With the passage of Higher Education Amendments of 1998, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 was amended to make it substantially easier for institutions of higher education to notify parents when their students violate institutional policies or laws concerning alcohol and other drugs. This study examines how common parental notification policies are in the wake of this legislative change, factors deemed important in adopting such policies, the structure of the policies, reactions to the policies, and the perceived impact of the policies on alcohol violations. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)