Contesting Parking Tickets 101
You’ve walking toward your car when you notice it.
How can you NOT notice it.
Small, rectangular and mockingly bright orange in color.
Your heart begins to race and your blood pressure starts spiking. Perhaps a vein in your temple begins to throb.
“Curses!” or “Nertz!”, you exclaim. Or perhaps you have another set of profanities you blurt out in rage.
Stop. Breathe deep. Relax. It’s going to be alright. The absolute first thing you need to do is be calm and rational enough to check the ticket thoroughly.
This is your first line of defense in fighting your parking ticket.
That’s because if the facts alleged in the ticket are inaccurate in any way, and you can prove it, the ticket will be thrown out at the hearing.
Check The Facts Alleged On Your Ticket
Is the date and time correct? Was AM checked instead of PM?
Is the license plate number correct? Is the expiration date listed correctly? Is the type of plate listed right (passenger vs. truck vs. taxi) If it’s not your license plate, even if it’s off by a single digit, you are off the hook.
Is the make and model of your vehicle listed correctly? Do you drive a DeLorean but it’s listed as Lexus? BAM! Grand slam!
Is the address of the alleged violation correct? And I don’t mean, you were parked at 1416 S. Ashland and the ticket says 1420. That’s close enough. I mean, more than a half block away at the very least. For example, there is no such address as 33323 N. Clark St.
But you also want to make sure that the address on the ticket is not on the opposite side of the street where you parked.
Is the direction on the street wrong? Did the enforcement officer list S. instead of N., or E. instead of W.? There is no S. Lincoln Ave.
If it’s a meter violation, check to make sure the correct parking meter was listed. Every meter should have it’s own unique identification number that is on the lower part of the back of the meter, engraved into a silver metal plate.
Here’s a good one. For an expired meter, there are two designations of zones. Central Business District ($50) and NON-Central Business District ($30). Basically Central Business District is downtown Chicago and Non-Central, is everywhere else. But, if you are clearly not downtown and you are cited for an expired meter but for Central Business District, you can prove by the address on your violation that this ticket was factually incorrect and therefore issued wrongly. ALWAYS check this.
Take a damn microscope to the parking ticket if you need to. Check every little detail.
If any of the facts listed on the ticket are wrong, and you can prove it, you can bring them up in your testimony before the hearing officer or in your contest letter.
Check The Parking Environment
After you do that, check the street environment where you are parked.
Check to make sure the signs and parking environment match the violation that is alleged.
Are there signs prohibiting parking? If so,are truly in violation or did the enforcement officer interpret the signage incorrectly?
If there are signs with a time sensitive violation (ie: No Parking 7-9 AM Rush Hour) is the time listed on the ticket consistent with the signage?
If your ticket is for street cleaning, are there signs posted on the block? If so, are they obscured by leaves, or have blown away in a rain storm? Did the signs go up 24 hours before the streets were cleaned?
If you were ticketed for rush hour parking, but in reality, you were parked in a bus stop illegally, the case should get thrown out. The hearing officer can only rule on the violation alleged on the ticket.
Photography and Documentation
If you have your camera with you and it’s still light enough, take photos of any signage or details that prove your case. Take photos of the street where you were parked to establish the photos represent the area you were claiming you were parked.
It’s best to photograph the situation right then if you can. Not only is it more accurate, but if you have to go home and get a camera, you may not come back and end up blowing it off altogether. Do it now!!!
Take some notes on any conflicting facts or erroneous data on your ticket, so you can consult them later when you formulate your testimony for your hearing or contest letter.
The key is to stay calm and rationale, check over the facts on your ticket and the parking environment and document what you can in the moment.
This is possibly the best preparation you can have for contesting your ticket.
another tip, I am a student from California currently attending a Chicago University. The car i drive is registered to my mother. I have received a few tickets, but it clearly states on the citation that you can contest if the person ticketed is not the registered owner of the car. I send in documentation showing that my mother lives in California and that i am here as a student and get a signed letter by her, with a copy of the registration of the vehicle.
