Dispute a Ticket - FAQs - DOF

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Dispute a Ticket - Frequently Asked Questions

Dispute process Hearings Violations and tickets

Dispute Process

1. How can I dispute a parking ticket or camera violation?

Please visit our Dispute a Ticket page to learn how to dispute a parking ticket or camera violation online, with our NYC Pay or Dispute mobile app, by mail, or in person.

2. How can I dispute a ticket?

To dispute a ticket, you must request a hearing within 30 days after the ticket was issued to avoid paying late penalties. You can dispute a ticket online, by mobile app, by mail, or in person. Hearings will not be granted for tickets in judgment for more than one year.

3. If I have been granted an adjournment so that I may present more evidence to dispute my ticket, where should I send the additional evidence?

You can drop your additional evidence off in person at any Department of Finance business center, or mail it to:

NYC Department of Finance
Hearings by Mail Unit
P.O. Box 29021
Cadman Plaza Station
Brooklyn, NY 11202-9021

4. How long do I have to dispute a parking ticket or camera violation?

To dispute a parking ticket or camera violation, you must request a hearing within 30 days of the date the ticket or camera violation was issued to you to avoid paying late fees.

5. How can I dispute a parking ticket in judgment?

You can request a hearing for a ticket in judgment only if it is less than one year from the date the ticket went into judgment. To request a hearing, the registered owner or an eligible representative must first submit a Parking/Camera Violations Request for Hearing After Judgment form, available on our Vehicle-Related Forms page. You must prove that you have a valid defense and give a valid reason for not responding before the ticket went into judgment.

Hearings

1. How can I challenge the original hearing decision or the Appeals Board’s determination?

You have the right to file an Article 78 proceeding to challenge the original hearing only if you received an appeal hearing decision that upheld the original decision, or if your request for an appeal hearing was denied. To file an Article 78 proceeding, visit the Clerk of the Supreme Court for New York County at 60 Centre Street, Room 116, New York, NY 10007. For more information call (646) 386-3025.

2. What kind of evidence can I gather to help me fight a parking ticket?

Gather all documents related to the ticket, including receipts, invoices, legal documents, etc. Take photographs of the entire side of the street you were parked on, including the front and back of all parking signs on that side of the street. The photos should show the property address and clearly show what you are trying to argue. They should be stamped with the date and time. Send copies, not originals, of your documents and photos with your appeal request.

3. How should I prepare for a hearing?

Before arguing your case, read the section of law you were cited for. If you received a red light, bus lane, or speed camera violation, visit the website printed on the ticket to view the evidence against you. Make sure that all required elements are correctly printed on the ticket, and if they are not, note this in your statement to the judge. You can also request assistance from the Office of the Parking Summons Advocate, which independently assists unrepresented and underrepresented members of the public with parking and camera violation issues and complaints that cannot be resolved through normal Department of Finance channels.

4. How should I prepare my statement to the judge?

You should be very detailed and thorough in your statement and anticipate the questions the judge might ask you, including details about distances, times, special circumstances, etc. If the space on our website is not sufficient for your statement, write it out on a separate sheet and attach it with your information.

5. What happens if my request for a hearing after judgment is granted or denied?

If your request for a hearing after judgment is granted, a judge will hear your defense for your violations. If the judge decides not to grant a hearing for your tickets in judgment, you will have to pay any outstanding amount due.

Violations and tickets

1. If I can't read some of the writing on my ticket, does that mean it can be dismissed?

A ticket can be dismissed if it is illegible. The legibility of a ticket is determined by the administrative law judge.

2. What is a “defective” ticket?

A ticket is defective if certain required elements are missing, illegible, or incorrectly described. Defective tickets may be dismissed. Visit our required elements in a ticket page for more specific information.

3. Why did I receive a notice regarding my parking ticket judgment debt? Why is my parking ticket "in judgment"?

A camera violation will go into judgment if you do not pay or dispute it within approximately 75 days. A parking violation will go into judgment if you do not pay or dispute it within approximately 100 days. This means the City takes the legal step of entering a default judgment against you for the entire amount, plus penalties and interest. The City can also send your debt to a collection agency or seize your assets. If your ticket is in judgment, the total amount you owe will include the fine plus any accrued penalties and interest. If you have $350 or more of tickets in judgment, your vehicle could be booted and towed. You will receive warning notices before your vehicle is booted or towed.

4. How can I dispute a parking ticket in judgment?

You can request a hearing for a ticket in judgment only if it is less than one year from the date the ticket went into judgment. To request a hearing, the registered owner or an eligible representative must first submit a Parking/Camera Violations Request for Hearing After Judgment form, available on our Vehicle-Related Forms page. You must prove that you have a valid defense and give a valid reason for not responding before the ticket went into judgment.

5. How can I appeal a guilty decision on a parking violation?

If an administrative law judge finds you guilty at a parking ticket hearing, you can appeal the decision by filing a Parking/Camera Violation Appeal Application within 30 days of the hearing decision.

6. What should I do if I am unable to attend a scheduled appointment for my appeal?

You may request an appeal hearing by mail or in person. If you choose to attend your appeal hearing in person, indicate so on the back of the appeal request form. If you are scheduled to attend your appeal hearing in person but are prevented from doing so by an emergency and cannot notify the Department of Finance in writing, you must notify the Appeals Board by calling (212) 361-5990.

7. What are the possible outcomes of an appeal?

The Appeals Board can affirm or reverse the original hearing decision, return the case for a new hearing, or decide that there was no issue on which to base your appeal.

