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General FAQ

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General Information:

The TAPS Office is located on the northern end of campus in Facilities Building A.

Please click here for updated office hours.

You can reach TAPS at 209-228-8277 or taps@ucmerced.edu.
You can also visit us on Facebook and Twitter!

It is strongly recommended that your bicycle be registered through UC Merced's Bicycle Registration Program. Please visit the Public Safety website for more information on registration.

For personal use, UC Merced has partnered with Zipcar to bring self-service, on-demand car sharing to Merced and the surrounding community. Cars are conveniently located in the LeGrand Lot and the Half Dome parking off Ranchers Road and Library Lot 1. For UC business, contact TAPS to reserve a Fleet vehicle.

Parking rules and regulations on campus are always enforced (24 hours a day, 365 days per year). For individual parking lot enforcement details, please see the PARKING ACCESS section of our Parking Information page.

Hourly parking permits for visitors are available from the kiosks in Bellevue Lot or at the TAPS Office with cash or check. Kiosk permits are available for temporary parking in any non-specially marked space in Bellevue Lot. Kiosks accept credit/debit only. ADA Parking is available throughout campus if needed, paid parking is required.

Yes, Please visit our Electric Vehicle Charging page for details.

UC Merced honors all quarterly and annual faculty/staff parking permits from other University of California campuses. You may park in any of the non-specially marked "general" spaces in any lot. Such permits are not valid for parking in Reserved, Carpool, University Business or disabled parking spaces. Please contact our sister campuses for their permit reciprocity policies. Further information regarding reciprocity can be found here

Pertinent information such as delays and special schedules will be posted on Twitter. Additional information can be found on our website and Facebook.

 

Parking Permits:

Paid parking is during parking enforcement hours. More information regarding parking regulations is available here.

Students, Faculty and Staff need a photo ID and Cat Card to obtain a parking permit. New faculty or staff members are also required to show their offer letter if they are not in the system. Visitors only need a photo ID.

Yes, information on the make, model, color, vin, regristration expiration date/year and license plate number of your vehicle is required by TAPS Office.

To be eligible to purchase a campus parking permit (virtual, temporary or kiosk) students must be a sophomore, junior or senior status (30 or more units). Freshman commuters are not eligible to purchase on-campus parking permits, however, a petition may be filed for those that meet specific criteria. UC Merced Campus and UC Merced Heritage Residents are NOT eligible to purchase a student commuter permit. Please visit our Commuter Parking page for more details.

Please visit our Parking Information page for details.

All of our permits are virtual so they go into effect immediately upon purchase.

Staff or faculty members can purchase a Gold, Slate, Blue or Green parking permit. Faculty and staff are placed on a payroll deduction. Parking permit purchases are on a first come, first served basis. More detailed information is available here.

Yes. Please visit the Payroll Cancellations page for details.

Yes, Faculty and staff may place a permit on hold and will not be charged during any leave longer than 30 days. Please contact the TAPS office for more information at 209-228-8277.

Student parking permits are good for approximately one semester, from August-December and January-May. Faculty and Staff parking permits are good for approximately one year, from July 1st (of the purchasing year) to June 30th (of the following year).

No, Undergraduate and Graduate Students may register up to 1 vehicles.  Faculty/Staff may register up to 4 vehicles.  Permit holders may only have one vehicle parked at a time on campus.  Please note, the parking permit is only to be used by the person to whom the permit was issued. Please make sure all vehicles are listed on your permit account.

With a UC Merced Cat Card, faculty, staff and students may ride any of the CatTracks routes at no charge. For ridesharing options, Zipcar is available at UC Merced. Additional options include Uber and Lyft, as they have increased their presence on campus. Bicycle racks are available across campus and on our CatTracks buses if you’d like to ride your bike. Please see alternative transportation. 

 

Parking Citations:

A vehicle may receive a parking citation for any violation of the UC Merced’s parking regulations, including but not limited to: parking without a permit, parking at an expired meter, overtime parking in a loading zone, parking in a reserved space or parking in a restricted area.

Parking citations may be paid online, by mail or in person at the TAPS office. You may pay your citation at the TAPS office with cash, check, CatDollars or money orders. For your convenience, you may pay your citation in person or online with your credit or debit card.

Appeals may be submitted online . The Adjudication Department can be reached at 209-228-2483 or by email at citations@ucmerced.edu