[...] And, while we all know this fighting parking ticket stuff isn’t rocket science (as evidenced by this author), his strategies are curiously or coincidentally reminiscent of some specific advice we’ve published here. [...]
Linda you are wrong about it.
Why would you not be Liable for a Parking Violation with your mom’s car?
You’re the one that drove it or parked it wrong.
Land of Fruits and Nuts…California
DOR –
According to City, the owner of the car is responsible for parking tickets, not the driver.
Hell, is she got a red light ticket, according to the City, her Mom is responsible for it as the owner (though I still can’t figure out how they get away with that.)
Surely you must know that.
(I know, I know, don’t call you Shirley…)
Greg…we both know what I meant.
And Shirley that persons Mom will be pissed if they suddenly get a Notice in the Mail saying they owe the City of Chicago $XXX.XX for outstanding Tickets. Plus the Potential that by the time the Notice arrives in California, it may have Doubled or put the Car on the Boot List because the Owners Child is a Self Centered Moron.
The ticket was legally Issued….the driver should be an ADULT and pay the damn things.
But I know I’m talking silly.
The ticket (and the City of Chicago website) list as one of their defenses “the person driving the car at the time was not the owner.” This is not a deferral of responsibility, it’s an allowed defense against the ticket.
Which I suppose means I should have a passenger drive whenever I park in Chicago.
This is not really an allowable defense. It serves no purpose. The owner of the car is responsible for all non-moving violations no matter what. Try appealing and say your friend was driving. You will be told to have your friend pay the ticket and if they don’t, its your problem.
Yes, I saw a court ruling that it is assumed if you lend your car to someone, you are lending it to a responsible person who wouldn’t break the law, and if they do, its your fault for lending it to someone irresponsible.
Figure that one out if you can…
I have a puzzling question.
This morning we had an illegally parked car in our school tow zone. Okay, that happens. I started to call it in. No front plate. So I investigate (well after I tried to call it in first and was told I had to have a plate number…). The Car has a Back Michigan plate only. Oh, a visitor I think. But wait, it has a Chicago City sticker. The Chicago City Sticker has the plate number on it…. the Michigan Plate. By then the cop showed up and wrote a ticket…. but only for the school zone. He said that he guessed that the car was still registered in Michigan, even though the driver now lived in Chicago when I pointed out the discrepancy.
Uh… isn’t that a ticket for failing to register the car with the State of Illinois within 30 days of moving to the state? Great that he got that City Sticker, but why would they allow you to identify and attach a city sticker to an out of state plate. And the Car was a large SUV and it looked like an ordinary City Sticker.
David,
A lot of things could be going on here.
First, according to the City Clerk’s office, your car does not have to be registered within the city limits or even the state to purchase and display a city sticker. Strange but true.
The vehicle could possibly be ticketed for the failure to register in 30 days, but again there’s an outside chance there could be extenuating circumstances–long shot I know, but whatever.
Why would anyone buy a Chicago sticker for an out of state car? No meter maid could actually prove how long the car was in the state. I certainly didn’t buy a sticker for my car which kept its out of state plates for 5 years after I moved here. If I had been ticketed it would have made for easy dismissal.
Why would anyone live in chicago anyway? It’s cold and sucks, and you’ll avoid getting tickets there if you live somewhere else.
I received a ticket in the mail with address 1234 W Division St parking/standing prohibited anytime. I was never parked at that location, in fact I was parked on another street in front of the business with an owner aware that at the time of the ticket I was inside the building. This seems odd. Nonetheless I got a ticket so Question: 1. that street address looks like a bus stop and a hydrant tow zone, could that be a grounds for dismissal 2. If I have an email from an owner stating the facts???
Thanks
Skav,
Actually, all the things you mention could be grounds for dismissal. USE THEM ALL!!!
