Larry's Blog

Hello, I am pretty stunned. I just received a summons in the mail for a ticket I never received, plus penalty charges. It indicates that I was double parked but I was dropping off a passenger, and the traffic officer never was there. I saw her at the end of the block (25 yards away). Apparently, she wrote down my license plate number and issued it that way. Is this legal? And do I have any defenses for having this dismissed? I printed out the summons and there are a lot of missing items normally required for a ticket to be valid. Please help me!

Freddy, 
 
Yes, you have a defense to a ticket for standing, when you were dropping off a passenger. We are happy to help you.  
 
I'll contact you by email.

Can a person put a cone out in front of their home all day to save THEIR spot when they come home.

Hi Joyce,  
 
Wow. What a great question. We've been in business fighting NYC parking tickets for 15 years. Always looking for a new question. 
 
I will have an answer for you on Monday. Great to have you come by. 

Joyce, 
 
Thanks again for your great question. Pursuant to N.Y.C. Traffic Rules, Section 4-08 (7) it is unlawful for any person to reserve a parking space. 
 
Please feel free to ask any questions about NYC parking.

Does NYC parking violation Code 9 have any points on driving record along with the $115 fee?

Tracey, 
 
Great question. The answer is, "It depends." On July 7, 2008, a gridlock violation was given a dual status of a parking violation and moving violation. If you were issued a NYC parking ticket for a violation of Code 9, there are no points in addition to the $115 fine.  
 
For a more detailed discussion, please cut and paste this link to a great friend of ours, Matt Weiss, Esquire, who is an expert on traffic (moving) violations.  
http://888redlight.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/blocking-the-box-no-longer-a-moving-violation-in-new-york-city/ 
Posted @ Monday, May 18, 2009 9:46 AM by Larry Berezin

CAN I GET A TICKET FOR BEING IN THE CAR AT AN EXPIRED METER?

Henry, 
 
I am sorry to say, YES. Once the meter expires, you are fair game. If the ticket is still pending, please give us a call at our toll free number and I'll tell you how to get your fine reduce. 
 
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your NYC parking ticket experience. It will definitely help the driving public!

I received a ticket for parking. Does the summons have to have the model year included by the officer, or just the Body type. If the model year is missing, would the ticket be invalid.

Tony, 
 
Excellent question. It has been our experience that the judge generally will not dismiss a parking ticket for the wrong model year. 
 
It may be worth a try, though. If you mail in your ticket with a NOT GUILTY plea and request an in person hearing, you will receive an offer to reduce your fine in exchange for a guilty plea. Please send your ticket by certified mail, RRR. 
 
Please let us know how you make out. 
 

Have you ever heard of someone being towed to a prohibited spot and then being issued a ticket? 
 
It sounds crazy, but yesterday I found my car in a place where I have never parked before -- one that prohibits parking almost all day on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. 
 
I am floored.

Nicole, 
 
Wow. Nope, I've never heard this before. I'd love to learn more details. Amazing story. I would be floored, too. 
 
If you have some time, please call me at 800-249-5048.

my parking ticket has the wrong color for my car can I plead not guilty on the grounds that my car is gray not tan?

I got a ticket for  
 
Obstructing Traffic at Intersection (e) (12) for $115. 
 
wasn't fine reduced to $100? Isn't the new code (09)? Since it is not a moving violation do they have to put in the VIN#? Can I fight under any of these defenses

Steven, 
 
So sorry for the delay in replying to your thoughtful question. The fine for "blocking the box" is $115. It is a parking ticket without points; and a moving violation with 2 points. The parking ticket version doesn't require a VIN number on the front of the ticket. Wish it did! 
 
I recently published a blog post on the subject, which may be of interest.

Is ther a fine for parking your vehicle & leaving it there in the same spot for weeks.

Thanks for paying us a visit and asking an excellent question. There is no specific fine for parking and leaving your vehicle in the same spot for weeks. Here's what will probably happen:  
 
1. The vehicle will be ticketed until the cows come home; or  
2. Towed to an impound lot  
 
Once in the impound lot, the vehicle will incur daily storage charges. Not a pretty picture

I'm not from NY but got a parking ticket there last week while on vacation. There plate expiration date is incorrect. I can't seem to find any info about if I need to dispute it or just pay the fine. If I dispute it, the drive back up to NYC is 12-14 hours for me, so is it worth it?

Megan, 
 
Thanks for visiting our website and sharing a comment. Your question will help educate us all. 
 
I'm sorry your visit ended with an unexpected, extra expense. You are now an official New Yorker. Let's see if we can eliminate your "parking tax" for you. According to the Rules of the City of New York, Chapter 19, Section 39-02, you are entitled to a dismissal of your parking ticket when a required element is missing from your summons. The expiration date of your registration is a required element and must be accurate. If not, you win! 
 
Here's how to proceed: 
1.Sign the back of your ticket 
2.Attach a short letter and state that you plead NOT GUILTY 
3.State in the letter that a required element on the summons is missing, i.e., incorrect expiration date of registration 
4.Attach a copy of your vehicle registration as evidence of the correct date of expiration 
5.Ask for a dismissal of you parking ticket 
6.Send your letter, the original ticket, and a copy of your vehicle registration by CERTIFIED MAIL, RRR, to the address on the back of the ticket 
 
Congratulations. Hope the balance of your visit to our fair city was fun.

Recently my brother was in town. He was driving a car registered in name of his wife. However the summons was issued for Code 9 obstructing traffic, in his name. Does the ticket have to have vehicles owner or person driving. 
Apurv Patel

Apurv, 
 
A warm welcome to Larry's Blog. Thanks for posting a comment. The rule requires the parking ticket warrior to obtain the name of the operator, if present. If not, the name of the owner.  
 
The summons charges both the owner and operator. I hope this information is responsive to your question.  
 
Safe driving and parking!

I received a code 9 obstructing traffic today when I was in the city. It was my 2nd time driving in the city and it was definitely not for pleasure, I had family obligations. The traffic agent listed the wrong color car and did not list my registration exp date. 
 
Does my situation apply with the "Rules of the City of New York, Chapter 19, Section 39-02" which states that the expiration date is a required element of the summons? Any help you could give me would be much appreciated.

Jennifer, 
 
Thanks for visiting our website and posting your excellent question. Generally speaking, the correct registration expiration date is a required element of the summons. You are entitled to a dismissal if this element is missing. 
 
However, in a blocking the box violation, I suggest looking for ticket agent comments on the front of the ticket; as well as the insertion of N/S in the box for registration expiration date. If you have a NY vehicle registration, and you were physically presented with the summons, than there should not be any officer comments. Also, the registration box should simply be blank. 
 
If the registration box is empty, and there are no relevant ticket agent comment---YOU WIN!

I parked at a broken parking meter and when I came back about 40 minutes later there was a ticket on my car and the meter was working again. Do I have any defense to beat this ticket? Thanks for your help!!!

Concerning the above is there any way to find out and obtain written proof when a certain parking meter was repaired? Thanks!

Bruce, 
Thanks for visiting our website. I hope you found the information useful. The answer to your question is absolutely, positively, YES. 
 
I posted two articles on broken parking meters. Here's a link to the one which is most helpful to you.  
 
http://www.newyorkparkingticket.com/Blog/bid/22232/There-s-been-a-change-in-the-NYC-broken-parking-meter-law 
 
You can also click on broken parking meters in the column on the right side of the page under "posts by category." 
 
There is a system in effect to report a broken meter, fight a parking ticket, and access the information you need to support your defense. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have about how to proceed. 
 
Good luck. Let me know how you make out.

I got a ticket for parking 9 feet from a hydrant in NYC. I know they technically require 15 feet, but I've never seen this enforced and mostly what I see is people leaving about one car length on either side. Is there anything I can do or just suck it up and pay the fine?

I received a parking ticket this afternoon with no indication of what the violation was. If the specific violation isn't checked on the ticket, can I get it dismissed?

Mark, 
Thanks for visiting our website. Your comment is very helpful to our readers. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Be careful about making a decision based upon observing parking habits of some of the NYC driving public. 
 
We receive countless calls from people who parked too close to a fire hydrant and were issued summons. It is a $115 violation and does not qualify for the reduction program. 
 
You may want to read one of our success stories, which is about beating a ticket for a fire hydrant violation. You can find it by using the post by category index on the right column. Click on "fire hydrant." 
 
I suggest carefully checking the front of your parking ticket for any mistakes. If a required element, such as time,date,place of violation, make, model, license plate number, or registration expiration date is missing, YOU WIN. Otherwise, you may wish to pay the ticket promptly to avoid additional penalties. 
 
Sorry we can't help with info on how to beat this ticket; but, I appreciate your integrity in telling it like it is. 
 
Good luck.  
 

Scott, 
You are absolutely correct. Title 19 RCNY 39-02(a)requires that a parking ticket summons contains a reference to section 4-08 of Title 34 RCNY, or the applicable provision of the Vehicle and Traffic Law, or of the Administrative Code of NYC, or any other law or rule. Guess what, the parking ticket warrior has all these choice. The one choice the warrior doesn't have is to omit any reference to one of the above citations. 
 
This is considered a missing required element and requires an automatic dismissal. Nice job!

I received a parking ticket for standing near a bus stop (about 3 feet of the rear of the car were on the bus stop). I was returning from my newborns (3 days old) first doctors appointment, and stopped the car because he was crying louder than normal, and I wanted to make sure he was OK. I parked the car by the bus stop (no buses in the way) and got out of the drivers seat to check on my son. I was approximately 3-4 minutes in the back with him when a Traffic Officer came and started scanning at my registration bar code on the windshield. When I saw this, I was completely baffled and tried to explain the situation. She did not want to hear it. Apparently, the scanner did not work, because she did not enter a vin number, wrote down the wrong color of my car, and wrote down an address that does not correspond to the bus stop (it's two building down). Ironically, the address she wrote down as a legal parking meter. 
 
What if anything can I do? The ticket is for $115!!!

I was issued a ticket for standing in a commercial zone while I was dropping off my wife. 
I requested the traffic agent to call the supervisor who came 20 minutes later. 
The supervisor directed the agent to add a comment that "I was dropping off my wife" . I even confirmed the comment the traffic agent added in his hand held.  
Now when I get a PDF Copy of the ticket in the NYC parking website the comment that apparently was added is not there.  
Can I fight this ticket based on the grounds of "missing Information" 
 
Thanks  
 
Ricky  

Antony, 
 
Great questions, and some good news for you. Your first two questions deal with the issue of what information is required to be entered on a parking summons. Pursuant to 34 RNYC Section 39-02(a) the following information is required: 
1.Registration plate number 
2.Type of registration 
3.State of registration 
4.Date of expiration,  
5.A description of the vehicle 
6.A general statement of the violation alleged, including a reference to an appropriate parking rule 
7.Days/hours rule is in effect 
8.Date, time and place of occurrence 
9.If meter violation, the meter number 
 
Your VIN number and color of vehicle are not required elements. You don't qualify for an automatic dismissal for those to items. 
 
BUT, you do qualify for an automatic dismissal if the place of occurrence is incorrect. I suggest presenting photographic evidence, or any other evidence you have to prove that the location was wrong. 
 
Congratulations! Knowledge is power.

Ricky, 
 
Thanks for paying us a visit and taking your valuable time to post a comment. Your missing comment is not a required element. You may be interested in reading my prior response to a question asked by Antony. 
 
All is not lost. You have a defense to this parking ticket. You are permitted to stop temporarily to drop off or pick up a passenger when standing is prohibited in a commercial meter zone. 
 
I suggest fighting your parking ticket on that basis. Good luck!

