Ticket Parking - Parking Tickets and How to Resolve Them

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Ticket Parking - Overview

A parking violation is when a vehicle is parked in a restricted place or in an unauthorized manner. A parking violation is cited by a police officer or another government official in the form of a parking ticket. Business Insider published an article about how the AI Consumer Champion has been “wildly successful” since its launch. has helped over 300,000 people overturn their fines, and this article will guide you on how you can do that too!

Why You Might Receive a Parking Ticket

To avoid receiving a parking ticket, you must adhere to the laws of parking in your state. The following list includes some parking violations that will cost you a parking ticket, however it is important to remember that each state has its own reasons and you must know the laws of the state you are driving in.

  1. An expired meter
  2. Parking on a sidewalk
  3. Parking within 25 or 50 feet of Crosswalk
  4. Parking Within 25 feet of a Street Corner or Intersection
  5. Failure to display parking permit
  6. Parking without a valid permit
  7. Blocking a driveway
  8. Obstructing a street excavation
  9. Parking in a commercial loading zone
  10. Parking on a crosswalk
  11. Parking within 30 feet of a traffic control sign
  12. Parking on a fire lane
  13. Parking at an intersection
  14. Parking in a space reserved to handicap people
  15. Double parking
  16. Parking near a road sign that prohibits stopping or parking in the area
  17. Leaving your keys in the ignition of a car
  18. Parked facing the wrong way
  19. Occupying a meter space for more than two hours without paying
  20. Parking in a loading zone
  21. Parking in a truck zone
  22. Parking on a boulevard
  23. Parking in an alley
  24. Parking in a taxi stand

Got a Parking Ticket - What’s Next?

After you receive a parking ticket, you have two main options: you can pay off your fine or you can contest the citation. Most cities give you a deadline of 10 to 15 calendar days to pay or dispute the ticket before they charge an additional late fee to your fine. If you choose to dispute the ticket when you are at fault, it is very likely that the fine will be reduced, but not overturned. The following table gives an overview of valid and invalid reasons for appealing a citation.

Valid reasons for appealing a parking ticketInvalid reasons for appealing a parking ticket
  • Gather substantial evidence that proves that you did not commit the violation, this might be in the form of a current permit or a valid receipt. You must include this evidence when you submit the appeal.
  • If you can prove that the meter you parked next to was malfunctioning. This can be proven through documentation, pictures and receipts.
  • If you can present a valid permit and include a copy of it in your ticket appeal.
  • Proof that there was no sign where you parked, or the sign had incorrect information. This can be done through a picture of the sign.
  • Proof that you were driving a law enforcement vehicle.
  • Proof that your car broke down, this includes a towing receipt or documentation from a car repair shop.
  • Not knowing the parking regulations in the area
  • Feeling as if the fine was not needed
  • Not being able to pay the fine
  • Forgetting to pay the fine before the deadline.
  • Accidentally writing down the wrong number of hours
  • An expired permit, or one that is incorrect.
  • If you are fined for failure to present a permit, you cannot dispute the ticket if your permit fell.
  • You did not see the parking sign
  • You unintentionally parked there
  • There were so many other cars parked in the same way and none of them received a ticket.
  • You have done this before but did not receive a ticket
  • I went to get change to pay for the parking meter

How to Pay Off Your Parking Ticket

If you wish to pay off your ticket, then you should follow these steps:

  • Go to your city’s website
  • Find the parking and transportation department in your city
  • On their web page, there should be an option for paying citations. Keep scrolling until you find it
  • Click the link that redirects you to the payment
  • If it is not possible to complete the payment online, then you must research where, how and when you can pay off the citation in your city

What if I Didn’t See My Ticket?

If you were issued a parking ticket, but the wind blew it off your car or someone else removed it before you saw it, you will still receive a notification of the citation by mail to the address of your vehicle registration. Therefore, this is not a valid excuse for not paying your parking fine.

If the address on your vehicle registration is incorrect or if you changed addresses without notifying the DMV, the parking fine is sent to a collection agency which will try to contact you.

Contest Parking Tickets Fast with DoNotPay!

offers you a wide range of services for free! You can contest a parking ticket using the application in these five simple steps:

  1. Create a account
  2. Go to the parking tickets icon and provide a photo of your ticket
  3. Tell us why you don’t deserve the ticket
  4. Decide whether you want DoNotPay to send the appeal for you

After you’re finished, an appeal letter will be automatically created for you! It will contain the appropriate information and state laws that apply to your case.

DoNotPay Can Do More!

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