If you can, have the building owner draft you a letter (or write it for them) with their name, address, etc, and a sentence or two explaining your car was parked in front of their building NOT at the address on the ticket. Have them go to a Currency Exchange and have the letter notarized for $1. Now you have a sworn statement from a witness. Your testimony and his will be very strong in getting this dismissed.
I would also argue that 1234 sounds like a totally faked address. It sounds made up and possibly the reason you never got the original ticket. And argue that as well. Why didn’t you get the original ticket. Contend something fishy is going on here. I think you can win.
Thanks so much will do it and let you know how it worked out
I know you said that an incorrect make of the car could be grounds for dismissal, but I feel it is such a small detail that it would be waved if I contested it. The make of the model was written in as “SATU” which I can only imagine means Saturn. I actually drive a Subaru so I can see where the name was easily confused… Still is this enough to throw my ticket out?
Dankr,
In my opinion, the error would constitute grounds for dismissal.
You don’t own a Saturn. You own a Subaru.
Even if it’s a small error, in my opinion, it undermines the veracity of the entire ticket.
Dear Parking Geek, I written a question to you earlier today and I can’t find the thread I ask a question too. I hope you can tell me which thread I written to….or maybe I should ask the question again?
Dear Parking Ticket Geek. Today I went to court and won my case. I wrote a statement which I read in court. 1. Wrong expiration date on the sticker. 2. Inconsistent address/ no parking anytime which is actually a bus stop3. Notorized letter from a person I was working for where my car was parked. I believe first two of my statements gave grounds for dismissal but when I provided the notorized letter the case was closed in my favor. Thank you and good luck to everyone. S
Hey Skav!
That’s GREAT news! Congratulations. Good work and thanks for giving us a post hearing wrap up.
Way to go!
Can I get advice on whether to contest the following ticket?
This morning I received a ticket for parking within a ‘park time restricted’ area (in front of a school), but only because they changed the restricted start time to 7 am, from 8 am. The sign was changed by placing a sticker over the old time.
I don’t recall seeing the sticker last night when I parked (5 pm), so it could have been added afterwards. Even if I missed it, the change happened extremely recently, probably related to the new extended school hours.
Do you think I have any grounds to contest? The only documentation I have is the sign which shows how the change was implemented, and knowledge that it happened extremely recently.
Yes.
You should contest.
If it happened to me, I would file a FOIA with CDOT and find out when the sign was changed.
This will still be a hard ticket to fight, but one would hope a reasonable hearing officer would give someone the benefit of the doubt that the change was so recent or even in place less than 24 hours (possibly) the ticket should be dismissed.
Understand that with the extended school day at Chicago Public Schools, all those parking restrictions around schools are being changed so a whole lot of signs are being revised.
Good Evening PTG,
Love the blog, have a question for you.
My mother just received a red light camera ticket from Chicago Heights on the car my brother drives, which is registered to my mother. At the time, my mother was at work so it can be assumed that she was not driving the car.
The video with the ticket shows the angle of the back of the car but you cannot determine who is driving the car at the time.
Can they contest this ticket? If so, what should my mother say in the hearing?
Thank you,
Grant
Hey Grant,
In Illinois, the driver of the vehicle does not have to be identified by the camera in order to be a “legitimate” red light camera violation. Other states do require identification but not here. The ticket, much like a parking ticket goes to the registered vehicle owner–in this case, your mother.
So, she cannot use the defense that her son was driving the car.
There are ways to fight red light tickets. Chances of winning are usually pretty slim. However, I would suggest communicating with Barnet Fagel, the Red Light Camera Doctor. He’s a great guy and he’s been having some decent success at helping drivers beat red light camera tickets.
Here’s his email:
contact@redlightdoctor.com
Hello Mr PTG.
