycles, and motorized scooters must display a Mills College parking sticker.
All bicycles on campus must be parked and secured in bicycle racks or bicycle closets (residential halls) at all times. They should not be attached or locked onto signs, handrails, light poles, outside or inside of railings, or landscaping (trees). Bicycles shall not be stored inside buildings unless specific areas have been designated for that purpose.
There are a limited number of Green Car parking spaces on campus, including in the parking lots adjacent to the Lokey Graduate School of Business and Public Policy and the Moore Natural Sciences Building. Spots are identified by a Green Car sign. The Green Car list is administered by greenercars.org and aceee.org. If you do not see your vehicle on the list, your vehicle is not qualified for a Green Car parking space.
Commuters, faculty, and staff may not leave their vehicles on campus overnight unless they receive permission from the Department of Public Safety.
Parking of occupied vehicles (motor homes, campers, trucks, cars, etc.) is strictly prohibited.
No vehicle may be parked or stored on campus property overnight without valid residential permit.* Guests of residential permit holders may complete an Extend Stay/Overnight Parking Form for campus access not to exceed a period of 4-days.
Extended Stay/Overnight Parking hang tags must be displayed on guest vehicle rear view mirror. Vehicles without valid permits or prior permissions from the Department of Public Safety, to include Commuter & Faculty/Staff permit holders, may be cited or impounded at the expense of owner.
No one, including residential students, may park or store vehicles on campus over any semester break. Vehicles left on campus without authorization, may be cited and/or impounded. Authorized exceptions for residential permit holders include academic breaks (winter, spring and summer) where student will remain in campus housing.**
*Special provisions may be made for Faculty/Staff or students who require their vehicles for College business. Vehicles on College business must request permission from the Department of Public Safety prior to leaving vehicles.
**Overnight Extended Residential Contract exemptions include vehicle owners residing in Ross/Larsen House, Underwood Apartments, or Faculty Village.
Mills College reserves the right to cite and/or tow any vehicle in violation of campus parking regulations, designated parking access, or safe operation guidelines as provided by the College, Department of Transportation, and California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Annual commuter permits are valid for access to commuter and Richard’s Gate lots only. Parking in other areas is not authorized, with violations subject to citation and fine.
Residential permits are valid for designated resident-only parking spaces. Resident parking spaces are available to vehicles displaying current residential permits 24-hours per day, seven days a week, during the academic year.
Vehicles with resident permits may not park in other permit-controlled areas of the campus between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm on weekdays.
Underwood Apartment parking stalls (one per resident) are assigned by unit number and are reserved for Underwood residents ONLY. Underwood residents may park additional vehicles and guest vehicles in Richard's Gate parking lot.
All motorcycles, motorized bicycles, and motor scooters are required to have a parking permit. These vehicles may not be parked in between parked vehicles and may not be parked on any walkway or pedestrian path.
Motorcycles may not be parked where their presence hampers the movement of other vehicles or the ability of motor vehicle drivers entering or exiting their vehicles. Designated motorcycle parking areas have been made available in the Upper CPM parking lot and on Richard's Road at Kapiolani Road. See our campus map (PDF) for parking designations.
Faculty/staff permits are valid in faculty and staff lots or any commuter lot/stall. Parking in other areas is not authorized, with violations subject to citation and fines.
Extended Guest Hang Tags may be retrieved at the Public Safety Administrative Office (CPM 113) by request of Mills ID-holding community members ONLY.
By approval of the director of public safety, or authorized designee, pink hang tags may be issued as temporary daily parking access for Mills ID holders (current year only). Gold, or yellow, hang tags may be issued to student guests for overnight access to Richard's Gate lot not to exceed four (4) days.
Temporary Pool Parking Permits may be purchased by non-Mills-ID-holders ONLY. Permits may be collected at the Trefethen Aquatic Center with purchase of qualifying swim packages. Pool users must complete payment and parking permit form and present valid ID.
Overnight stay prohibited. Daily access until 10:00 pm through program period (fall, spring, or summer). See Pool Fees webpage for price and purchase instructions.
As with Visitor permits, Temporary Pool Parking Permit holders are authorized access to Richards and commuter lots during paid access period ONLY. Patrons found outside of authorized parking lots may be cited at any time. See our campus map for parking designations.
Campus accessible parking spaces (PDF) are provided in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Vehicles parked in these spaces must display a Mills College Accessible permit or an Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV)-issued placard.
OMV placards must be accompanied by an authorization card that states who is permitted use of the placard. Public Safety Officers are authorized to inspect this OMV-issued card to insure that accessible parking spaces are made available to legitimate users.
Authorization to park in College-accessible spaces requires presentation of state certification of permanent accessible permit or a physician's recommendation for a temporary accessible permit. Campus temporary permits maybe issued to qualifying vehicle owners for a duration not to exceed 90-days following mandatory consultation with Student Access and Support Services (SASS) or Employee Services representatives.
Campus ADA permits are authorized for use on Mills College property ONLY and must be displayed with appropriate annual or guest permits.
The College reserves the right to designate reserved parking spaces for officers of the College. These spaces are specifically marked and reserved seven (7) days a week.
Residents of Underwood Apartments will be assigned one reserved parking stall by number. Residential stalls numbered one (1) through twelve (12) may not be occupied by non-Underwood permit holding residents.
Underwood residents must display both standard Residential and reserved Underwood parking permits in front windshield. Vehicles not displaying appropriate permits will be cited or towed.
Apartment residents with more than one vehicle, may park additional autos, motorcycles or scooters in Richards Lot. Use of unassigned or multiple residential stalls is strictly prohibited.
Fall 2022 parking permits will be available soon.