Hi, I’m currently from out of state, and I am so happy that I found your excellent website! I hope you can answer my question…. A friend who was operating my vehicle (while I was in the passenger seat) was given a summons in Violation of Sect 4-08 Obstructing Traffic at Intersection (e) (12), violation code 09. The officer just came up to the vehicle, asked for the operator’s name, and then said, “I’m giving you a summons.” That was it. He did this to about 5 other cars while we were all stuck in traffic that had come to a sudden halt in the intersection (box). The summons only has 3 numbers of the license plate and does not have the complete license plate number, which has six characters (3 numbers and 3 letters). The name of the operator is also misspelled. The Exp. Date is N/S and there is a complainant comment. The car is also registered in another state, and that state is also indicated on the summons. The CD is recorded as “NS,” and the car year is also recorded as “N/S.” QUESTION: Since the summons does not have all the required elements – including an incomplete license plate number and no vin number – is the summons invalid? Is there even enough information for the NYC Dept. of Finance to identify me or my vehicle? I’m worried that if I check the ticket number on the NYC Dept. of Finance website, I will be identified and subsequently billed for the fine amount of $115.00. Please advise. Thank you so much! I really appreciate your help.

Rachel, 
 
We are very happy you found our website. Thanks for the kind words. 
You posed some great questions. You may wish to read my response to a prior comment from Antony, which lists all the required elements. 
 
Congratulations, an incorrect license plate number is grounds for an automatic dismissal. I suggest you go the the DOF website and enter the ticket number. If it does not come up with your automobile, there is no record of a parking ticket issued to your vehicle. 
 
Or, send a letter to the address on the back of the ticket. Plead not guilty, sign the ticket and state a required element is missing, i.e., your license plate number. You are required to enclose your vehicle registration as proof. 
 
Good luck. Let us know how you make out.

Wow, thank you so much! I went to the DOF website, entered the ticket number, and it did not come up with my automobile! There's apparently no record of a parking ticket issued to my vehicle! Thank you so much for all your wisdom and advice; I really appreciate it!

You have a very informative website here. I was hoping you could answer my question.  
 
This morning, I was waiting in the driver's seat of my car with the car on as my husband went into the apartment building to pick up my disabled nephew in a residential street in Queens, NY. (I am from NJ). I had been waiting for less than a minute when I saw that there was a meter maid looking at my registration sticker. I asked her what I was getting a ticket for and she said "You are double parked". There was a Fed Ex truck double parked directly in front of me and in front of that truck there was a fire hydrant. I told her that my husband was coming out just then with my nephew who is disabled and offered to wait by the hydrant. She told me, "Well, you're getting the ticket anyway." I pulled over to the hydrant and she proceeded to get into her car and drive away, never giving me a paper copy of the ticket she issued. I looked to see if I could find the ticket on the DOF website but did not find it three hours after this occurred. Does the ticket show up immediately on the website or does it take a couple of days? Should she have given me the paper copy or is it not required? 
 
I just have to add - I laugh at the fact that that Traffic Police have the "Courtesy, Professionalism, and Respect" logo on their cars because I've yet to encounter one that has shown me any form of courtesy, professionalism, or respect.  
 
Thanks in advance for your response.

How many feet apart do no parking signs have to be. There was 1 on my block on the corner 400 feet down the block we ALL rec tickets ane were told as long as ther is 1 thats all that is needed. Is that true, I thought they had to have multible signs about 50 foot from eact other. I love you answers as I have used you many times and find your info GREAT

Jo, 
 
Thank you for your kind words about our website. Here's your parking ticket and have a nice day. It is really a shame about your meeting with a nyc parking ticket warrior.  
 
Here's my take. I suggest you be on the lookout for a parking ticket to magically appear on the DOF website. It takes from 2-4 weeks for the newborn to arrive. The warrior probably scanned your registration and commented on the ticket that "driver drove off." Sorry about that. 
 
A tip for the future. You are permitted to park alongside a fire hydrant between sunrise and sunset as long as a licensed driver remains behind the wheel and is able to move the vehicle upon the request of a warrior.  
 
When you double park, you are not permitted to wait for the return of your passenger. 
 
Hopefully, I'm wrong about the scan and no parking ticket will appear.

Joyce, 
 
Sorry to report that there only has to be one parking sign on the block, regardless at length. I have authored some blog posts on our website and on my Fox 5 News NYC blog about how to read signs. You may find the posts useful. 
 
Thank you for taking your valuable time to visit our website and post a comment. It helps all of us when you ask a question.

I was wondering whether or not NYC police can give a ticket for an expired license plate sticker on an out-of-state license plate. 
Thanks for all of your helpful tips!

Hey Larry, 
 
Thanks for supplying me the great tips in regards to certain parking/moving violations made in NY. Recently I made a trip into Brooklyn, NY. I was at a red light at the corner of 4th Ave and Atlantic Avenue at 5:00pm. The light then turned green and so I moved my vehicle forward thinking that the light on 4th Ave and Flatbush was green as well. Unfortunately with my luck, it wasn't. I must have stood at the intersection for a good period of time fighting with another vehicle while the light on 4th & Atlantic was green. I snugged my car into the only opening available in front of me. I had half of my car sticking out into the intersection, once the light turned red, and a traffic officer pulled my car and the car I was fighting with for the open space. He attended to the other car while he made another officer take care of running the information from my end. The officer seemed fairly new as he was confused about a few things. The one thing though is that he was not the officer who saw me obstructing traffic (Penal Law 210.45 which states that "I personally observed the offense charged above). The Complainant's Comments also states that "the vehicle made no intention of turning nor did the vehicle turn," when I barely could move anywhere but forward. Based on a previous post, the boxes showing exp. date shows "N/A," the CD information show "NS," the year of my vehicle shows "N/S," and the VIN# is blank. It's my first violation in NY city ever and I found it to be rather surprising at how quick the ticket was given to me without asking me for my license, registration, etc. Also, my vehicle plate is from NJ. Sorry for the long post Larry as I like to be specific on details. I appreciate any information you have at hand for me. I'm just not sure if I have something to fight based on the information I gave you or should I just succumb to the paying the scandalous $115.00 fine. 
 
Thanks a lot!

Larry, 
 
I have just read over a posting you made directly for Anthony and it answered a few of my questions. So my apologies on repeating certain information twice as I missed that posting the first time and caught on to it reading the postings the second time around. I do have the exp. date as "N/A" but since my plate is from NJ, that is where I'm not 100% sure of the situation. 
 
Thanks again!

George, 
 
Thanks for stopping by and sending me some nice, kind words. I always appreciate that. Long stories are absolutely fine. Sharing our NYC parking ticket experiences helps one and all.  
 
NY motorist are required to post their registrations on their windshields, which makes all the required elements readily available. NJ does not have the same requirement. Ergo, on a NJ vehicle, some of the info is not available. Therefore, entering a N/A or N/S is generally acceptable to a hearing official. 
 
On the other hand, an empty box with no entry will give you an automatic dismissal, as will a missing make, model or correct license plate number on a NJ vehicle. 
 
My suggestion is if there are no empty boxes and all the other required elements are accurate, apply for a fine reduction. If you follow the process outlined in my blog posts under the category of "fine reduction program," you will receive an offer to reduce your fine from $115 to $90. Not the greatest, but at least it may lessen the sting of ticket a little. 
 
Good luck.

Hi Larry, 
 
I actually have two questions one of which has sort of been answered. 
 
First, I received a ticket for parking "8 FEET FROM HYDRANT" which I didn't believe I did. I was parked there for two days and received the ticket on the second day (so I'll assume I just got lucky the first day?). I believe the location is correct, but I'm not sure, however the body type of my car is listed incorrectly. I have a 2 door car and my ticket lists it as a 4DSD (while I have another scanned ticket that says I have a 2DSD). I have a picture of me at the spot, but now I'm not quite sure if it's actually 15 feet from the hydrant. I just assumed it was okay because I didn't get a ticket the day before. If anything it's maybe 10-14 feet away. Is there any way that my ticket would be dismissed based on a poor door count? Also the VIN is missing, but I don't think that's necessary for this ticket. 
 
Also, my scanned ticket is for blocking the box. I got this ticket shortly after my birthday in March. I contested it based on the fact that I didn't feel I was blocking anything, traffic seemed to be moving past me just fine. Also my name was misspelled and I was asked by the traffic agent to pull over in front of a fire hydrant for her to write me a ticket because she was having trouble scanning my registration when the light turned green and I was then really blocking traffic. My request for a hearing was denied because a misspelled name is not grounds for a hearing. However, I read that if I was present when the summons was given there should be nothing in the Complainant's Comments box and there's a rather lengthy bit there about how I was in the intersection without enough space behind me and without intent to turn and no emergencies and whatnot. Would I be able to attempt to appeal this ticket again? If so, how would I go about doing this?  
 
Thanks so much! Your website is really informative!

Jackie, 
 
Thanks for stopping by, leaving a comment, and your kind words. First things first. A properly described body type is a required element. An inaccurate description is grounds for an automatic dismissal. You win!  
 
I am on a crusade against the improper enforcement tactics of the parking ticket warriors for a blocking the box parking ticket. I have posted 2 articles and a video, which I trust will explain the real meaning of the rule.  
 
You only have 30 days to file an appeal. Unfortunately, you are out of time to file. Sorry.  

I received a ticket for "IMPROPER DISPLAY OF REGISTRATION STICKER" yesterday. The complainant's comments were "Sticker on Dash". My registration sticker was where it's suppose to be stuck to the windshield, however, one of the corners of the sticker was coming off. The registration sticker was obviously displayed and the officer was also able to include on the parking ticket that the registration expires 10/26/10.  
 
 
 
Is there anyway I can fight this ticket? Thanks.

Joan, 
 
When you are right, fight. Here's a suggestion. Take a photograph of your registration sticker attached to the windshield. Prepare an affidavit setting forth essentially what you wrote in your excellent comment. You may wish to do some on-line research about the problems NY had with the registration adhesive failing to stick to the windshield. 
 
Sign the back of the summons, plead not guilty, and send your affidavit and photograph to the address on the back of your ticket by certified mail, RRR. You will receive an offer to reduce your fine in about 3-4 weeks from the DOF.  
 
At that time, you have a choice to accept the reduced fine and change your plea to guilty; or continue your fight. 
 
Great question. I hope this info helps you.

Hi Larry, 
 
I'm from NJ and I've recently got a parking ticket for an expired meter. When I looked at the parking ticket, I see that they got my car make wrong but the license plate number and color is correct. Is that sufficient to request for a dismissal? If so, can I do it by mail and not go directly to one of the financial center (probably going to get another parking while I'm there...). 
 
Thanks, 
Mike

I purchased 2 hours of time at a muni-meter in NYC (first time) and placed it in my windshield face down because I did not have my reading glasses (I do not need them to drive). I came back in an hour and had a ticket for Failure to display muni receipt, and in the comments area it said receipt face down. The officer just signed the ticket with his first two initials not his last name and there was no meter number. Is there any hope to have this ticket dismissed if I have the receipt? Thanks, Rita

Rita, 
Thanks for visiting our website and sharing your parking ticket experience. You may wish to dispute your parking ticket for the following reasons: 
 
Two "required elements" omitted defense:  
1.Omitted traffic enforcement agent signature, and meter number.  
 
You paid for parking defense: 
1.Attach a copy of your muni-meter receipt, and explain you inadvertently placed it upside-down on your dashboard. 
 
Process: 
1.Sign the back of your parking ticket 
2.Plead NOT GUILTY 
3.Enclose a separate letter explaining your defenses 
4.Send the original parking ticket, with your separate letter defense to the address on the back of the ticket by certified mail, RRR. 
5.Decline the offer to reduce your fines, which you will receive from the DOF in approximately 3-4 weeks 
6.Wait for your decision, which may take approximately 75 days 
 
I'm not sure if the incomplete agent signature will fly with the hearing official; but the other two defenses should be successful. 
 
