Parking Ticket or Camera Violation Dispute

You can request a hearing online.

How to Request a Hearing

1. Visit the parking or camera violation dispute website.

2. Enter your email address to receive a confirmation email with a link to the Dispute a Ticket website.

3. If you own or operate the ticketed vehicle or are legally authorized by the vehicle's owner to dispute the ticket you may proceed, please select the first option. A broker will be directed to another page to dispute the ticket(s).

4. Enter the 10-digit number on your parking ticket or camera violation Notice of Liability (NOL).

5. Complete the online hearing request form, filling out all required fields and adding any other information to prove your case.

6. Upload any evidence necessary.

7. Submit your hearing request.

8. Save the confirmation email for your records. Make sure that your email settings allow you to receive this email. Check your spam folder if you don’t see it in your inbox.

Language Access for Hearings 

You may submit a written defense in any language. The Department of Finance will use a neutral certified translator in order to conduct the hearing. The judge's decision will be issued in English. 

You can request a hearing on your smartphone or other mobile device using the NYC Parking Ticket Pay or Dispute Mobile App.

The app is available for both Android and iOS. You can get it at the App Store or Google Play.

Get the NYC Parking Ticket Pay or Dispute App for:

• Android
• iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

System Requirements

To use the app, your device needs a data connection, either through Wi-Fi or a cellular data plan.

You can use the NYC Parking Ticket Pay or Dispute App on:

• Android systems with KitKat or later
• iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, iOS 9 or later

How to Request a Hearing

1. Open the app and select "Dispute." 

2. Enter the 10-digit number that appears on your parking ticket or camera violation Notice of Liability (NOL). If you don’t have the number, you can use your license plate number to look up the tickets on your vehicle.

3. Fill out all required fields in the hearing request form and add any other information you think is necessary to prove your case.

4. Tap on the "Add Image" button to take a picture or upload any evidence necessary to support your Not Guilty plea. The app must have permission to access your device’s camera or photo library.

5. Submit your request.

6. Save your confirmation email or text for your records. Make sure that your email settings allow you to receive this email. Check your spam folder if you don’t see it in your inbox.

Language Access for Hearings 

You may submit a written defense in any language. The Department of Finance will use a neutral certified translator in order to conduct the hearing. The judge's decision will be issued in English. 

Uploading Evidence

To upload evidence for the first time, you must give the app permission to access your device's camera and photo library.

After tapping on the "Add Image" button, you can take a picture or choose a photo that is in your device's library. If you have no evidence to attach, you must select the checkbox stating you do not want to provide evidence.

You can upload files of up to 20 MB. If you need to submit more than 20 MB, make your hearing request online, by mail, or in person.

The acceptable image and file formats are:

• JPEG/JPG
• TIFF
• BMP
• Non-animated GIFs

You can fight your parking ticket or camera violation by requesting a hearing by mail. Make sure you mail your request early enough for the Department of Finance to receive it within 30 days of the violation date, or you will have to pay late penalties if your dispute is unsuccessful.

Your hearing request must include the ticket, an explanation of your defense, and copies of any supporting evidence. 

You may submit a written defense in any language. The Department of Finance will use a neutral certified translator in order to conduct the hearing. The judge's decision will be issued in English. 

You can dispute a violation at a DOF Business Center. Walk-in hearings are held on a first-come, first-served basis, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. No appointment is necessary, however you can schedule an appointment to ensure social distancing at the centers. 

The appointments are NOT for:

• Brokers/representatives that are registered in Fleet/Non-Fleet (Commercial Adjudications)
• Appeals

Get DOF Business Center locations.

Bring your:

• Valid driver's license
• Vehicle registration or title
• Evidence to support your Not Guilty plea

An Administrative Law Judge will make a decision based on your defense and the evidence submitted. You will receive the judge's decision at the end of the hearing.

Language Access for Hearings 

Hearings are held in any language that you request. You may bring someone with you to serve as an interpreter, or the Department of Finance will provide a neutral certified interpreter over the phone. The judge's decision will be issued in English.

People With Disabilities or Hearing Impairments

If you have a disability, you can ask the Department of Finance for an accommodation. To learn more, go to the Disability Access page.

