This form is used to appeal a minor parking citation issued by USC that is believed to have been issued in error or improperly. An appeal must be submitted within twenty-one (21) days of the citation issue date. Please allow 24 hours for your citation to be uploaded to our system before attempting to appeal or pay.
Unacceptable Grounds for Appeal
“I only parked illegally for a short period of time.”
“It was inconvenient for me to park in my designated space or area.”
“I misunderstood or didn’t see the sign.”
“I saw other people doing it, so I thought it would be okay”
Process
1. Wait 24 hours from the time the citation was issued in order for it to be loaded into our online system.
2. ALL CITATION APPEALS MUST BE COMPLETED ONLINE. To begin, visit the Citation Appeals site by logging into your USC Transportation Customer Authentication page. Enter your ten-digit USCID number (or, for non-USC appellants, your ten-digit cell phone number), along with your citation number, and describe in detail why you believe your citation was issued in error. You will have the opportunity to upload up to three documents to accompany your appeal (photos, scans, etc.). NOTE: Individual attachments must be 4.0mb or smaller, or they will be rejected. Please complete the form only once. After submitting the appeal, the online system will display a confirmation page – we recommend printing out that page for your records. If you need an accommodation due to disability-related reasons to complete the form, please contact our enforcement team directly via email at parkingcitations@usc.edu.
3. Online appeals will be reviewed by a Hearing Officer within 15 business days of submission. You can check the status of your appeal by logging into your USC Transportation Customer Authentication page.
Important Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s:
- Appeal citations online within 21 days of citation issuance.
- Be specific and thorough – vague or incomplete appeals stand little chance of being approved.
- Submit evidence, with citation number included, at the time of citation.
- Keep a copy of any evidence you submitted.
Don’ts:
- Do not fill out multiple appeal forms – this will only delay the appeals process.
- Do not forget to submit your evidence.
- Do not leave out significant details to your appeal. The Hearing Officer cannot consider issues which were omitted by the appellant.
- Do not attempt to look up or appeal your citation the same day it is issued. Please wait 24 hours for your citation to be uploaded into our online system.
FAQ’s
My citation does not appear online, what do I do?
Citations are posted online 24 hours after they are issued; please wait that long before trying to appeal.
What should I do if I disagree with the decision made by the Hearing Officer?
If there is disagreement with the decision of the reviewing Hearing Officer, the citation may be appealed to the next level of review, the Citation Review Board (CRB). The CRB is composed of revolving members from the USC Student Senates and non-Transportation Faculty and Staff. The respective governing boards of these organizations choose their member representative(s). USC Transportation management do not serve on the CRB, but do act as ad hoc advisory members (without voting powers) to provide information about parking regulations and parking areas or locations. All decisions by the CRB are absolutely final and not subject to further appeals.
If you wish to for your citation to be reviewed by the CRB, please contact our Enforcement Manager via email at parkingcitations@usc.edu. NOTE: Full payment of your citation is required to submit a CRB appeal; if the panel rules in your favor, a partial or full refund will be promptly issued. CRB appeals cannot be completed online. Once received, your appeal will be submitted to the panel for further review during their predetermined hearing sessions. Your attendance is not required for this hearing. Once the decision has been rendered, a letter will be mailed out to you informing you of their decision. Due to the infrequent empaneling of a Citation Review Board, please allow up to 90 days for review and processing on CRB-level appeals.
How can I be sure you received my appeal?
You can check the status of your appeal by logging into your USC Transportation Customer Authentication page. If you receive an error message while checking the status of your appeal, please contact the Enforcement team via email at parkingcitations@usc.edu.