Congratulations. You win.

Hi Larry, 
 
 
 
Re: I received a ticket for "IMPROPER DISPLAY OF REGISTRATION STICKER" yesterday. The complainant's comments were "Sticker on Dash". My registration sticker was where it's suppose to be stuck to the windshield, however, one of the corners of the sticker was coming off. The registration sticker was obviously displayed and the officer was also able to include on the parking ticket that the registration expires 10/26/10.  
 
 
 
 
 
It's Joan again. You were right I received an offer to reduce the fine from $65.00 to $43.00. What are my chances of continuing to fight this and what is the process? 
 
 
 
Please advise. Thank you!!

Hi Larry, 
 
Thanks for your advice about my face down muni-meter ticket. I did everything you said and received a reduced fine of $45 (originally $65). 
 
I have the original paid receipt.  
 
Do muni-meters actually have numbers? (The meter number is not listed on my ticket.) I cannot find that information anywhere. 
 
Thanks again, 
Rita

I got a $115 ticket for being in a bus stop but I was dropping off a colleague. I didn't even see the traffic guy, but as I drove off, I notice that he was getting out of his car and yelled something at me as I passed him. Now I noticed a ticket on their website that has only my license plate number and state, "Drive off." What can I do? Great website and thanks!

Good morning Rita, 
Yes. Muni-meters have numbers, which should be set forth on the parking ticket when there is a "meter violation."  
 
Are you going to fight, or accept the reduced fine? Good luck with whatever you choose. 
 

Emily, 
I suggest you respond to the parking ticket by either applying for a reduced fine, or fighting the ticket. If you are right, fight. 
 
Since the warrior managed to capture your license plate number, I wouldn't ignore the ticket. 
 
Good luck.

Joan, 
Excellent question. You have a good chance of winning your dispute. But,it is up to the judge's discretion.  
 
I will need your code violation to suggest whether to fight or accept the reduction. Is it code 73? If so, code 73 prohibits: 
display of an expired, mutilated, void, imitation, counterfeit, or inappropriate registration sticker. 
 
You certainly displayed none of the foregoing registrations; and it was clearly "displayed" for the reasons you correctly stated. NY has experienced some problems with the glue on the stickers.  
 
If you fight, you will need to submit a photo showing the registration on the window, with the corner slightly loose. If you fight by mail, you MUST submit an affidavit containing your explanation, with your photo. 
 
When you are right, fight! 

Hi again Larry, 
I'm going to fight the ticket! Now that I know the muni-meters do indeed have numbers (that was left blank on my ticket) coupled with my paid receipt, I figure it's worth a try. 
Thank you so much for all your help. 
I'll inform you of the outcome. 
Wish me luck! 
Rita

Hi Larry, 
 
 
 
It's Joan again with the "Improper Display Registration Sticker". 
 
 
 
For your information, my violation code is "70". When I sent in the original ticket, I included a picture of my registration sticker, an article from the newspaper about NY registration sticker glue problems and a letter of explanation. I now received a letter offering to reduce my fine from $65 to $43. My dilemma is whether or not I should continue fighting this ticket even though I think this offense is absurd? 
 
 
 
Thank you in advance. Your help is greatly appreciated.  
 
 
 

Joan, 
When you are right, FIGHT! 
You and I both agree that you are right. You are fighting a good fight. 
 
If it were me, I would not accept the reduced fine. I'd continue the fight to the end. 
 
In the future, I recommend submitting your defense statement in an affidavit; especially when your version conflicts with the parking ticket warrior's version (parking ticket is a sworn statement by the warrior). 
 
Good luck. Please let me know how you make out.

Rita, 
 
GOOD LUCK!! 
 
We are all looking forward to a dismissal of your parking ticket. 
 

Hi, 
 
I recently got a parking ticket for "sitting" in a bus stop. At the bottom of the ticket where the traffic officer has to put their signature, it says something to the effect of "I have indicated the name of the operator of the vehicle if present or indicated refused ID if the operator refused to provide ID". I was in the car when issued the ticket, but the traffic officer never asked me for my ID nor did they indicate "refused ID" on the summons. My name is nowhere on the summons. Can I get the ticket dismissed for this reason? 
 
Thanks!

Andrew, 
 
I'm sorry to say, the name of the operator is supposed to be inserted; but is not a required element entitling you to an automatic dismissal.  
 

I'm wondering if a ticket can be dismissed for putting me in an incorrect location. I received a double-parking ticket on a dead-end street "opposite" the 295 address, according to the ticket, when I was actually opposite the 233 address. The location cited on the ticket actually has signs saying "no parking at any time." Shouldn't I have received a different ticket if I actually had been there? 
 
Thanks

Mike, 
 
Congratulations, you are a winner! An accurate description of the place of occurrence is a required element. The wrong place entitles you to a dismissal. 
 
I suggest the following: 
1.Sign the back of your ticket 
2.Write a letter(better to present your defense by way of affidavit) to the DOF pleading NOT GUILTY 
3.Explain the reason for your dispute is that the place of occurrence is misdescribed 
4.Enclose proof that the address is wrong 
5.Send the original ticket, your letter and corroborative proof by certified mail, RRR to the address on the back of the ticket. 
 
Please let us know how you make out.

Hi, 
I would like to say thank you for this website. I learned alot of new things on what to avoid here in NY. Yesterday I got a double parking ticket. There were no spots, and I had to drop off a receipt to the pharmacy. I go in and come out and see the police officers pull out of the car. I told them I would move it, and she just started writing away. Does the summons have to have the model of the car correctly identified? I own a 2009 Nissan Altima. It is one of the most popular car models here in NY. That can even be looked up: 
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-94816092.html 
 
On the ticket she did not fill in the Nissan oval, but the Mitsubishi oval. Its a recognizable car, and both officers were 3 inches away from it. Would the ticket be invalid? Can I fight it? Any information will be helpful. Thanks again. 
Antonio

Hi,  
 
Just a quick question. I just got a ticket for not moving my car fast enough to the other side for alternate side parking. I had gotten a ticket for this before and looked in the online payment system for a record so that I could pay it. Nothing there. Then I looked on the ticket I received today and figured out why. For the state they put "WA" for Washington State when my tag is from Washington D.C. "DC." They did this with about 4 prior tickets and I do not have physical copies of them. I realize that they issued them to someone else or a phantom driver but is there anything I need to do. Am I still liable? Thanks so much. 
 
Tom

Tom, 
 
Thank you for visiting and commenting. It means a lot to me. One of the required elements on the front of a NYC parking ticket is the state of registration. Yours is misdescribed. You win!  
 
A parking ticket was issued to a vehicle from the beautiful State of Washington, not D.C.  
 
The parking gods are smiling.

Antonio, 
Thanks for stopping by, commenting on your parking experience, and your kind words. You are a winner. Congratulations. 
 
The model of a car is a required element, and must be correctly inserted on the front of a NYC parking ticket. I suggest fighting your ticket on the basis of a misdescribed required element. Please be sure to include your vehicle registration as proof. 
 

Larry, 
 
We went to NYC for the first time in 15 years, and as we were going through a green light, traffic stopped, we got through, but was partly in the crosswalk. We tried to inch up as much as we could. We had no place to go. If we backed up, we would have blocked the intersection. A cop walked up to the window and gave us a $115.00 ticket citing Obstructing traffic at intersection. The traffic was not blocked. I was a passenger, and I wanted to use my cell phone to take a picture, but was to scared to get out of the car. He did not ask for our registration, so there is no vin number, Color he put Gray and our car is Blue. I am so upset, because we did not obstruct traffic and my husband was driving and I was a witness that this was not true. Please advise and thank you for helping so many of us. I feel like we were target because we were out of state.

Hi Leona, 
It is my pleasure to help you. I am on a mini-crusade to call attention to the bad behavior of traffic enforcement agents in handing out parking tickets for blocking the box. They are treating a NYC intersection during rush hour like a fundraiser. 
 
The tipping point for guilt or innocence in blocking the box is your behavior when the light turns green. If the traffic is moving; or if traffic is stopped outside the opposite side of the box, but there is sufficient space for your vehicle in the lane you are traveling to fit outside the opposite side of the box, it is absolutely, positively A o.k. to enter the box. 
 
I have posted a number of blog articles on Larry's Blog and my Fox 5 News Blog about how to fight a ticket for blocking the box. I suggest your take a look to learn more about how to fight your ticket. There is no automatic reduction. 
 
When you are right, FIGHT! If you need some more help, please feel free to call me. We are all in this fight together.

Hello, I recently received a ticket for standing on a bus stop. Unfortunately for the officer, I snapped photos of me standing on a hydrant AND 100+ feet away from the bus stop at the time of the incident (as he was writing me a ticket). I am pleading NOT GUILTY and am writing up my defense along with about half a dozen pictures from every angle. My question is, if I am standing on a hydrant that is 100 feet away from a bus stop, does that really count as a bus stop? 
 
I snapped a "birds eye view" picture of that exact location to give you a better idea of where my vehicle was relative to the hydrant and bus stop. 
 
http://i37.tinypic.com/xqfkth.jpg

I just discovered, when checking for a recent blocking the box ticket on-line, that there is an outstanding ticket from 2007 on my car. The problem is that I never received the ticket as there is no VIN and the plate is one digit (symbol) off. I have "&" in my plate and I guess the NYC system does not recognize symbols in plates. Do I need to worry about this ticket? 
 
 
 
It's from fall 2007 for standing at a bus stop. The area in which the ticket was issued is a familiar area but I have no idea if I was there 2 years ago and parked at a bus stop. 
 
 
 
Coincidentally, the recent ticket that I was looking for is not listed on the site at all. 
 
 
 
The blocking the box ticket was in fact a fundraiser by the way. Three traffic officers came off the sidewalk as the light cycled on Canal & Wooster and handed everyone tickets. The officer who handed me a ticket wrote "refused name" which is not true at all. I was never asked my name. In fact, I was not pulled over or questioned at all but rather my registration was scanned and I had a ticket in about 10 seconds, with the entire ticket pre-filled with a paragraph of details that was obviously pre-written. I did block the box though so I am paying the ticket, although I was backing up to get out of the intersection when the traffic officers swarmed.

I forgot to add, my missing "&" symbol on the ticket is in my plate on my car which is registered out of state. There is no VIN listed on the ticket, it's just blank.  
 
 
 
The state of registration, make & model of the car are accurate as is the color. 
 
 
 
This ticket is defective on it's face, right? Do I even need to respond to this ticket?

Hi Kat, 
 
Thanks for visiting our website and posting a comment. Sharing your parking ticket experience helps all of us. 
 
Should you respond to the older ticket? If the plate number is incomplete, how will NYC trace the vehicle to you? You may wish to read an article about NYC's recent action to collect long overdue parking ticket fines and penalties from PA vehicles. You'll find the article in "White Papers." 
 
Is your older parking ticket in judgment? If not, you can fight the ticket and win, due to a misdescribed plate number. If the ticket is in judgment, you can apply to vacate the judgment and defend it based upon the misdescribed required element.  
 
I'm not 100% clear...Is your plate number misdescribed on your recent blocking the box ticket as well? If so, you can fight your ticket and win, based upon a misdescribed required element. It usually takes about 2-4 weeks for a scanned ticket to appear on the DOF website. It takes less time to raise a child then it takes for a handwritten parking ticket to appear on the DOF website. 
 
My personal preference is not to ignore a parking ticket you can fight and win. It may bite you later. On the other hand, many people believe that you will never be connected with a vehicle that has a misdescribed license plate number.  
 
Good luck. Let me know what path you choose.