You’re providing a great public service. I’m guessing that Chicago’s increased enforcement efforts will drive more people, like me, to this site. I’m here because I got a ticket. My car was parked legally in front of my house overnight. In the morning I noticed the little orange envelope on my windshield – a violation for a missing rear or front plate. The rear plate was on the car the front plate was sitting by the drivers seat because of a loose plate bracket.
The ticket was written at 9:30 pm and doesn’t include the VIN, which is visible during the day.
I have pictures with both plates, together and on the car.
Is this contestable?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Kevin
Kevin,
My guess is that the reason your bracket was lose and the plate fell off your vehicle was that someone bumped your front bumper parking and it fell off.
Correct? CORRECT!
Put the plate back on. Photograph it. Bring the photo and your story about some a-hole backing into your car parking on the street that knocked the plate off your vehicle. Don’t forget to explain that this just happened shortly before the ticket was issued and you got the plate back on immediately after returning from the hardware store with the correct hardware to repair the bracket and remount your plate. Of course, you remedied the situation as quickly as humanly possible.
A decent Administrative Law Judge should dismiss this ticket because this was something out of your control.
I advise contesting in person.
I recently got a parking citation and the address where I parked my car is incorrect, is this a good enough reason to contest the citation. I’m willing to pay it but if the address is wrong, I wanted to know if I can get the fine lowered ???
Elizabeth,
I would fight it. A wrong address is a reason a ticket should be thrown out. But trying to prove you were not parked at the address is question. Receipt or testimony from a passenger would work. Otherwise, you need to give strong testimony that you were not parked there.
BTW: There’s no way to get a fine lowered. Never seen it happen before.
Ticket Geek!
My car was decorated with the dreaded orange envelope for violating the park/stand prohibited anytime rule. Looking up the ticket number online shows the plate number as off by one letter (N/W, the paper ticket is indeed unclear). For sure this makes the ticket invalid. I wonder though, do I even need to contest this ticket since it shouldn’t be pinned to my registration?
Thanks for the great blogging!
Dan
Go Hawks!
Dan,
What I would do is wait.
Wait until a Notice of Violation comes in the mail to the address where your car is registered.
If it never shows up, due to the fact the ticket is written to another vehicle with a strikingly similar, but different license plate, then don’t contest it. That’s because you don’t have to.
If it does show up, fight it on the basis of the ticket citing the wrong license plate number.
Thanks Dan! And YES, Go Hawks!!!!
Help!
I’m relatively new to Chicago and 5 days ago I got the official welcome to the city with a street sweeping ticket. Apparently myself and at least 5 other neighbors missed the memo since there were a few of us with the happy little orange envelopes on our cars.
Anyways, my car is still registered out of state with WI plates. The ticket has my license plate # and expiration date, but the WI box was not checked (indicating that it’s an IL plate). They also checked the make as NISS, but my car is a Honda.
My question is…could I escape this ticket since any future notices will get sent to the owner of a Nissan with an IL plate with my number (which very well may not exist)? There is no VIN listed, it doesn’t say it’s supported by photos although I have seen street sweeping signs that say that, and it wasn’t parked at my residence here so the address is not my own. Or should I quit being a baby and just pay it to avoid it doubling by them somehow catching me later?
Thanks so much!!
Heather,
DO NOT pay that ticket–because you never were issued a ticket.
Let me explain.
From your story, you say the ticket wasn’t filled out correctly. Not only was the ticket issued to an Illinois plate (you have a WI plate), but the make and model is incorrect.
I would wait until you get a Notice of Violation in the mail back in Wisconsin.
If it never shows up, you’re off the hook.
If it somehow shows up, fight it on the basis that the ticket was issued improperly for the reasons you listed. I think it’s a slam dunk winner.
Just an FYI, you were cut a break here. I am not trying to lecture you as I’ve certainly had my share of street cleaning tickets. But, now that you live in Chicago, the city plays hardball with parking tickets. Be vigilant with your parking habits and try your best to avoid those bright orange welcoming gifts from Mayor Emanuel.