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can request a sign language interpreter online when you schedule your appointment, or you can visit the Parking Ticket or Camera Violation Assistance page for more information.

Disputes by Persons Other Than the Owner

If you are the registered owner of the vehicle, you can allow someone else to fight the ticket on your behalf.

You can have an attorney represent you at the hearing, but it isn’t required.

If you are the owner's spouse, domestic partner, or family member and have the same last name and address, you don't need written authorization to have a hearing. If you have a different last name or address, you must bring proof of marriage or domestic partnership.

The person who was operating the vehicle at the time a parking violation was issued may also have a hearing. All other representatives must bring a notarized letter from the owner saying they are authorized to fight the ticket on his or her behalf.

If you have any questions or need assistance, you can contact the Department of Finance through their website.

Contact the Department of Finance.

If you don't pay a parking ticket or request a hearing to fight it within about 100 days of the date it was issued, it will go into judgment by default. If you don't pay a camera violation or request a hearing to fight it within about 75 days of the date it was issued, it will go into judgment by default. You can still fight the ticket even after a default judgment is entered, as long as it hasn't been in judgment for more than one year.

If your request for a hearing is granted, the judge will hear your defense. If it isn't granted, you must pay the total fine, penalty, and interest.

You can request a hearing for a ticket in judgment online, on the NYC Parking Ticket Pay or Dispute App, or by mail.

For requests by mail, you must complete and submit the "Parking and Camera Violation Request for a Hearing After Judgment" form.

You may not be required to dispute or resolve a ticket through the normal process.

Deceased Vehicle Owners

If you are the surviving spouse or heir to a deceased registrant, you can resolve parking and camera violation issues on behalf of the deceased at the Department of Finance Legal Affairs Division’s Parking Enforcement Unit. This includes violations in judgment that may cause the vehicle to be booted or towed. You can go in person to resolve the violations or mail your request.

Bring or mail a copy of the death certificate, as well as the vehicle’s:

• Original title
• New registration stub
• New insurance card
• New metal plates or letters of administration obtained from the Surrogate Court in the country where the deceased passed away

Mail or visit:

DOF Legal Affairs Division
Parking Enforcement Unit
210 Joralemon Street, 9th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Diplomatic and Consular Vehicles

The Diplomatic Parking Review Panel provides information and assistance with parking tickets given to diplomatic and consular vehicles with license plates issued by the Department of State.

To fight a parking ticket, request and complete the Response Form for Diplomatic and Consular Personnel. Mail it and the original notice of the parking violation you received along with any supporting documentation to:

NYC Department of Finance
Diplomatic Parking Review Panel
66 John Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10038

Keep copies of everything you submit.

Learn more about resolving violations issued to diplomatic and consular vehicles.

Disability Parking Permit, Hangtag, or Waiver

You may park in a designated marked disability parking space with any of the following displayed:

• A New York City-issued disability parking permit
• A blue New York State disability parking permit hangtag
• An outside City/State-issued disability parking permit
• An outside City/State-issued hangtag
• An outside City/State-issued parking waiver

These permits are only for off-street marked spaces. Only the New York City-issued disability parking permit is valid for on-street parking. These rectangular placards should be displayed in full view on the driver's side dashboard so that ticket-issuing agents can see them.

If you received a parking ticket while parked in an authorized spot and you want to dispute the ticket, you must request a hearing in writing by mail.

Camera violations are not dismissible, even if the registrant has a disability parking permit, hangtag, or waiver.

With your written request, you must include:

• The ticket number
• Your license plate number
• A copy of your permit, hangtag, or waiver
• A statement that you have a disability parking permit, hangtag, or waiver, and that you were parked in an authorized spot.

Mail your request and your documentation to:

NYC Department of Finance
Advocacy Unit
66 John Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10038

Government Employees on Official Business

If you are a City, State, or Federal Government employee who got a parking ticket while on official business, contact the Official Business Defense (OBD) Liaison at your agency for information and assistance.

Before you fight your ticket, you should:

• Review commonly submitted defenses and recommended evidence
• Gather any documents or files to help you make your case
• Make copies of everything you submit or bring with you for the hearing; don’t send originals if you are requesting a hearing by mail

Be aware that certain actions, even if they are common practices, like double parking on certain streets during street cleaning, are still illegal. Review the NYC Traffic Rules to learn the laws for parking and driving.