Sorry about the confusion. We have two vehicles, one with NY state plates (company owned vehicle that is assigned to me to drive) and my personal car with out of state plates with the "&" symbol on the plate. My husband got a parking ticket on my personal car about 2 weeks ago and I was going on-line to pay it but could not locate my tag. I left off the "&" and a ticket came up for what seems to be my car (right make, model & color) but wrong plate (missing "&" symbol) and no VIN on the ticket. The VIN was blank. As far as I know, the ticket is not in judgment since my state's DMV could not log the ticket with the wrong plate and no VIN. The ticket is $125 (late fee) and it's from 2007 for parking at a bus stop. 
 
 
 
Once my husband finds the most recent parking ticket, I will check to see if the "&" is listed on that ticket so that I can possibly dispute it.  
 
 
 
The recent block the box ticket is on the company assigned vehicle. That NY state registration was scanned so all the details are accurate on the ticket. I actually just dropped off the $115 NYC fundraising donation at the post office.

Kat, 
 
I'm old. You have to write slower. I applaud your character for paying when you are wrong. Ouch. 
 
Thanks for the clarification. You may be better served following the advice of the many people who counsel to ignore a parking ticket that has no VIN number, or your license plate # inserted correctly. 
 
Please let me know what shows up. 
 

Thank you! My husband found the original ticket from early last month, street cleaning violation for $45. We also received a copy in the mail at our home address out of state. The "&" symbol is listed on this one although no VIN is listed. I am sending the payment today to avoid any points or a suspended license.

Kat, 
 
No points for a NYC parking ticket. As I mentioned in my email, you may wish to apply for a reduction. 
 
Enjoyed the conversation. I hope it was helpful. 
 

Thanks so much for the chat Larry! It was very helpful & enlightening. I am going to curtail my trips to NYC. With all these parking fines, it's getting to expensive. Have a good night.

Hi, and thanks so much for a very informative website! I had one question: I just received a no-standing ticket (I've seen cars/buses standing in that spot so often that it didn't even occur to me that it wasn't allowed) and was in the car, ready to move it if needed. I noticed a couple of references to the effect that a police officer should afford me the opportunity to immediately vacate the spot. Is that true? If so, where is that stipulated in the rules? Thanks again!

Sam, 
 
Thanks for visiting and your kind words. I'm sorry to report that a parking ticket warrior does not have to give you an opportunity to move your vehicle when you stop, stand or park in a "no standing" zone. It would be nice. 
 
An exception to a prohibition against standing is if you stop your vehicle temporarily to discharge or receive a passenger.  
 
You may be thinking about an exception when standing your vehicle within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, when there is someone sitting behind the wheel of the vehicle, reading to move upon a request to do so. 
 
I suggest you check carefully for mistakes on the front of your ticket. If none, you may wish to apply for a reduction. 
 
Thank you for sharing your parking experience. It will make us all smarter about NYC parking rules.

Hi Larry, is there a particular reason why my question is not getting responded to? It was Posted @ Thursday, October 08, 2009 11:46 AM by Anthony. 
 
Thanks.

Anthony, 
 
Ooops. I missed your comment. My apologies. Thanks for the heads up.  
 
I applaud your tenacity. Here are some suggestions. A bus stop zone extends from the bus stop sign, in the direction of the arrow on the sign until; the next parking sign in the direction of the arrow, or the end of a block. First step is to make sure you identify the bus stop zone. It can extend for an entire block. 
 
If you car was parked outside the bus stop zone, for which you received a parking ticket, YOU WIN. But, you must present overlapping photographs of the entire block, showing the front and back of each parking sign because the Rules require you to clearly demonstrate to the hearing official what portion of the entire block constitutes the bus stop zone; and your vehicle was standing outside the bus stop zone. 
 
Before going through this process, please check for any missing required elements on the face of your ticket. We have recently observed errors in describing the place of occurrence, even on scanned parking tickets. 
 
I hope this information is helpful. I love it when a member of the driving public fights when they are right. Again, my apologies for missing your original comment.

Hi, Sam here again, and thanks for your quick reply! I have been looking at the ticket to see if I find anything and the only things I can come up with is a) the ticket refers to 1st Avenue, when in fact that section of 1st Ave is called UN Plaza (that's what the USPS calls it). I don't know about official street names, but I'm thinking I probably won't get very far on that excuse. 2) the complainant only signed her initials in the signature box. Her name is duly printed in the "Complainant's Name" box as her machine is one of those fancy new ones that scans the barcode and prints everything, but do initials qualify as a signature? 
Thanks again for your patience and good-will towards those of us on the receiving end of NYC parking tickets! 

Is it OK to stop in a bus stop with a No Standing sign to discharge a passenger? The agent wrote that I drove off in the comments column. The ticket had no NYS reg exp date.  
 
where it said body type, the agent wrote boat.Can I get a dismissal?

Irene, 
 
The Yankees are down 4-1. Not good. And, you stopped to drop off a passenger in a bus stop from your boat? 
 
Please share you're email, and a photo of your boat. 
 

The ticket said I was parked in front of 7141 Main Ave in Queens. I was parked in front of 7141 Main Street. There isn't a Main Ave in Queens. This was in addition to saying the body type was BOAT. So can I get a dismissal? 
 
Thanks,

Irene, 
 
It is now 6-5, Yankees are winning. If you vehicle is registered in NY, and the warriors described it as a boat you win. 
 
Let's go Yankees!

Sam, 
 
Great questions. I agree with your assessment of raising place of occurrence as a misdescribed required element. I'm not sure about your likelihood of success, but I would still cite it. 
 
I recently had a debate with my partner about whether a parking ticket warrior can get away with inserting initials in the signature box. I say NO. He says YES.  
 
We have recently raised initials as a missing required element for the same reason you suggest; i.e., initials not a signature make. This occurs frequently on parking tickets, so they can probably get away with it. I would definitely raise the initials point. GOOD THINKING. 
 
As an aside, I did some research into what constitutes a legal signature. A mark is acceptable under certain circumstances. However, the argument I made was that a parking ticket summons is a sworn document, which initiates a quasi-legal proceeding with financial consequences. It should require a full signature from the individual asserting the charges against you.  
 
If you choose to contest your parking ticket, let's share outcomes on the issues.  
 
Very thoughtful!

So i got a parking ticket in NYC. I am from PA and very rarely go to NYC. On the ticket the officer marked two different states down, one with an 'X'(VA) and one where he filled in the entire bubble (PA). Does this qualify as an invalid ticket? Also, will NY hunt me down in PA to pay up?

Chris, 
Sorry about your bad parking experience with NYC parking ticket warriors. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. 
 
I'll answer your second question first. Yes, NY will hunt you down. You may wish to read the news article posted in "Whitepapers." It will tell you the skinny on NY and PA. 
 
I'm not quite sure I understand your description of how the warrior filled in your ticket. I'm happy to take a look and comment. If so, please feel free to click on the "contact" web page and choose your preferred method of delivery. 
 
Best regards.

hey its Chris again.. 
 
 
 
under the state of registration.. the warrior filled in two states.. its as if he or she accidentally filled in VA instead of PA and then decided just to mark both.. does that make more sense?

Hello Chris Again... 
 
Yup. This is a new one for me. Always something new to think about in the land of NYC parking tickets. 
 
My educated (kinda) guess is that if one of the two States is correct, a judge will not dismiss your parking ticket for a misdescribed required element. 
 
How about place of occurrence? Or, are any of the other required elements omitted, misdescribed or illegible? Or, do you have a defense to the violation? 
 

I'm from Pa and my vehicle plate states truck and i was given two tickets 1-states no signs but i do have a sign just all the letters are not the same size and i was told that they've to be 3" at least. Mine are 2 3/4" and the second one is for parking in trucks loading and unloading only. Both of these tickets indicate N/S in my registration exp. box and it is clearly visible on my plate the month and year of expiration.Do these tickets fall in line of Chapter 19 section 39-02.

Rick, 
 
Thanks for visiting our website all the way from PA. I trust you are aware of the new "friendship" between NY and PA. If not, you may wish to read the article on our whitepaper web page. 
 
Excellent question. I can give you a 95% You Win. My only slight reservation is that you are an out-of-state vehicle, and the hearing officials are lenient about inserting the required elements you ask about. 
 
The reason I feel confident about a favorable outcome is that 39-02(a)(2)states, "Where the plate type or the expiration date are not shown on either the registration plates or sticker of a vehicle....the plate type or the expiration date may be omitted..., provided that such condition is so described and inserted on the notice of violation." 
 
Since your required elements are plainly visible on your plates, I believe you win! 
 
Good luck. Please let me know how you make out

Hi: 
 
I received a parking ticket in NYC 6 minutes after the my muni meter receipt expired. I have NJ plates and I am noticing that the VIN# box was left completely blank. I am also noticing that the officer did not fully sign the ticket just the initial of first name and then last name. Do I have grounds for appeal? If not, I will just ask for a reduced fine. 
 
I am also assuming that because I have NJ plates the "CD" box would be marked NS, "Exp Box" would be marked N/A and "Year" not stated.

Karen, 
 
Unfortunately, your analysis is perfect. VIN# is not a required element; and warrior signature is sufficient, as is NS and NA, under the circumstances you described. 
 
I agree with you that a reduction may be the way to go. Thanks for sharing your parking experience and excellent analysis with us.

I received a $115 parking ticket for blocking the box (a moving violation) when I was stuck in the crosswalk and couldn't get around the truck in front of me without backing up into the box or making an illegal turn onto madison avenue. Two parking cops standing eating hot dogs on the corner (seriously!) pulled me over and one asked me my name but told me he wasn't going to give me a ticket and said he was going to "show me a picture of his dog." I told him my name and he printed out the ticket with my first name only completely mispelled. He never asked for vehicle registration or license. I went to fight the ticket this morning and the judge upheld the ticket because she said I had no proof of the officer's deceit or that I was only in the crosswalk. I want to appeal this if only for the fact that I felt harassed by the officer and the name of the ticket isnt even mine. Is there anything I can do to strengthen this appeal?

OK its me again. I got a ticket today for no parking 7-3 in a truck loading/unloading zone ( i got PA truck plates ) i was stuck on a disable elevator and by the time they got us out of there it was 3:20 pm . Is there any defense for this? Plus the agent listed my plate as a pass when it states TRUCK is there any defense for that ? Please advise. Thanks alot Friend

Rick, 
 
It is always great to hear from you. I wish it was after you win a hearing and beat your NYC parking ticket! 
 
Plate type is a required element. If your plate type is plainly visible, and it is misdescribed, YOU WIN. 
 
Nicely done.

Lila, 
 
Sorry about your bad experience. You are a member of a very large group of NYC drivers who have contributed to the blocking the box fundraiser.  
 
Unfortunately, I don't have any pearls of wisdom to offer on an appeal of your ticket. Your name is supposed to be inserted correctly; however, it is not considered a required element entitling you to a dismissal if misdescribed or omitted. 
 
On appeal you do get 2 bites of the apple, but it is the same apple. You are not permitted to introduce any new evidence. You have to demonstrate that the original hearing official made a mistake based upon the evidence you submitted at the original hearing. 
 
Good luck

Hey Larry its been great having you to help me and help me you did. I got all 4 tickets dismissed and hear is one for any one that is from PA with plates that state TRUCK and if the agent puts commerical then that will get dismiss be cause its a misdiscribe. All thet need to do is bring a picture of their plates to show that it says TRUCK and it will get thrown out.

My friend received a ticket on a car without plates, he also does not have the physical ticket. Is there any way to check for tickets using the vin number? I couldn't find it, just saw by plate or ticket number.

