What to Do When You Get a Parking Ticket

Few things can be more inconvenient than getting a parking ticket. If you do, your first stress is to gather the money to pay off the ticket. 

But a parking ticket can cause major issues for drivers. This can range from losing your car to lowering your credit score. As such, a parking tickets isn’t something to ignore once received.

This guide will show you what your response should be when getting a parking ticket.

Let’s start with paying a parking tickets:

Paying A Parking Ticket

If you receive a parking ticket, you want to pay it in full as soon as possible. While you might get tempted to dispute your ticket, if you can afford to pay it then you should.

The longer you postpone the ticket, the higher your penalties will be. Even if you feel this was an unjust parking ticket you are better off in the long run if you pay it.

The parking ticket will have the details of how much you owe. It will also give the address to send the payment and how to make the payment. Make sure that you get a receipt for paying a parking ticket in case there are any further issues.

Disputing A Parking Ticket

If you have challenges in paying the parking ticket and believe it’s unjust you might want to consider disputing it. On the parking ticket, you’ll have the names and contact information of the officials.

You can reach out to them to challenge the parking ticket. You will have to prove why you feel the parking ticket was unjustified. You will likely have to give a written statement and going to court might be required as well.

You want to remember that this will cost more time and money than taking a traffic school course. It’s also possible that you may lose the dispute. In such a case, you will have to pay court fees as well as your parking ticket fees. You should only do this if you feel it’s crucial.

But what happens if you don’t pay your parking ticket or dispute it?

Losing Your Car

If you postpone your payment, the fine will continue to rise. In fact, you can expect penalties of up to $1,000 on top of the price of the parking ticket. If you have two or more outstanding parking tickets, you can expect your car to get booted.

This means that the local authorities will install clamps on the tires of your car. You will not be able to drive your car until you pay your outstanding balance.

In some states, you might even lose your car altogether. The authorities can demand that you hand over your car to them. The car becomes the property of the state and often they are sold in car auctions!

If you still owe payments on your car, you’ll still be expected to make payments on your car. If you leased or rented a car, you might not get it back in time to return it. You can expect to pay even more fines from the company you leased/rented it from!

Arrest

As minor as a parking ticket might seem to you, neglecting it can lead to your arrest. If you fail to make your payment and show no interest in doing so, you will receive a court notice. This court notice will summon you to discuss why you haven’t made your payment.

If you neglect the court notice, you can expect the police to arrest you. The grace period and court notice laws depend on your state. Nevertheless, you want to avoid this as much as possible. If you are given a court notice, you should respond to it immediately.

Losing Your License

You can also lose your driver’s license if you never pay off parking tickets. You will likely get a warning that your license will get revoked if you don’t pay your fine.

If you ignore these warnings, you’ll get an official letter stating that your license has been revoked. If you continue to drive after this, you can expect to get arrested and jailed if caught.

One can expect more serious punishments if you ignore parking ticket fees. The severity of the laws depends on your state. You want to do what you can to pay parking tickets or avoid them in the first place.

Best Practices

You should always consider the best way to avoid getting a parking ticket. One way is to always carry an abundance of cash and change in your car. This ensures that you can always pay to extend your parking time when possible. If you keep credit cards with you, this can help you extend parking when cash and change run out. 

You can also choose to park in places that work with a parking app. These are apps that you install on your smartphone. You can keep track of how much time remains and then extend the time through the app.

You can also take extra effort to find better parking spaces. There are parking spaces that are free at all times. There are also parking spaces that let you park for a small fee for several hours. 

If your time is running out and you cannot afford to extend it, then move your car immediately. You want to find another parking spot that’s cheaper or free. You can also find a service to reserve a parking spot ahead of time.

If you have other passengers in your car, you can request them to help you pay for parking fees. You can even convince them to help you pay for the parking tickets if you get one.

If you find that parking tickets are inevitable, you want to consider cutting down on driving. Take public transportation whenever possible. Opt for a ridesharing app instead of driving on your own. 

Avoid That Parking Ticket

Now that you know how the ramifications of not paying a parking ticket, you want to make sure you always pay on time. The best solution, however, remains to avoid a parking ticket whenever possible.

Don’t forget to share this guide with any of your friends who collect parking tickets! You can get more info on driving and the law on our website!