NYC311 can provide general information about parking tickets and camera violations, but we can’t tell you what evidence is necessary to win your case or guarantee you’ll be successful if you present it.

Examples of evidence that may support your not guilty plea include:

• Photographs
• Police reports
• Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reports
• Insurance company reports
• Towing bills
• Repair bills
• Parking meter receipts
• Vehicle registration, title, or inspection receipts/reports
• Witness statements
• City Agency records and NYC311 Service Requests

Don't submit any links in your hearing defense. If you submit a link, the judge won't open it and view any evidence contained in the link. If the information in the link is important to your defense, you should print it out and either scan it for an online hearing or submit it for a hearing by mail.

Videos, including animated GIFs, are only accepted at in-person hearings. If you have a video as part of your evidence, you must have a hearing at a DOF Business Center. You must bring a device with you to play the video on, such as your mobile phone or camera. The judge will not be able to open a disk or flash drive.

Grace Period

The law gives drivers a 5-minute grace period from the time you park in order to purchase a parking meter receipt or ParkNYC parking session. If you get a ticket within 5 minutes of the time you originally park, you should request a hearing and submit evidence that you purchased parking within 5 minutes. If the ticket-issuer notes a “first observed” time on the violation that is more than 5 minutes before you paid to park, then the grace period does not apply.

There is no grace period once the time you paid for expires, and there is no grace period to purchase more time.

The law also gives drivers a 5-minute grace period past the expired time on the Alternate Side Parking (ASP) sign to move your vehicle.

Medical Emergencies

To fight a violation because of a medical emergency affecting a person, provide evidence, such as copies of:

• The hospital or clinic emergency admission paperwork
• A statement from medical personnel about the nature of the emergency
• A statement from school personnel that a parent was called to the school on a medical emergency

A violation will only be dismissed if the judge determines that the medical emergency required the vehicle to be parked in a certain location, and that the vehicle was moved as quickly as possible following the emergency. A medical emergency does not excuse parking at a fire hydrant, in a bus stop, or in other locations that could risk public safety.

Multiple Tickets for the Same Violation

If you believe that you received multiple tickets for the same parking violation at the same location within a short time frame, you should verify each ticket carefully since the tickets may be for different violations, dates, or locations.

NYC Traffic Rules do not specify a minimum timeframe for issuing parking tickets at a location. You may request a hearing to dispute any or all of the tickets. A judge will render a decision based on all available evidence and testimony.

If you paid one ticket and would like the others dismissed, you must request a hearing for the other tickets within 30 days of the violation. Include a copy of the violation you paid, proof of payment, a receipt, and a statement. It is up to a judge to dismiss your ticket.

Parking Meter Defective

You can fight the ticket if your vehicle was legally parked and you received a ticket because of:

• A fast, missing, or broken meter
• A meter that failed to print a receipt
• An illegible receipt

If a parking meter isn't working, it's your responsibility to look for another meter within the same parking zone. If there is another working meter nearby, your "defective meter" defense will not be valid. If there isn't another working meter nearby or if all of the meters are defective, you should note the date and time, meter numbers, and any error message displayed on the meter.

You can park at a broken or missing parking meter for the maximum time allowed at that meter. For example, you can park for an hour at a 1-hour meter or 2 hours at a 2-hour meter.

Include the date, time, and meter number in your hearing request.

Pick-Up Trucks with Passenger Plates

If you want to fight a New York City parking ticket issued to your pick-up truck because it has passenger plates, submit a copy of your vehicle registration and photographs of the vehicle showing that it complies with all registration rules.

Signs Missing or Hard to Read

NYC Traffic Rules state that one sign on a block is enough to tell drivers about parking restrictions in effect for that entire block. You should check the entire block and read all signs carefully before you park.

If all the signs on the block were missing or illegible, you can fight the ticket by submitting:

• Overlapping photographs of the entire block, corner to corner
• Photographs that clearly identify the street name and the building address on the ticket
• Photographs of all signs on the block, including the front and back of any illegible ones
• Diagrams, witness statements, maps, or videos

Ticket Information Missing, Incomplete, or Incorrect

If something that is required by law is missing, incomplete, or incorrect, the violation is considered defective. Your ticket will be dismissed if it is defective.