On 03/17/09 at 1:36 PM I have received a parking ticket in Brooklyn on T intersection of Berry and N13 St for blocking a crosswalk (unmarked). I was parked one car away from crosswalk, but could't prove it since car got towed some time before 3:30PM, when i get off work. So I ended up paying the ticket (the ticket was printed without mistakes). Six month later i get a notice of outstanding parking ticket for the same date, but different time 3:07PM and violation "blocking pedestrian ramp", thats a $165 fine plus $10 fine. I have never received the original ticket at impound. Additionally, I have made two payments through NYCSERV on 06/22/09 and 08/10/09, doing search by license plate and this violation didn't show up. Considering 30 period before penalty added, original notice, which i never received, was added to system around 08/17/09, right after my second transaction.  
So my question is: can they charge me twice for same violation (pedestrian ramp costs more because its both ramp and crosswalk blocking)? And is there an expiration to the ticket? I cant really gather evidence six months after supposed ticket issue. The only thing missing is a Name\VIN, other required stuff is there. License plate from NJ. 
One more question. When my car got towed, it didn't show up at impound until 4 hours after I found out that it is missing. I had enough time to file a stolen car report. Cops contacted impound twice with no luck. Is there way to get some reimbursement or some sort of apology? Just a matter of principle. 
P.S. now every time I park my car in NYC, i take few pictures with my phone (has geo tagging = records date, time and GPS coordinates)

Hi, 
I received a ticket in the mail that I never saw before. The ticket is No Standing violation. I checked the image on the NYC.GOV web site, and It shows my plate number and make of the car. The EXP.Date box shows "N/S-Dr.Off" and the YEAR box shows "N/S". How can I fight this ticket? 
Thank You.

Alma, 
 
Very interesting question. Unfortunately, I am not aware of another way of checking for a NYC parking ticket besides the two methods you know. 
 
Have you called the DOF? If not, I would give it a try. Good luck.

Stan, 
I apologize for the delay in responding to your comment. I just returned from a family vacation.  
 
I'm not quite sure I understand the details of your story. Was the pedestrian ramp on the corner of a 4 corner intersection; or was it in the middle of the long street of a 'T' intersection? What were your 2 payments for? 
 
Generally, you can win a dismissal of a parking ticket if it was issued within one hour of a prior parking ticket issued while you vehicle was parked in the same parking space.  
 
I'm happy to respond in more detail after receiving your reply. 
 
Sorry about your very bad, expensive parking day. Great idea about taking photos when you park in NYC!

Stan, 
I was intrigued by your story. So, after responding to your comment, I visited the place of occurrence by viewing the location on our website interactive maps.  
 
13th and Berry is a T intersection, as you stated. I trust you were charged with parking in front of the pedestrian ramp on the long street of the 'T' intersection. If so, you are NOT GUILTY.  
 
The parking rule regarding pedestrian ramps was changed on December 26, 2008. I recommend: 
1. Fight your parking ticket. You will need photos of the T intersection, pedestrian ramp, and the street signs showing the address of the intersection (13th and Berry) 
2. Photographs showing there were no traffic signs by the pedestrian ramp regulating traffic.  
3. Photographs showing the cross-walk was unmarked 
4. Refer to the change in the law in your defense affidavit(see Larry's Blog post and comments, and DOT website) 
5. You should win and your ticket should be dismissed 
6. After you ticket is dismissed, you can apply for a refund of your towing charges 
 
If you need further assistance, please feel free to call me at 800-249-5048. 
 
Good luck. Please let me know how you make out.

Sam, 
 
Thanks for visiting our website and posting a comment. Your experience helps all of us. If the parking ticket warrior inserts, "Dr Off," which means she claims you drove away before she was able to secure the information, she is permitted to insert N/S. 
 
Unfortunately, it will be difficult to beat your parking ticket unless you can prove you were not at the place of occurrence where the ticket was issued.  
 
If you cannot meet this difficult burden of proof, I suggest you apply for a fine reduction. 
 
Good luck!

I got a ticket for parking 6 feet from a hydrant in NYC and the car was impounded... 
 
Here's the story:  
I'm french, living temporarly in Canada. I rented a car to go and visit NYC for the week-end...  
I arrived last friday evening and looked for a place to park. I found one but there was a fire hydrant.  
As I didn't know about the NYC fire hydrant rule I asked the hostel receptionist to make sure I was correctly parked. She told me "as long as you are not parked alongside the yellow line, There's no problem"... 
I went to double check and couldn't see any yellow line. There was about one car length between my car and the fire hydrant.  
The morning after, no car... It has been impounded only five minutes ago. No luck!  
I feel not guilty since I asked to make sure everything was alright. 
 
I already had a ticket two months ago for parking with no muni meter receipt (I was droping off my wife and my mother and the luggages at the hotel)... And I paid the fine without protesting. 
 
Is there anything I can do this time? I took a picture prooving there was no yellow line. 
 
Thanks a lot for your help! 

Bonjour Yoann, 
 
Thank you very much for visiting our website and sharing your parking experiences. It will surely benefit all of us. 
 
I cannot tell you how often our visitors and friends relate the same story. It begins with..."I asked the cop," "I asked the shopkeeper," "I asked the doorman," whether I can park here. Our friends proceed to follow the "advice" of these strangers and end up feeling the sting of a parking ticket warrior's scanner.  
 
Unfortunately, bad advice of a stranger is not a defense to a NYC parking ticket; and ignorance of the law is not accepted as an excuse by the Department of Finance, Adjudication Unit. 
 
There are no yellow lines associated with fire hydrants. The rule requires you to: 
1. Park more than 15 feet away from a fire hydrant; or, 
2. Leave someone in the car, sitting behind the wheel, who is able to move the car upon a request to do so. 
 
My suggestion is to seek reimbursement for your fine from the Hotel for the negligent advice of their employee.  
 
If you have any other questions about NYC parking rules and regulations, please leave a comment; feel free to call me. 
 
Relative to your older ticket, you are permitted to stop temporarily to drop off passengers.  
 
Bon chance!

I was a visitor to NYC and parked in Manhattan, on Grand St. on a Friday afternoon at around 12pm. It was a no standing commercial vehicle only zone. When I came back at 1pm to feed the meter, I saw the first ticket...I thought it was because the meter was late...I came back an hour later, there was a 2nd ticket on the car, for the same violation (code 31). I was told two tickets cannot be placed on the same vehicle in the same spot...is this true? How can I dispute this?

Lynn, 
Thanks for visiting our website and posting your excellent question. Here are some tips: 
1.You are only permitted to park for one time period legally allowed in the meter zone. "Feeding the meter" is prohibited. So, if parking is permitted for one hour, you can legally remain in the parking space for one hour. You cannot "feed the meter" for a second hour. This is also known as "over parking." 
 
2.If you receive 2 tickets for the same violation within one hour of each other, the second ticket is generally dismissed upon application 
 
You may wish to read our recent change in policy about responding to specific questions on pending parking tickets. Here's the link.  
 
http://www.newyorkparkingticket.com/Blog/bid/28058/Larry-s-Blog-A-Change-in-how-I-Respond-to-your-Comments 

Hello Larry here is the story I had a van that had received about 26 tickets which I had responded to all of them and I seen the tickets on line and they stay the same with only drawing a $10.00 penalty for 2 years it remained like that then all at once they sent all the tickets requesting payment or a hearing. I took the hearing and some of the tickets have N/S in the Exp.Date box and it is clear that the the date was visible cause some of the other tickets the other agents saw and marked down. If you have a email or a fax so I can send you the decision that the judge came up with because i told her that the Exp.Date was a require element and she said that does not apply to out of state vehicles but reading Title 19 section39-02 it states that it is a required element. I would truly appreciate it if you could look at these and advise me. Most of the tickets are for double parking picking up my wife and dropping my aunt off to the doctor. You read the decisions and see what you can make of it.  
 
 
 
Thanks Rick from PA

Rick, 
My heart really goes out to you and the residents of PA. There are several very important issues your excellent comment raises. 
 
WHY NOW? 
NY is now permitted to go after any resident or vehicle registered in PA for unanswered/unpaid fines and penalties for overdue parking tickets. You may wish to read this news article about this situation. Copy and paste the link into your browser; or visit the "Whitepaper" page on our website. 
 
http://www.newyorkparkingticket.com/whitepapers/ 
 
Here's how it works. PA residents or registrants are now getting a letter from the DOF advising you of all of your outstanding tickets, with only a $10 penalty assessed. You are given a date by which to respond. Either pay up, seek a reduction, or request a hearing.  
 
If you respond to the letter properly, you can have your day in court. But, it is shocking to receive such a notification after so long as gone by. 
 
MISSING OR OMITTED REQUIRED ELEMENTS 
 
The hearing official did not take the time to provide you with the PROPER explanation. Here it is. 
1.As you correctly stated, the registration expiration date is a required element; and must be correctly inserted on a NYC parking ticket [Section 39-02(a)], except: 
2. Where the plate type or expiration date are not shown on either registration plates or sticker of a vehicle...[Section 39-02(b)] 
3. Many out-of-state vehicles do not show this information 
4. PA DOES! As you correctly stated 
 
PROOF 
 
New York Parking Ticket is representing a number of PA businesses under the circumstances described in your comment. 
 
What evidence did you submit to the hearing official? If properly presented, your parking ticket should have been dismissed.  
 
I am happy to talk to you, if you'd like. Please feel free to call me at your convenience

Hi, my case is: On Sunday Nov 15 I parking my car in from my house, I saw my License plates was in the floor, I take it and I put temporary in the dash,coming inside to find any wire or screw, and the traffic officer gave me a ticket for $65 traffic rules sect.4-8 (2)I think this is not right, because the car was parking. thanks for your help.Enrique N.Y.

Enrique, 
 
Thanks for visiting our website and sharing your parking experience. It helps all of us. I'm sad to advise that you cannot park on any street, even in front of your own home, without properly displaying your current plates.  
VC 74 prohibits:  
 
"Standing or parking a vehicle without properly displaying its current Plates. Proper display means on the outside of the vehicle, conspicuous, securely fastened not more than 48 or more than 12 inches from the ground, clean, not covered by glass or plastic, and unobstructed."  
 
You have two options.  
1. Apply for a fine reduction  
2. Fight the parking ticket. Even if you convince a judge that the plate fell off immediately prior to your arrival at home, and you ran inside to get the materials to fix it; you will still probably lose. Tough one to beat.  
 
Good luck.

I got a double parking ticket. The address on the ticket is non existent, that is there is no such number on the street. Can I beat the ticket with that mistake? 
 
THANKS, DAVID

David, 
Great question. The place of occurrence is a required element. If omitted, misdescribed or illegible you are entitled to a dismissal upon application. 
 
How will you prove the address is non-existent? 
 
Good luck.

Dear Larry, 
 
Thanks for your fighting spirit. NYC has become a war zone for the people who live and work here. I was involved in a car accident last Feb. and have a hard time doing anything fast. I came out of my house at 6:57 AM and got to where my car was last parked at 7:05 A.M. Gone! Towed! Street Cleaning ! When I finally found the pound, by the way is totally unaccessible by public transportation, the ticket was given at 7:04 and the car was towed. Are you kidding me ? It takes 15 minutes to walk the hill up to Metropolitan Ave in Queens for healthy people. Is there a way  
 
to fight this? 185.00 for the tow, 60.00 for the ticket and a trip to the pound, priceless. 
 
Barbara

Hi Larry, 
 
Thank you for all of the useful information on your website. 
 
I just found out yesterday that I apparently received an 'Obstructing traffic at intersection (e)(12)' ticket last week. This ticket was not issued in person, and I only found out about this by looking up my license plate on the nyc.gov website (as I was checking on a previous parking ticket I had received in March). 
 
