Motor Vehicle Policy
Parking Office • 507-786-2972 • hunterd@stolaf.edu • http://www.stolaf.edu/stulife/parking/

Students shall be aware of and adhere to the entire St. Olaf Motor Vehicle Policy. The St. Olaf campus is a residential campus and, as such, the number of student parking permits issued is limited. Subject to the availability of parking spaces, students with documented and verifiable commuter, academic, medical or work-related needs will be allowed to maintain a car on campus. In most cases, first-year students will be expected to work on campus and will not qualify for a work-related permit. Due to space limitations, only one student permit can be issued per family. Only two (2) permits per Honor/Language house will be issued for purposes of Honor or Language house projects. Student vehicles parked in a reserved, no parking, fire lane or faculty & staff lot space may be cited a second time if parked overnight. Students are considered to be St. Olaf College students whether they are registered for on-campus course work or off-campus programs through St. Olaf College. If you are participating in an off-campus program but plan to spend a short time on campus, a temporary permit must be obtained for that period of time. Registered students are not considered visitors to St. Olaf College.

  1. The Motor Vehicle Policy is administered by the Parking Office, located in the lower level of the Administration Building. The office hours are 7:30 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday during the academic year. Any questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Parking Office at 507-786- 2972.
  2. The Parking Policy is in effect the entire calendar year, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  3. All motor vehicles including motorcycles, mopeds, and scooters operated on the St. Olaf campus by students, faculty or staff must display a current license plate, be registered with the Parking Office and display a current parking permit. Parking permits issued by the Parking Office are assigned to a specific vehicle and are NOT transferable to another vehicle. If another permit is needed for a different vehicle, please contact the Parking Office for another permit.
  4. Campus parking areas are designated by the type of parking permit issued by the Parking Office. Parking areas are assigned to students, faculty/staff and visitors. Vehicles must be parked only in areas designated by the type of parking permit displayed. 
  5. All drivers of motor vehicles shall operate their vehicle in a responsible manner and adhere to the Motor Vehicle Code for the State of Minnesota. Failure to operate a motor vehicle in a safe and prudent manner will result in revocation or denial of a parking permit.
  6. St. Olaf College is a residential campus and, as such, all operators of motor vehicles will give pedestrians the right-of-way on campus. Drivers must obey all traffic control devices and the posted speed limit.
  7. Short-term parking (less than 15 minutes) will be permitted in areas not normally designated for parking near residence halls (i.e. fire lanes) for purposes of loading and unloading only. Vehicles parked in these areas must display the emergency flashers and limit parking to 15 minutes. Failure to display the emergency flashers or exceeding 15 minutes will result in the issuance of a parking citation.

VISITOR POLICY
All visitors to St. Olaf should park only in areas designated "Faculty/Staff/Visitor" or "Visitor Only." All visitors to St. Olaf should obtain a visitor parking permit. Visitor permits may be obtained in person in the Parking Office, located in the lower level of the Administration Building, 7:30 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday, or by contacting the Public Safety officer on duty at extension 3666 at all other hours. Any campus visitor who receives a parking citation should immediately present the citation to the Parking Office or to the faculty or staff member they were visiting. The faculty or staff member will forward the citation, along with an explanation, to the Parking Office. A vehicle registered in the Parking Office cannot be considered a visitor. Visitor permits will not be issued or given to St. Olaf students.