8. How will I learn of the Appeals Board's decision?

The Appeals Board determination will be mailed to you. If an appeal results in a dismissal of the violation, the Department of Finance will mail the refunded amount within 30 days to the person who requested the appeal. Please note that if you owe other outstanding judgment debt, your refund will be applied to that debt, and any remaining funds will be mailed to you.

9. How can I challenge the original hearing decision or the Appeals Board's determination?

You have the right to file an Article 78 proceeding to challenge the original hearing only if you received an appeal hearing decision that upheld the original decision, or if your request for an appeal hearing was denied. To file an Article 78 proceeding, visit the Clerk of the Supreme Court for New York County at 60 Centre Street, Room 116, New York, NY 10007. For more information call (646) 386-3025.

10. How can I pay for a parking ticket in judgment?

You can pay for your parking tickets in a number of ways: online at e-Services, by using the NYC Parking Ticket Pay or Dispute mobile app, by mail, or in person. Visit our Payments page for information on all of these options.

11. I can't afford to pay my tickets in judgment. How can I request a Department of Finance payment plan?

You can request a payment plan via our customer service portal at www.nyc.gov/parkingticketpaymentplans.

12. How can I pay my parking ticket online?

Visit e-Services and choose the first option, “Parking Ticket or Camera Violation.” You can then search for your ticket by the violation number or license plate number.

13. What should I do if I receive a letter from a debt collection agency?

If you are contacted by a debt collection agency, the first thing you should do is verify the debt by visiting e-Services or contacting the Department of Finance. Additionally, you should confirm that the agency is a Department of Finance collection agency by visiting our debt collection agencies webpage. You should then contact the collection agency. You will be asked to make payment directly to the Department of Finance. The debt collection agency is not permitted to accept payment on our behalf.

14. How can I avoid additional penalties and other enforcement actions, such as towing, while waiting for my appeal decision?

You can avoid additional penalties and other enforcement actions by paying the total amount due.

15. Am I eligible for a parking ticket payment plan?

To be eligible to enroll in a parking ticket payment plan with the Department of Finance:

You must be the registered owner of the vehicle, the owner’s court-appointed agent, or the lessee of a vehicle who has been designated as liable for judgment tickets by the vehicle’s lessor.

You must agree to include all open parking ticket judgments not already covered by an active payment plan.

For judgments under $350, you must agree to a 60-day payment plan with a 50% down payment.

For judgments that are $350 or more, a payment plan requires a minimum 20% down payment and a payment plan term of no more than 24 months.

16. What additional documents do I need to submit when applying for a parking ticket payment plan?

To apply for a parking ticket payment plan, you must submit copies of the following documents:

Valid government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, passport, New York State benefit card)

Current vehicle registration and insurance card

Current corporation or company bank signature card

Letter of authorization or power of attorney for authorized representatives

17. Who can enroll in a parking ticket payment plan?

To be eligible to enroll in a parking ticket payment plan with the Department of Finance, you must be the registered owner of the vehicle, the owner’s court-appointed agent, or the lessee of a vehicle who has been designated as liable for judgment tickets by the vehicle’s lessor. To begin the enrollment process for a judgment parking ticket payment plan, please visit e-Services.

18. Do I have to make a down payment to enroll in a parking ticket payment plan? How long will the payment plan last?

For judgments under $350, you must agree to a 60-day payment plan with a 50% down payment. For judgments in the amount of $350 or more, a payment plan requires a minimum 20% down payment and a payment plan term of no more than 24 months. To begin the enrollment process for a judgment parking ticket payment plan, please visit e-Services.

19. I can’t afford the parking ticket payment plan down payment. Do I have other options?

A lower down payment amount or longer plan length may be available to individuals experiencing financial hardship. This requires the submission of additional information and income certification. For more information, contact the Department of Finance via our customer service portal at www.nyc.gov/parkingticketpaymentplans.

20. How do I apply for a Parking Ticket Payment Plan?

To begin the enrollment process for a judgment parking ticket payment plan, please visit e-Services.

21. My vehicle has been booted or towed. Can I enroll in a parking ticket payment plan?

If your vehicle has been booted or towed, you can enroll in a standard parking ticket payment plan online with Republic Immobilization Services at www.nycbootpay.com. Your license, registration, and insurance must be up to date. You will be required to pay 20% of your judgment debt, plus all associated fees. If you are not able to enroll in a payment plan at www.nycbootpay.com, you can call Republic Immobilization Services at (646) 517-1000.

If your vehicle has been booted or towed, you must provide proof that your vehicle is currently registered and insured in order for the vehicle to be released. You must pay all outstanding booting, towing, and related fees in full. These fees are not incorporated into the payment plan agreement.

22. If I enroll in a parking ticket payment plan, will my vehicle still be booted or towed?

Enrolling in a parking ticket payment plan and making your payments on time can prevent enforcement actions, such as having your vehicle booted or towed.

23. Will a parking ticket payment plan stop interest from accruing on my violations?

Although your payments will be more manageable with a parking ticket payment plan, interest will continue to accrue on your outstanding balance until the amount you owe is paid in full.

24. How far am I legally allowed to park from a fire hydrant?

You cannot park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. There is an exception for passenger (PAS) plated vehicles only if the driver is behind the wheel of the car during daylight hours and standing is not otherwise prohibited. If you have received a ticket for parking too close to a fire hydrant, the ticket must state how far, in feet, the vehicle was parked from the hydrant.