Mills community members start the parking permit application process by registering their vehicle(s) in the Mills Resource Portal and completing the annual Mills Sustainability Transportation Survey. All vehicles must be registered no later than the second week of the semester in which they will used on campus. All Mills community members, temporary contractors, and regular visitors who park a vehicle on campus are required to purchase a Mills parking permit.
Parking permits expire each year at the beginning of the fall semester. Permits cost $71.10 ($60.00 + 18.5% Oakland parking tax). Mills does not prorate the cost of permits purchased partway through the academic year.
Once a permit application is approved by the Department of Public Safety (DPS), vehicle owners must bring their current car registration to the DPS office at CPM 113 during regular business hours to pick up their permit.
If your vehicle is already registered in the Mills Resource Portal and you have already completed the sustainability survey, or if you are temporary contractor or regular visitor to campus who does not have access to the portal, you may purchase your parking permit directly through the appropriate eMarket payment link.
For detailed instructions on registering vehicles and requesting campus permits visit Vehicle Permit ePay.
The College may revoke or refuse to issue a parking permit without prior notice. All outstanding parking violations or penalties must be satisfactorily settled before a permit is issued or renewed. Parking permits may be revoked for nonpayment of parking fines.
All vehicles entering Mills College property must either display, or stop and obtain, a valid parking permit. Static cling decal or sticker permits are designed to be placed inside the lower left corner (drivers side) of the front windshield. Vehicles displaying their permits improperly are subject to enforcement action, including parking citations and fines.
A valid permit is a current year parking permit issued to faculty, staff, students, visitors, and regular guests of Mills College, or a daily or extended guest permit issued by the Department of Public Safety. An expired permit may not substitute for a valid permit.
Lost permits may be replaced at a rate of $25 per permit. Vehicle owners can purchase replacement permits online via campus eMarket or in-person at the Administrative Office located in CPM 113 during regular business hours.
Failure to comply with these rules and regulations may result in citation. Please refer to the comprehensive list of citation fees and fines.
Individuals with one moving violation or multiple outstanding parking fines that have not been paid or appealed, or who do not complete Campus Community Service work are subject to suspension of parking privileges. The department will notify the permit holder that his or her failure to pay the fine or otherwise comply with these parking regulations constitutes grounds for suspension of parking privileges. If there is no response to this notice within five (5) business days, the permit holder's parking privileges will be revoked by the Department of Public Safety, and the vehicle will be subject to tow when found on College property.
Any vehicle parked on Mills College property may be subject to tow after notification, as specified in these regulations. The College and its officers, employees, and agents are not liable for any loss or damage of any kind resulting from tow. Any vehicle that has three (3) or more outstanding citations is subject to tow. Upon receipt of the third citation, a warning notice shall be placed on the vehicle or sent to the vehicle owner's P.O. Box or mailing address.
The notice will state that if the vehicle is found again on campus in violation of campus parking regulations, including non-payment of fines, it will be impounded and towed off campus. For vehicles not registered on campus and lacking valid parking permits, the Department of Public Safety will contact the Department of Motor Vehicles and obtain registered owner information. Any costs associated with contacting the DMV will be passed on to the registered owner, and a $25.00 service charge will be added for documentation fees.
A vehicle may be impounded without prior notice for:
Contact Public Safety at 510.430.5555 or extension 5555 from any campus phone. All outstanding fines and fees must be paid before impounded vehicles will be released from the tow company.
Tow and/or storage fees must be paid separately from campus fees. Neither campus nor tow company fees may be applied towards, or substituted for penalties accrued with the other.
Payment can be made in person at CPM 113, Monday–Friday during operating hours. Cash, personal checks, money orders, or credit cards are accepted. Vehicle owners are responsible for settling all towing costs with the tow company.
Mills College and its employees assume no responsibility for any loss or damage to vehicles due to theft, vandalism, fire, falling debris or vegetation, tow, collision, weather, earthquake, or other causes. Persons who park their vehicles on Mills College property do so at their own risk.
Vehicle owners are encouraged to observe the following safety tips while parked on college property:
To report vehicle theft, damage, or non-injury accidents on campus, notify the Security Gatehouse at 510.430.5555 or extension 5555 from any Mills phone and Oakland Police Department Non-Emergency Dispatch at 510.777.3333.
For life-threatening accidents or injuries call 911, or, from a cell phone dial 510.777.3211.
The Mills College Board of Trustees has delegated primary responsibility for the enforcement of college regulations, including all parking and traffic regulations, to the director of public safety.
Public Safety Officers, as duly appointed representatives of Mills College under the supervision of the director of public safety, have authority to enforce parking and traffic regulations on College property.
The College reserves the right to revise these regulations, including schedules of fees, fines, and penalties at any time, without notice, by posting the new or revised information on the Public Safety web pages.
The director of public safety, or their designee, is responsible for the development, promotion, and coordination of alternative transportation programs. These individuals are also responsible for making recommendations for signs, curb markings, barricades, and other traffic control systems for the management of traffic and parking on College property. These recommendations are a result of a collaborative effort with Campus Facilities and appropriate campus advisory committees.
No person without authorization from the director of public safety shall remove, move, deface, or in any way change a sign, barricade, structure, marking, or direction placed for the purpose of regulating parking or traffic. Permission to make temporary or permanent changes of this nature must be obtained from the director of public safety or their designee.
Further Information on permits, fees, and parking areas may be obtained by calling the Department of Public Safety at x2103 or 510.430.2103, or by email at oaklandsafety@northeastern.edu .
Questions or concerns regarding the Parking and Transportation Regulations should be addressed to the Citation Appeals Committee (CAC). For information on CAC meeting times, individuals should contact the Public Safety office at 510.430.2103.