There are just a few days of the spring semester left, and students have only a few chances left to pay parking tickets to avoid being booted or towed.

Larry Emling, manager of Parking Services, said approximately 350 cars get booted each academic school year.

There are a number of reasons a student vehicle can get booted. This includes unpaid tickets on the vehicle, owing more than $100 in tickets, parking illegally or in a closed lot, displaying a counterfeit parking permit or being a frequent violator.

Emling said a frequent violator is someone who has had a lot of parking tickets and will be booted despite paying for tickets.

“The person who parks in violation and can afford to pay for the ticket is still taking a space away from a valid permit holder,” Emling said. “Our commitment is to the permit holder, who has paid for the permit. We don’t want to allow someone to park in violation just because they can afford the tickets.”

Emling also advises students not to attempt to graduate without paying for tickets.  Kent State will withhold a student’s transcripts if tickets are unpaid. If the student continues to ignore the billing, the student account will be sent to the Ohio attorney general’s office for collection.

Students are also asked not to tamper with a vehicle that has been booted. Moving the vehicle may cause damage, and students will be fined $100 if they attempt to do so.

According to the Parking Services website, if vehicles are not claimed by 6 p.m., there is a threat of being towed to an impound lot. Recently, Parking Services is towing less to save money and mostly relying on the booting process.

“We have now moved to almost always booting,” Emling said. “We may tow if a car is in a fire lane or in a small lot where we need the space. But now we probably tow less than 10 cars a year.”

If a car has been booted, contact the Parking Services at 330-672-4432 or go the office in the Michael Schwartz Center for instructions.

Contact Kate Murphy at [email protected].