A Guide to Statute of Limitations on Parking Tickets

Each state handles parking tickets differently. Some have occasional amnesty programs while others may notify the DMV who can then suspend your vehicle registration. In this article, we will provide you with a basic guide to the statutes of limitations on parking tickets for several states. We will also introduce you to a fast and easy way to contest citations without the need for lawyers.

Statute of Limitations by State

The statute of limitations varies by state and the majority do not have any. Although some states may not have any limitations, it doesn’t mean your tickets are going to be canceled if you continue to ignore them. Below are the statute of limitations of some states in the US:

Penalties for Unpaid Parking Tickets

The statute of limitations stops when law enforcement issues the parking ticket. If the ticket remains unpaid it does not stop and remains on your record indefinitely. Ignoring a traffic ticket doesn't make it eventually go away. Here are some of the penalties for unpaid parking tickets:

• Multiple unpaid tickets can result in being summoned to court or have a lawyer go to court on your behalf.
• If you refuse to pay the ticket or attend court, the state may issue a bench warrant for your arrest and have your license or registration canceled. If you are issued additional tickets in a different state, your vehicle may get towed.
• If you move to a different state and register a new license with a suspended license and outstanding fees, you may end up in legal hot water.
• The bench warrant or summons do not expire just like the parking tickets.
• In some states such as Washington, an unpaid ticket that is ignored for too long can be turned into a civil infraction. When that happens, you will be charged with a civil lawsuit and penalized with fines. These civil actions stay on your record for a maximum of ten years.

Guide to Contesting Parking Citations

There are a lot of valid reasons to dispute a parking ticket. These can range from the ticket being illegible, incorrect vehicle information, to a malfunctioning parking meter. The steps to disputing an infraction are as follows:

1. Gather as much evidence as you can by taking a lot of pictures. Take photos of the parked car, the markings on the scene, relevant signs, parking meter, and anything that may invalidate the citation.
2. Do not assume liability by paying the ticket. This makes it more challenging to reverse the payment later on.
3. Write your dispute letter and mail it to the correct address indicated on the ticket. Or you can submit the letter online.
4. Include evidence in your letter that will support your case. These include photos, witness testaments, receipts, and many others.
5. If you already have a schedule for a court hearing, arrive on time and conduct yourself professionally.

Reasons Why it Pays to Fight Off Tickets

Even if you can afford the fine, there are valid reasons why you should fight off the ticket. This means you are missing your right to defend yourself against any criminal infraction. Here are the reasons why it always pays off to fight off tickets:

• A guilty plea to a parking violation will show on your driving record for no less than three to five years. However, if you can test the citation, you can ensure a clean driving record.
• When you have accumulated enough points on penalties, you could end up losing your driving license. Appealing a citation allows you to avoid points.
• If you choose to fight a ticket, you put the responsibility on the officer to provide evidence to prove the validity of the ticket. If they fail to do so, your ticket could be dismissed.
• If the police officer fails to attend the hearing, your case could be rescheduled or the charges are dropped.
• Paying a ticket is akin to admitting liability. Whereas requesting a hearing allows you to explore other options such as being given a lower offense which doesn't adversely affect your driving record.

Contest Parking Tickets in Any City in Less Than 120 Seconds

When appealing a parking ticket you can either do it by yourself or hire a traffic attorney. When doing it by yourself, be prepared to invest time and effort. You will need to attend hearings and spend some time preparing your case. You will also undergo a certain amount of stress when organizing all documentation. Hiring a lawyer will be a huge investment because of prohibitively expensive attorney fees.

That is where DoNotPay can help. Our service has been helping users contest parking citations without the need for expensive attorneys. We have a proven track record of successfully appealing $3 million worth of parking tickets. With our app, all you have to do is:

1. Log-in to DoNotPay and go to the Ticket Disputes category
2. Answer a few questions about the ticket and upload up to three files of photo proof
3. The app will generate an automatic letter written specifically for any city
4. In most cities, just hit ‘solved’ and DoNotPay will send the letter on your behalf

That’s it! Just wait two weeks to receive an update about your appeal from the traffic ticket issuer.

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