Towed Near the University in Lincoln? What to Check First

If your car was towed from a University of Nebraska-Lincoln lot or garage, call UNL Parking and Transit Services at 402-472-1800. UNL says its tows go to a lot at 101 Charleston Street. If you were parked on a city street near campus, call Lincoln's Emergency Communications Center at 402-441-6000 instead. Those are two different systems with different rules, so figure out which one you were in before you drive anywhere.

Was I on campus property or a city street?

This is the first question, and it decides everything else. The university writes and enforces its own parking rules on land it controls. State law gives the Board of Regents that power. UNL Parking and Transit Services and the UNL Police enforce them. City streets that run past campus follow Lincoln's rules and Lincoln Police.

• A UNL lot, garage, meter row or Passport zone. That's campus. Call 402-472-1800 during office hours.
• A city street, alley or city meter. That's Lincoln. Call 402-441-6000.
• An apartment or store lot near campus. That's private. Read the sign at the entrance for who to call.

Not sure? Look at where you paid. If you started a Passport session in a zone like the South Stadium Passport Zone or 16th and W, you were on UNL ground. If nobody has a record of a tow at all, call the UNL Police at 402-472-2222 or report the car stolen. If you feel unsafe where you're standing, call 911.

Where does UNL take towed cars?

UNL's own Violations and Penalties page names the tow lot. Cars towed by UNL go to 101 Charleston Street. The page lists the towing company's phone number too, so check it before you head over.

Don't assume a city tow went to the same place. Lincoln Police send their tows to the city impound lot under a separate city contract. We couldn't find that lot's address on an official city page. So if you were towed off a street, ask 402-441-6000 where your car is and what to bring.

Why would UNL tow my car?

Most campus problems end in a ticket, not a tow. UNL's rules list the cases that can lead to a tow or a wheel lock:

• More than five tickets in 30 days. UNL then calls it a nuisance vehicle.
• A ticket still unpaid 30 calendar days after it was written, or 14 days after an appeal was decided.
• Blocking traffic, walkways, loading docks, dumpsters, a fire lane or building access.
• Parking in a reserved stall, like a handicapped or administrative space, without the right to.
• Parking on grass, a sidewalk or any surface not marked for cars.
• A fake, stolen, altered or borrowed permit.
• Parking in a spot marked "Tow-away Zone" or "Tow-in Zone."
• A car that doesn't run, left on campus without telling Parking and Transit Services.

One rule surprises new students. A car with no permit and no plates gets a ticket. If the VIN can't be seen through the windshield either, it can be towed right away.

Do I need a permit to park on campus?

Yes, in almost every UNL lot, at all times. Meters and time-limited zones are the exceptions. Your license plate is your permit, because UNL reads plates with cameras. Park so your plate faces the drive aisle. Backing into a metered stall can get you a ticket.

What if I find a wheel lock instead?

UNL uses wheel locks for cars with old unpaid tickets. You'll find one notice on the windshield and one on the driver's window. They explain how to get it released.

Day	Wheel locks used	Towed if not released by
Monday to Thursday	7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.	6:30 p.m.
Friday	7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.	3:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday	Not used	Not used

So if you see a lock late on a Friday afternoon, move fast. Pay what you owe to Parking and Transit Services, not the tow lot. Never try to pull the lock off. Tampering with it is its own ticket, and it can't be appealed.

How do I get my car back from a UNL tow?

A UNL tow means two bills in two places. Here's the order that saves a trip:

1. Call Parking and Transit Services at 402-472-1800. UNL holds the car until every UNL parking ticket and fee on it is paid. That includes the ticket written when it was towed. Ask what you owe and how to pay.
2. Clear the UNL balance. You can pay online, by mail or at the office at 625 Stadium Drive, Suite A, in the Stadium Drive Parking Garage.
3. Pay the tow lot directly. UNL says tow and storage charges go to the impound company, not to the university. The tow company sets that charge, not UNL.
4. Bring your ID and proof you own the car. Ask the lot what it takes before you go.

Don't skip step one. UNL lists taking a car out of impound without official release from UNL Police or Parking and Transit Services as a reason to tow it again.

Unpaid UNL tickets can follow you off the lot too. UNL may hold your transcripts, diploma, registration or permit renewal until they're paid.

Can I appeal a campus tow?

Yes. You have 14 calendar days from the impoundment to appeal it. Tickets have the same 14 day window from the date written. You can file online or mail a letter to Parking and Transit Services with the ticket number.

Know the limits before you file. If the appeal wins, you get that ticket back. But if UNL towed you for older unpaid tickets, the tow charge is not refunded. Anything you paid before the hearing comes back if the committee dismisses or changes the ticket, or grants the impound appeal.

UNL lists reasons that won't work. "I didn't know the rule," "other cars were parked there too," "I was only there a minute," "I was late for class" and "there was nowhere else to park" are all rejected. Plan to attend the hearing. If you can't, tell the office before noon that day.

What about a city street near campus?

Off campus, Lincoln's rules take over. Snow is the big one. University Place and Downtown are both city snow removal districts. During a snow removal ban, parking is banned on both sides of the street there, metered stalls included. Cars left there face fines, towing and storage costs. Call 402-441-6000 to find a car towed from a city street. Our Lincoln impound lot guide covers the city side step by step.

If an apartment or store lot near campus towed you, Nebraska DMV rules say the lot must post signs you can see. The signs must say who to call about a towed car.

My car broke down on campus. Will it get towed?

It can. UNL says cars that don't run and sit on campus are subject to towing. Call Parking and Transit Services and tell them before that happens. If your car is in a shop and the permit stayed with it, they can give you a temporary permit for another car for up to a week.

Better yet, get it moved yourself. A dead battery in the stadium garage after a late class is often just a jump start. If it won't run, a tow to a repair shop gets it off campus before a ticket stacks up. Sentinel doesn't do impounds and can't release a car from any lot. Once your car is released, a partner can help if it won't start.

Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. We lock your price by text before anyone heads out, and we check on you by text until help arrives. That's our Stay-With-You Promise. For Lincoln's weather, roads and move-over law, see our Lincoln towing page.

Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.

UNL Tow Questions

Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: UNL Violations and Penalties, UNL Parking Use Agreement, UNL Citations and Appeals, UNL Police, LPD General Order 1840, City of Lincoln parking bans, Nebraska DMV: private property tows.