I am from Connecticut, but I drive into NY every now and then. When I drove into NY on the street, date, and time the ticket claims I committed the 'block the box' offense, I was at no point stuck in the intersection. Traffic was moving just fine, and cars on the opposite side of the box were definitely moving when the light turned green. When I cleared the intersection, the light was still green, so I am really not sure how or why I received this ticket in the first place. 
 
I am unsure as to how to fight this ticket though, as I did not even know this ticket was issued to me until a week later. Right now, it is pretty much the brownie's word vs. mine, as I have no pictures or video of the traffic on the date/time/street. 
 
The only thing I can see on the e-ticket that might tip the scales in my favor is that they put down the wrong 'Make' of my car. I have a Mazda 3, but they put the make of my car as a Volkswagon. 
 
Can I dispute this ticket and win based on that technicality? If not, how do I go about disputing this ticket? 
 
Thanks so much in advance.

Ana, 
Thanks for visiting our website all the way from the great state of Connecticut. I attended UCONN at the Storrs Campus. Even played on the basketball and baseball team, a long, long time ago. 
 
Whether a misdescribed required element, i.e. the MAKE, on an out-of-state vehicle requires a dismissal of your parking ticket depends upon the hearing officer's interpretation of the varies parking rules that apply. 
 
In my humble opinion, you are absolutely entitled to a dismissal of your parking ticket! When you are right-FIGHT. 
 
Please cut and paste this link to our blog post about our policy in responding to comments. 
 
http://www.newyorkparkingticket.com/Blog/bid/28058/Larry-s-Blog-A-Change-in-how-I-Respond-to-your-Comments 
 
Good luck.  
 

Hi Larry. Thanks for being a source of so much useful information.  
 
I got three tickets in the space of about 36 hours, for having my bumper extend into a bus stop by about 6 inches. A total of $345 in fines: a rather unpleasant surprise when I went to move my car. 
 
My car is registered in Canada. When I check the nyc.gov site using the ticket numbers, they show up with my plate number, but with the state "99," and no make. When I check using only my plate number, nothing shows up (and it has been a month and half). Do you think this could mean that the record was incorrectly entered? Would this get me off the hook? 
 
Thanks

I received a parking ticket and they wrote down the wrong VIN #. Would this qualify as a defective ticket?

Corey, 
The "make" of your vehicle is a required element. If omitted, misdescribed or illegible, you are entitled to a dismissal of your parking ticket upon application. 
 
It's my practice not to comment on questions asking me whether or not to ignore a parking ticket. Sorry. 
 
Good luck!

Jodie, 
Thanks for taking your valuable time to visit our Web site and post your question. Many of our visitors and friends inquire about an omitted VIN number. 
 
I am sad to report that the VIN number is not a required element. An omitted VIN number does not entitle you to a dismissal.  
 
Good luck.

Barbara, 
Thanks for sharing your very poignant comments about the state of NYC parking ticket enforcement. I agree. 
 
We try to deliver as much information about parking ticket rules, exceptions and encourage our visitors and friends, "When you're right-FIGHT."  
 
We sincerely appreciate your kind words, and will continue our fight against parking ticket injustice. Thanks for your vote of confidence.

Hi Larry, 
I wrote back on October 3 for being double parked. I had no time to go to court, so I mailed in my complaint that the ticket was given in error due to the wrong model of the car. I got a letter yesterday saying that the ticket was dismissed. Thanks for your help and thanks for being a source of so much useful information.  
Antonio

Antonio, 
That is absolutely wonderful! Congratulations. Thank you for sharing your results with us. 
 
When you are right-FIGHT! and you did. 
 
Good luck and park safely.

Hi larry 
 
 
 
Thanks for all the great information. This site is one of the most valuable for all new yorkers. 
 
 
 
I received a ticket for expired inspection this morning for the end of NOV. I actually went to the shop to get my inspection on the first however they ran out of stickers. Before I went to the shop I started taking off the old inspection with a razor for the glue. (they never do a good job). 
 
 
 
So my inspection sticker fell off an into my dash where my vin plate is. 
 
 
 
I received a 2nd ticket for code 99 write in) BLOCKED VIN PLATE. 
 
 
 
Is there any such code? I got my inspection done right away at another near by shop and I passed inspection. Do you think they allow a reduction since the days lapsed are only 3. 
 
 
 
Thank in advance for all your advice.

Bobby, 
I'm blushing. I most sincerely appreciate your kind remarks. You were smacked with 34 RCNY 4-08(j)(9): Obscuring VIN prohibited, which says: 
"No person shall stand or park a vehicle with VIN obscured in any manner." 
 
VC 99 is used to designate violations that do not have their own violation code.  
 
Was the second parking ticket within one hour of the first parking ticket at the same location? If so, a hearing official may dismiss the second ticket. 
 
Your options are: 
1.Find an omitted, illegible or misdescribed required element on the front of your tickets 
2.Apply for a reduced fine 
3.Tell your story in person or by mail(use an affidavit)and fight your parking ticket. 
 
I am not optimistic about your chances to fight and win. 
 
Good luck. 
 
Thanks for sharing your parking experience. It helps all of us!

YAY! In order to get rid of my horrible night last night, I decided to pay my ticket first thing this morning. (Offense: Parked too long in a free spot that went "no standing" after 10pm) While searching ticket for the name to make the check payable to, I noticed that--WOO, HOO!!--they listed my lovely 2 door coupe as a 4 door sedan! (4DSD) After reading some of these posts, it looks like I'm home free. 
But not quite... 
You see, as part of the ticketing process, they immediately towed my car. So last night I paid $185 to the impound lot, but now it makes me wonder if the invalid state of parking ticket renders the tow invalid too. Kind of like the evidence is inadmissible, so the charges are thrown out? (Or have I been watching too much Law and Order.) I have heard of people getting refunds. Do I have a case?

Sorry, Larry, I should also point out I'm from NJ with NJ plates... 
 
Annie

Annie, 
You can never watch too much Law and Order. It's a great show, and you are a winner. Here's the scoop... 
 
Body type is a required element, and must be stated correctly on your parking ticket in order for the parking ticket warrior to establish a prima facie case against you. There is one tiny but...Some judges interpret the rules for out-of-state vehicles without registration information displayed on the windshield to require only a "reasonably accurate" description of your beautiful 2D coup. In my humble opinion, 2D is not 4D, and does not constitute a "reasonably accurate" description of your car. Your ticket should be dismissed. Score 1 for "Law and Order." 
 
You are absolutely correct, without even a tiny "but." If your parking ticket is dismissed, you are entitled to a refund of your towing charges. Nicely done! 
 
Soap box time: 
1.Always, all-the-time, with no exceptions allowed, inspect the front of your parking ticket for defects before marching blindly forward to the ATM to pay your fine. If a required element is omitted, misdescribed or illegible, you win upon application. 
 
2.When you're right-FIGHT! Next step is to do your homework. Ascertain whether there is a defense to your alleged violation. For example, you can stop temporarily in a no standing zone to drop off or receive a passenger. 
 
3.If no defect on the front of your ticket, and no viable defense to the violation, apply for a reduction of your fine; and pay your fine within time 
 
4.If none of the above, pay your fine within time so you don't accrue any penalties. It's a adding insult to injury kind of thing. 
 
Thanks for taking your valuable time, after a very difficult NYC parking/towing experience, to visit our website and share your story. I am going to add you question about a refund of towing charge, with a link to the application, to my recent post on what to do if you car is towed.  
 
You've helped all of us. Let me know how you make out. 
 
Good luck.

I just received a summons in the mail for a ticket I never received, plus penalty charges. It indicates that I was in a Bus stop but I was dropping off a passenger, and never saw a traffic agent. Apparently, they wrote down my license plate number and issued it that way. Is this legal? And do I have any defenses for having this dismissed? I viewed the ticket online and there are several missing items that are normally filled out. 
 
Can you give me any advice on this problem please.

Hi Max, 
Thanks for stopping by our website in this terrible weather. I'll reply in the order of your questions. 
 
1. Yes 
2. Stopping temporarily to drop off or pick up a passenger is a defense to a No Standing-Bus Stop violation 
3. Missing required elements entitle you to a dismissal of your NYC parking ticket, upon application. 
 
Max, you are definitely on the right track. There is a lot of resources about bus stop violations and required elements on our web site. You may wish to check them out. 
 
Good luck!

Does NYC parking violation Code 45(Obstruct traffic lane) have any points on driving record? Thanks.

Hey Eugene, 
Happy holiday.  
 
VC 45 has NO points. 
 
Thanks for stopping by and asking a great question. 
 

I received a ticket while parked on 11/29/09 for an expired registration sticker which had an 11/09 expiration date but an 11/14/09 "small print" date on the sticker. Is this a valid ticket given that the new sticker was purchased a month and a half before the registration expired and was in the vehicle , but not on the windshield? It just seems bizarre that you wouldn't be pulled over while moving for this but could be ticketed by a parking cop. Advice?

Hi Garry, 
I'm glad you had time to stop by our website during this busy time of year. I hope you found the information helpful. 
 
For NY registered vehicles only, the month,day and year must be inserted on your parking ticket. For out-of-state vehicles, month and year are sufficient. 
 
If you can't beat your parking ticket, you may wish to apply for a reduction of your fine (if your violation is eligible). 
 
Good luck.

Hi Larry, 
 
I recently found a ticket for alternate side parking on my windshield (which I admit I deserved). I looked up the ticket online today and I found there was another ticket for the same violation, on the same day, 10 minutes apart! I should also mention, the address they say I wrongly parked in front of is different on the 2 tickets. 
Any tips on the best way of fighting the second ticket (or both)? 
 
(Bonus question - in the ticket I found on my car it said my car is "gray" when in fact it is "silver" - any chance I can work with that?)

Dan G, 
Thanks for taking your valuable time to visit our web site and post some great questions. Let's take 'em in the order asked: 
 
1. Generally, hearing officials will dismiss a second parking ticket issued to the same vehicle, in the same parking space, for the same violation within one hour of each other. 
2. Place of occurrence is a required element. It must be inserted accurately on your parking ticket. If not, you are entitled to a dismissal of your parking ticket, upon application 
3. Sorry to report, misdescribed color of vehicle is not a required element entitling the bearer of the parking ticket to a dismissal 
 
You have some strategy challenges to consider before contesting your parking tickets: 
1. If the place of occurrence is misdescribed on the first parking ticket issued to you, and you can properly prove it was misdescribed, you are entitled to a dismissal of the first ticket 
2. Since a hearing official will generally dismiss the second ticket as set forth above, you may be able to win a dismissal of both parking tickets. 
 
Good luck. 
Let us know how you make out!

It's Joan again with the "Improper Display Registration Sticker".  
 
My violation code was "70".  
 
 
 
So, I did not pay the reduced fine and I just received a letter from the Adjunction Division and the admin judge (Renee S. Rothschild 2288) found myself guilty and charged with violation of Traffic Rule 4-08(j)(3). Does that mean I have no choice but to pay these people $65.00 because the government needs the money? What happens if I try to appeal? 
 
 
 
Please advise. Joan

It's Megan again. I was the tourist who got a NYC parking ticket back in August. My violation code was 16. The ticket had a blatantly expired registration date (not the actual date on my tags) on the ticket. I sent in my justification and did not pay the reduced fine that was offered. Yesterday I received the judgment and was ordered to pay the full $95 fine because "Respondent's defective summons claims are not persuasive."  
 
Would it have been better for me if I had showed up to court in person? As it stands, it might just be easier to pay the ticket and get it over with, however, it seems that the courts don't follow the "if an essential element is incorrect" rule any more. It seems close enough is good enough these days.

Hi Joan, 
I guess you received the DOF version of, we wish you a merry Christmas...Sorry 'bout that. 
 
