Parking Enforcement Officer Job Description

A Course Description on Parking Enforcement

You need a high school diploma or GED certificate and a valid driver's license to become a parking enforcement officer. You must pass a civil service exam and prove your knowledge of local parking laws to be hired. You may have to provide proof legal residency to work as a parking enforcement officer.

As a parking enforcement officer, you are supposed to watch street parking and parking lots, identify illegally parked cars, and write tickets for parking violations. You are not a police officer if you are a parking enforcement officer. Police officers can write tickets for parking violations.

If you get some experience in the field, you may decide to become a police officer. As a parking enforcement officer, you only have to enforce parking laws and issue citations when cars violate them. You can find parking enforcement jobs at special events and at municipal governments.

The role of private security in city and state enforcement

In large and small cities, parking enforcement officers play an important role in maintaining road safety by monitoring and enforcing parking laws. Law enforcement officers are sworn in to be parking enforcement officers. Private employees of security companies are the parking enforcement workers.

Large, privately owned properties that need parking enforcement services can find private industry positions. The parking control officers who work for private security services will usually only get a little training. Private parking control officers may need to complete firearms training and get a concealed carry license if they want to work for an employer.

Similar to sworn officers, parking enforcement officers working for private organizations will typically undergo several weeks of training with a more senior employee in order to learn the ins and outs of the job. Depending on the city in which they work, parking enforcement officers may be sworn police officers. The police are responsible for parking enforcement in many major cities.

Private companies are mainly contracted to enforce parking in Chicago and Detroit. Dallas and San Francisco are two cities that have separate departments for parking enforcement. Hospitals and colleges use private security contractors to enforce parking restrictions.

The hiring agency has a big influence on the educational requirements to become a parking control officer. Private employers and police departments only require a high school degree. Others may need an associate's degree.