A ticket must include:

• License plate number, type, and state of registration
• Make and body type of vehicle
• Registration expiration date, unless ticketing agent notes that it was not shown
• Time and date of offense with AM or PM included
• Time and date first observed for tickets like "Feeding the Meter" where multiple observations are required
• Place of occurrence
• Days and hours in effect (including AM or PM) for parking sign violations
• Feet from the hydrant for fire hydrants
• Ticket-issuer's signature

To fight a ticket because your vehicle plate number, vehicle type, state of registration, make, body type, or registration expiration date is incorrect on the ticket, submit a copy of the vehicle registration.

It is not a valid defense that the vehicle color or year is incorrect on the ticket.

Vehicle Sold or Transferred to New Owner

To fight a ticket because the vehicle was sold or transferred, submit copies of as many of the following documents as possible:

• The transfer paperwork, such as a trade-in statement or a bill of sale
• A statement from the insurance company confirming that the vehicle was deleted from the insurance policy
• A Department of Motor Vehicles receipt for the plates or transfer of plates

Vehicle Broke Down

If your vehicle becomes disabled, you must push it to the side of the road so that it blocks traffic as little as possible and doesn't risk public safety. You must also have it removed as soon as possible. It's illegal to repair a vehicle while it's parked on the street.

To fight a ticket because the vehicle was disabled, submit evidence such as copy of the towing receipt or receipt for repairs.

After your request is submitted, a hearing will be held within 14 to 45 days. You will be sent a copy of the administrative law judge's decision after the hearing. For in-person hearings, you get the decision at the conclusion of the hearing.

If you requested a hearing online or by app, you will be emailed the decision about 2 weeks after the hearing to the email address you provided in your request. The email will be from NYCServ@finance.nyc.gov. If you don’t see the email, check your junk and/or spam folder.  Please note this is an outgoing email address, any emails sent to this address will not be received or responded to.

If you requested a hearing by mail, the decision will be mailed about 10 days after the hearing to the address you provided with your defense or the address where the vehicle is registered.

If it's been more than the normal timeframe and you haven't received a decision, you should check the status of your violation. If there's no information available in the system, you can request the status from the Department of Finance.

After the parking ticket or camera violation hearing, you will get a Decision and Order. 

• Mail hearings: copy of the decision will be mailed to the address on file for the registered owner of the vehicle or to the address you provided in your dispute.
• Online and mobile app hearings: A copy of the decision will be emailed to the email address that was used to make the request.
• In-person hearings: A copy of the decision will be given to the person attending the hearing after the hearing.

If you're found guilty, you have 30 days from the date of the judge’s decision to pay the violation. If you disagree with the decision, you can appeal. Learn more about appeals on the Parking Ticket or Camera Violation Appeal page.

If you lost or never received the Decision and Order, you can request a copy by phone, by mail, or in person.

You must provide:

• Full name
• Current address
• Plate number
• State of registration
• Ticket or NOL number and date issued

You should note if your current address is different from the one on your Department of Motor Vehicles registration. 

Requests will be processed in about 10 days.

By Phone

The City issued temporary COVID-19 Medical Health On-Street Parking Permits to health care workers in hospitals and medical facilities throughout the five boroughs. Each hospital received a set number of permits.

New permits are no longer being issued, but replacement permits are being issued to accommodate a vehicle change, or if the permit has been reported lost or stolen.

This permit is valid citywide and should only be used for medical employment purposes. Please note that all parts of the COVID-19 permit must be properly completed for it to be valid. Vehicles displaying permits with missing information may be ticketed.

Learn where a permit holder may park with a COVID-19 permit.

The duration of all COVID-19 permits has been extended to April 30, 2022, regardless of the expiration date shown on the permit.

The Parking Ticket and Camera Violation Brochure provides information about the different ways to pay or fight a parking or camera violation. Information is also available about how to deal with booted or towed vehicles.

Online

Download the Parking Ticket and Camera Violation Brochure.

Download the brochure in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, or Urdu.

By Mail