When you plead not guilty and request a hearing, the custom and practice of the DOF is to offer you a reduced fine in exchange for changing your plea to guilty (many parking ticket violations are eligible for the reduced fine). If your choice is not to except the offer, your case proceeds to a review by a hearing official; and a decision will be made on the merits of your defense. 
 
You cannot take a mulligan if you lose. A reduction is not offered again after rejecting it. 
 
You have 30 days to appeal, from the date of the decision. In order to win, you must prove that the original hearing official made a mistake of law or fact. You are not permitted to offer new evidence (unless you have the permission of the DOF). 
You are required to pay your fine before you can file an appeal. 
 
Good luck, Joan. Thanks very much for sharing your experience with us.

Megan, 
Kudos for fighting the good fight! We appreciate you sharing the outcome of your battle with the DOF. It is a benefit to all. 
 
Registration expiration date is a required element. If omitted, misdescribed or illegible, your ticket should be dismissed; with the following exceptions: 
1.Out-of-State vehicles: If the registration expiration date is not visible, N/S may be substituted 
 
2.Out-of-State vehicles: a parking ticket warrior may insert month/year rather than month/year/date. So, 12/09 is also acceptable. 
 
Megan, the warrior violated the rule. Your registration expiration date is visible on your plates; and should have been inserted on your parking ticket.  
 
So, the next step is to evaluate the quality of your proofs. In addition to having to learn the rules, you are required to properly present your proofs in order to beat your NYC parking ticket. In a perfect world, you would submit a copy of your registration along with photographs of your plates clearly showing the expiration date. How did you demonstrate that the photograph was taken, prior to the issuance date of your parking ticket? Did you send in an affidavit attesting to the fact that your photograph shows your car the way it appeared on the date the ticket was issue? 
 
It is never easy with the DOF. Some judges may look at the photographs and find in your favor. Others may not.  
 
You not only have to be right, you must present your proofs, properly. This is an obstacle course, not a straight shot at the finish line. 
 
Please see Joan's post and my response about taking an appeal. If you wish to share your proofs with me, I am happy to give you my opinion about your chances of success on appeal. 
 
I look forward to your response. We all do.

My son received 2 tickets 15 minutes apart for the same violation...double parking.... this happened in Buffalo NY. Is anyone familiar with the "rules"? Is this allowed??

Ellen, 
I'm sorry to say that we are only familiar with the NYC parking ticket rules and regulations. 
 
In NYC, if a second parking ticket is issued for the same violation to the same vehicle in the same parking space within one hour, it is customary for a judge to dismiss the second parking ticket.  
 
I'm not sure about the parking rules for Buffalo. 
 
Good luck.

Just got back a decision and order on a parking ticket that had body style AND color wrong...and we had a meter ticket in our window..but sadly a "no standing" sign with hours was obscured by a large tree.. 
They did NOT excuse/nolle this ticket for the errors in body type and color...i thought i could surely win this one. maybe If i'd come BACK from CT to a freaking courthouse with pics of the tree I could have one...but there ERRORS on the ticket were not cause enough to nolle it. I'm stuck with the $115 now instead of the $90 i could have paid. SUX. period.

** Sorry for the spelling errors/typos in above post..it's 2:45 am and I just opened this "decision and order" mail I received...and I'm not a happy camper...and it's late..sorry.

Janis, 
I feel your pain. Sorry about your loss. You need two rights to win your fight. You must know the nooks and crannies of the law, and how to properly present the proper proof. When you have a vehicle registered in NY, the rules are straight forward because your registration is required to be displayed on the windshield. The body type must match the registration. Period. 
 
The big but is for out-of-state vehicles. It's confusing and conflicting. If the hearing official follows VTL 238, which is a NY State law, you win for a misdescribed body type. If the hearing official follows the NYC Rule, Title 19 Chapter 39-02, a reasonably accurate description of the vehicle will suffice. Most hearing officials will give a cigar to the warrior for being almost right. Sad but true. 
 
We recently won a case where the parking sign was obscured by a tree. You are required to take photographs of the entire block, plus front and back of every sign. The key here is making sure your photo clearly demonstrates the sign was obscured by a tree.  
 
Color of your vehicle is not a required element. So, wrong color doesn't win a dismissal. 
 
When you're right-FIGHT. I tip my hat to you for standing up for your rights. Doesn't mean you'll always win, but your integrity is worth far more than a reduced fine! 
 
Thanks for sharing your parking ticket experience, which benefits all of us.

Hello, I am pretty stunned. I just received a summons in the mail for a ticket I never received, plus penalty charges. It indicates that I had violation 48, parking on a biking lane. I was going drop off someone but I saw a flashing police car far behind me and left. I didn't even drop her off at that time. Apparently, she wrote down my license plate number and issued it that way. Is this legal? And do I have any defenses for having this dismissed? Please help me!

Just got a ticket for obstructing trafic at intersection(e)(12). I have out of state license plat(Pennsylvania). On the ticket under Body Type it says SUBN. I have a minivan. I called 311 and looked online to see what SUBN means and no one can tell me. Is it Suburban and if so, is that enough to get the ticket dismissed. Thanks for the help.

I have a ticket that was never handed to me--saw it on nyc.gov. I remember the situation and am so surprised to have a ticket from this! It was New Years Eve, in the morning, snowing and quite blustery out. I pulled to the side of the road to clear my window better and got back in the car, noticing someone behind me--I thought it was a police car (not a traffic cop), the weather was THAT bad that I couldn't tell. He obviously couldn't see me very well as he wrote my color as Unknown. I pulled away and drove on as I was temporarily parked on a very empty road. I could have pulled up anywhere but happened to have pulled over at a bus stop and this guy nabbed me. Unbelievable! Anyway, he never got out of his car and scanned my car. I found this ticket online weeks later! He wrote on ticket CD: NS and exp date: N/S DrOff. My ticket seems incomplete to me. Can I fight this? Doesn't he have to get out and hand it to me if I am there? And if he was in middle of writing a ticket when I drove off, why didn't he put his lights on or alert me in some other way? This doesn't seem right. Please help. Thanks!

Helen, 
Thanks for visiting our web site and sharing your parking ticket experience. VC48 prohibits stopping, standing or parking in a bicycle lane. I am sorry to report, under the arcane, confusing parking rules of NYC, you violate the rule when you stop, even for 1 second.  
 
If the warrior scanned your parking ticket before you drove off (a long distance shot in your case), a parking ticket will be issued. That's the procedure.  
Under the circumstances you describe, you may wish to apply for a reduced fine. 
 
Good luck. 

Rob, 
Sorry for taking so long to reply. I'm not as nimble as I used to be. Great question. Body type is a required element and must be inserted correctly on your parking ticket; If not, you win. 
 
The DOF is more lenient when it comes to out-of-state vehicles without the registration displayed on the windshield. Please let me know how your registration describes the body type of your vehicle, and I'll be happy to offer my opinion. 
 
Looking forward to your reply

Ana, 
Thanks for stopping by and posting an excellent question. It seems like the parking rules were written in the middle of the summer.  
 
If you stop for a second in a bus stop zone and do not discharge or pick up a passenger, you violated the rule. You certainly have mitigating circumstances, but a NYC hearing official will not dismiss a parking ticket for the reason you describe. 
 
A hearing official would rather lose a body part than dismiss a parking ticket for a warrior's failure to insert the name of the operator. It is almost impossible to prove you were in your vehicle when the ticket was issued, especially if the warrior inserts "drive off." 
 
You may wish to apply for a reduced fine on this one. Sorry I can't be more helpful. 
 
Good luck. 
 

Hi there, 
 
If while you were getting a parking ticket you were at the DMV changing your license plate over from an out-of-state license to a NY license, would the City likely track you down through the VIN or other information that is found on the ticket? Thanks!

ER, 
I'm not sure I understand your question. You may wish to check out several blog articles I've posted about what action NYC takes to collect parking tickets in judgment.  
 
Thanks for visiting our web site.

Hi Larry, 
 
I have a similar situation to Rick Davis above, I am PA resident and received a NYC ticket and the expiration date was marked as N/S. As you know PA requires this be displayed on the plate (and mine is there) so I believe this should be grounds for the ticket's dismissal. Can I contest the ticket online and just state this? 
 
The actual scenario is contestable as well (in my opinion), I was given a Obstructing Traffic at Intersection ticket at West 45th Street and 10th Ave. There is a Hess station at this corner. As I approached the box I saw ample room and traffic flow, but two large SUVs came flying out of the Hess station diagonally blocking traffic and ultimately getting me stuck in the box when the light turned red. I tried to get the ticket giver to simply look over at what had happened, but that was ignored. I can understand taking account for the traffic in front of you but a variable like cars coming out of gas station in NYC can easily mitigate ones initial estimates. 
 
What should I do?

Joe, 
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experience with us. We have a special place in our heart for our friends from PA.  
 
You are correct about expiration date. I suggest submitting a copy of your vehicle registration, and more importantly, photographs of your license plates, close up and connected to your vehicle (if you have a photo dated prior to the issuance of your parking ticket, that would be the bestest).  
 
I recommend fighting your parking ticket for a misdescribed required element, and telling your story as a defense to the VC9 violation. Please tell your story with an affidavit---When you're right--FIGHT. 
 
Good luck.  
Please let us know the outcome.

Hi Larry, 
 
Thanks for the quick reply. Can I introduce evidence by contesting the ticket online? Or is there another way I can do that? I am unable to fight the ticket in person is there a way I can achieve this through mail? 
 
-Joe

Joe, 
I recommend you fight your parking ticket by mail. Never on-line! 
 
Good luck. 

Larry, 
 
This site is very helpful.I got a ticket today for being parked close to a fire hydrant. Regardless of a policeman telling me that it was ok, I know I was probably too close and four days later I got a ticket. The place of ocurrence says: 
 
N/S 71st Avenue 
 
20 ft E of 76th Rd 
 
 
 
These two streets do not intersect. I was parked on a different street, E of 76th rd (that part is right). Should the ticket have the name of the street I was parked on?  
 
Can I dispute this for wrong address? 
 
Thank you so much.

Hello, 
 
I received a ticket for parking in a "No Parking" zone today and had my car towed away. I parked at that location because I assumed that Martin Luther King Day is a national holiday and therefore a "major legal holiday". I checked several NYC DOT websites in the morning and found a list of holidays including MLK Day accompanied by the following text: 
"On major legal holidays, stopping, standing, and parking are permitted.." However, after I got the ticket I looked again and found that MLK Day is not a "major legal holiday" .. but all the DOT documents I have found online are somewhat confusing on this point. 
 
My question is, do I have a case if I fight this by presenting the information I found online (ambiguous wording and formatting on the document that is very unhelpful) and the fact that MLK Day is considered a major legal holiday by the government, schools, banks, and other institutions. 
 
Furthermore, the ticket has the following info: CD (NS), Exp Date (N/S), Year (N/S). No Vin #.  
 
Do I have a case for asking them to dismiss the ticket as defective based on the above? The car is a rental with PA plates. 
 
Thank you very much for any advice you can offer. 
 
AJ

To clarify my point above, I think it is very confusing and misleading to indicate that parking rules are changed on "major legal holidays" yet exclude MLK Day from this category, simply because most people and most institutions in this country do consider it a "major legal holiday." It is misleading particularly because MLK Day IS a national federal holiday observed by the federal and state government. DOT is part of the government. Therefore, is it not misleading citizens to call it a national holiday on one hand, but not a "national legal holiday"? What on earth does that really mean and what is the purpose except to intentionally mislead?

Ximena, 
Great question. A parking ticket warrior is permitted to describe the place of occurrence as "in front," "opposite," and "in detail." I despise when the warriors describe a place of occurrence "in detail." It reminds me of a pirate map to locate a buried treasure. 
 
