How to Dispute a Parking Ticket

Here is a guide to contesting a parking ticket.

Parking citations may be inconvenient, particularly if you live in a place where parking requirements are difficult to remember or are not clearly written. You have the right to dispute a parking ticket if you feel it was issued unfairly or illegally. To challenge a parking ticket, do the following steps:

Please contact the Ticketing Agency. To make a complaint, call the phone number on the back of the ticket as soon as you get it. An investigator will ask you to provide a short explanation of your situation. You may also contest the ticket by mail or in person, but only within 20 days after receiving it. The penalty will be waived if you successfully refute the parking infraction.

Submit an Administrative Review Request. If the investigator finds your ticket to be legal, you may request an administrative review, which entails submitting a grievance complaint with the assessing authority, which is the city, town, or county that issued the ticket. Typically, you must attend in person at the review office. Bring whatever evidence you have obtained, such as pictures and other paperwork that supports your case, with you. You may be required to pay a fine for the review, which will be repaid if the ticket is found to be illegal.

Submit an appeal and a hearing request. If the administrative review concludes that the parking penalty was issued lawfully, you may submit an appeal and seek a hearing. A judge will next assess your case and decide whether or not the parking ticket is legal and whether or not you must pay it.

Parking ticket regulations, including rules, penalties, fines, and ways for disputing a parking ticket, differ by state. For further information on car laws and legislation, contact your state’s official government office.