Regardless which of the 3 methods is used by the warrior, it must be accurate! If misdescribed, you are entitled to a dismissal of your parking ticket. Keep in mind you need 2 rights to fight. You seem to have the first; the second right is to present the proper proof, properly. 
 
How will you prove the place of occurrence is misdescribed? Good luck. Please let us know the outcome. 
 
When you're right--FIGHT!

AJ, 
I am sincerely sorry for your miserable parking experience. You pose a very important question. I received calls from a number of web site visitors yesterday expressing confusion about the parking rules in effect on MLK day. 
It motivated me to write an article on my blog about parking rules suspensions to supplement my previous post. I plan to follow it up with a third article and offer a free download for all three articles. 
 
You ultimately reached the correct conclusion about MLK day. It is not a "major legal holiday," for purposes of NYC parking rules. It is categorized as a "legal holiday." Therefore, only alternate side parking rules are suspended. 
 
In my humble opinion, you do not stand a chance gaining a dismissal of your parking ticket due to the ambiguity you faced (confusion and ambiguity are the best weapons of the DOF & DOT). 
 
My guess is your vehicle is registered outside of NY. If so, a warrior may insert "N/S," or "N/A" if the information is not displayed on your windshield or license plates. 
 
Due to these circumstances, you may wish to apply for a reduction of your parking ticket fine. Good luck.

Larry, in my eyes, you are a NYC hero! I am trying to read all of the comments, and all of the information on the site. From what I gather, it seems that if "Date Registration Expires" is blank, I may be able to get the ticket dismissed.  
 
 
 
 
 
The ticket I was issued is a hand-written NYPD ticket. Next to "Date Registration Expires", the N/S bubble is empty, and the boxes for the date below are also completely empty. For a car registered in NJ, is this adequate for dismissal? 
 

I've received two parking tickets in Brooklyn for parking in a street cleaning zone. The catch? I was never parked there. For one I was parked across the street (obeying alt side parking) and the other my car was nearly a block south, where no signs were posted. Since they never left tickets I wasn't aware of them til nearly a month later. My word against theirs? How does one fight this ticketing scam?

hi i got a parking ticket of no standing 7am to 7 pm zone but the ticket does not have the time when it happend(it has the date)

Brian 
Thanks for taking your valuable time to visit our web site and post your important comment. I'm also blushing from your very kind words. Thank you. 
 
You are a winner. For NJ registered vehicles, a NYC parking ticket must insert "N/S" or "N/A" for expiration date. If the tiny ns box is not circled or checked on a hand written ticket, and nothing is entered in the boxes below, you are entitled to a dismissal of your parking ticket. 
 
Make a wish, blow out the candles and submit your parking ticket dispute to the DOF, with your defense by certified mail. In 75 days your wish will be granted. 
 
Congratulations.

Hal 
Shame on the warriors participating in this scam. It was great speaking with you. I'm looking forward to the action we discussed. 
 

Daljit 
Take your victory lap. "Time of violation" is a required element, which must be entered accurately on your parking ticket. If not, you are entitled to a dismissal. 
 
Great news. Congratulations. Submit your parking ticket with your not guilty plea, and a letter explaining the omitted required element by certified mail, RRR, to the address on the back of your ticket. 
 
Take a photo of the defective parking ticket and put it in your scrap book. Nicely done. 
 

I had an argument with a traffic agent two weeks ago; I was sitting in my vehicle (standing) in a 1 hour parking from 9 to 7 zone. She demanded that I move but I told her I was picking someone up momentarily (I was) and merely "standing" since it was a no parking zone she became incensed and walked off in a huff. I was not issued a summons or so I thought when out of curiosity I went into the nyc gov website and lo and behold; a summons was issued for failure to display meter "ticket" or something to that effect. I'm a retired nyc police officer and thought that I knew the law, a summons is supposed to be a personal service which I did not receive so that when it comes in the mail I'll have no recourse but to pay the fine AND the late fee since I wouldn't have realized I received the summons in the first place. This is a scandal!!!!! I'm sure this has happened to other people or has it?

dannymac 
Thanks for visiting our website, posting your valuable comment, and all your years of service to the citizens of NYC. 
 
Here's the scoop: 
1. The definition of Parking and Standing are essentially the same under the NYC parking rules.  
2. You are permitted to stop temporarily to drop off or pick up a passenger. Temporarily means 2 minutes or less. You are not permitted to wait for a passenger. It is STOP, DROP/PICK-UP, and GO. 
3. VTL 238 requires a warrior to insert the name of the operator on the parking ticket, if present in the vehicle at the time of violation. Unfortunately, this rule is not properly enforced by NYC hearing officials 
4. Before you run off and pay the fine, go online and check the front of the ticket for mistakes. If any required elements are omitted, misdescribed or illegible, You win upon application 
5. If no mistakes, I recommend you apply for a reduced fine. The fine will be reduced to $90.00 in exchange for your guilty plea. 
 
You made it through your police career in fine shape. It is a felony to assault a warrior. If you and a warriors path crosses, take the ticket quietly; and then see if you can beat it. You can't win a fight with a warrior. 
 
Good luck.

Hi Larry, 
 
I am so happy I stumbled to your blog by accident. I have an issue pending with NY city regarding a ticket that I was given in October of 2009. At the moment, the status on the website is "Hearing Pending" which I am not sure what it means nor if I have to take any further steps. I sent a detailed letter to the dept of Finance in order to fight said ticket. Briefly I can tell you that I went out on a Thursday night to a lounge in Manhattan and used the lounge's Valet Services and they parked my car illegaly on the wrong side of the street. I was not aware of this until I tried paying for another ticket and was surprised to learn that another ticket had been issued to my vehicle. I explained all this in my letter. What are the odds of them dismissing this and what does "hearing pending" mean? 
 
Thanks kindly in advance, 
 
Brigitte

Brigitte 
I am happier than you that you stumbled upon us. Thanks for sharing your important questions. 
 
"Hearing Pending" means that the DOF received your defense letter and placed it in the queue for review by a hearing official. There is nothing further for you to do. 
 
A parking ticket is issued to the operator and owner of a vehicle. Ultimately, it is your responsibility. Unfortunately, a defense to a NYC parking ticket is not that someone else was driving the car with your permission.  
 
Have you spoken to the Lounge Manager; or manager of the valet service? They are responsible. Will they do the right thing and pay the ticket? 
 
Good luck!

i received (2)tickets for the same violation (parking too close to a hydrant, one at 9:36pm and the other at 9:52pm on the same day. 
One ticket I never received (only saw it online)the other, I am disputing for missing information. Can they prosecute me twice for the same offense within minutes of each other? What can I do?

Terry 
Thanks for visiting our website and posting an excellent question. 
If you are issued 2 parking tickets for the same violation, in the same space, within 1 hour of each other, it is customary for a hearing official to dismiss the second parking ticket. 
 
A big bang is when you can win a dismissal of the first ticket for a missing required element; and the second ticket is dismissed because it is issued within 1 hour of the first. 
 
Make us proud. 
Good luck.

PLEASE HELP ME. 
 
I JUST DISCOVERED BY GOING ON THE NYC WEBSITE THAT I HAVE A TICKET FOR NO STANDING TRUCKS LOADING UNLOADING. I JUST DROP OFF SOMEONE ON THE STREET AND DRIVE OFFNOT EVEN KNOWING THAT THERE WAS A TICKET PERSON APPROCHING MY VEHICKLE. APPARENTLY I GOT TICKET BUT WHEN I CHECKED THERE IS A MISSING VIN NUMBER ON THE TCKET. I AM SHOCKED THAT THERE WAS SOMEONE TAKING DOWN MY INFORMATION FROM THE FAR DISTANCE. THEY GOT MY PLATE NUMBER AND THATS IT. HOW CAN I FIGHT THAT TICKET AND WHAT KIND OF ARGUMENTS I CAN USE TO HAVE IT DISMISSED. IS THERE A LAW THAT I CAN REFER TO TO PROTECT MY RIGHTS? PLEASE HELP. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.

Hi Kociak 
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your parking ticket experience. You are not alone with what happened to you. 
 
First: Check for mistakes on the front of your ticket. Unfortunately, VIN number is not a required element entitling you to a dismissal. Any other mistakes? 
 
Second: A defense to a parking ticket for NO STANDING...is that you were stopped temporarily to drop off or pick up a passenger. 
 
When you're right_FIGHT! 
Good luck.

Hi Larry! 
 
I just read your response. The first thing I did when I knew about the ticket was try to contact the lounge manager but was unable to reach them. I will try again and see what happens.  
 
You are great! Thanks so much for helping everyone here on your website. I read most of your comments and have learned a lot! It feels good to know that we can still count on citizens like you!!! Keep up the good work!!

Brigitte 
Thanks for your kind words. Made me feel great. 
 
Good luck!

Hi, Parking Guru! 
 
I see the pattern regarding the whole if-the-ticket-was-issued-within-one-hour-for-the-same-offense thing but does that apply to an expired inspection ticket too? The tix were one the same day but a few hours apart in difference parking spots, will the 2nd ticket ordinarily be tossed out? I paid the first tix and disputed the second one with a note of explanation and received back a reduction offer where I can pay a reduced fine of $43 (vs $65)... or do nothing and it'll go on to a judge to review the case. I'm reluctant to pay the reduced fine because I don't think you should be able to get infinite tickets on a single day for a inspection sticker issue. Am I being dum and/or naive? THANKS!

Doug 
Flattery will get you everywhere. Thanks for the promotion to guru. You pose a terrific question.  
 
When a parking ticket is for a vehicle specific violation, such as your ticket for expired inspection sticker, a second ticket for the same vehicle specific violation is customarily dismissed if issued anywhere in NYC within 24 hours of the first parking ticket. The powers-to-be cut the driving public a little more slack for this category of parking violations. 
 
If you do nothing, a judge will review your parking ticket and render a decision. Good luck.

Hello Larry, 
 
I am grateful that someone out there is helping innocent victims of ruthless money greedy parking enforcers just so anxious to meet their quotas.I enjoy reading these stories and fighting tickets... 
 
Anyway, I just want to make sure I am clear. This case parallels the one of the Martin Luther King Holiday Parker. Yesterday, my car was towed ( no outstanding unpaid tickets) for no parking from Mon Through Fri at certain times... 
 
I read in an article in the NY Times that they tow your car now for unpaid tickets or for major violations. Can they tow your car for no parking certain hours on a holiday,after they issue you a ticket?( shouldnt this what is referred to as a non revenue violation ?) 
 
Also Im a NJ Plate and it says CD NS Exp Date N/A and Year N/S? 
 
Vin number was blank. Is there anything I can do? Its digusting how many people were there with me- I think they send extra tow trucks on holiday! 
 
Ticket was for 60 dollars so probably not worth trying to reduce? Does that process cost anything by mail? 
 
Thanks so much for helping everyone and posting all this. I will save your website under my favorites! I am incensed and will now look at traffic officials with more disgust than before 
 
Jonathan

Larry,  
 
To clarify I meant to say non revenue generating tow! Anyway in the NY times article , Deputy Inspector Pilecki ,commanding officer of the Parking Enforcement District said "enforcement agents are reminded that it is the policy to tow any illegally parked vehicle displaying three or more parking summonses". There was no sign for tow away zone also. 
 
There were many innocent people waiting there with me whose car was towed on the holiday. One guy whose wife was the registered owner was fighting with them because she had a newborn and he didnt want her coming out in the snow to pick up the car. And he had the same last name , address everything. How did he have the keys, he stole them? I couldnt believe they were giving him a hard time. 
 
DISGUSTING! 
 
Thanks again 
 
Jonathan

Jonathan 
I hear you and feel all of our website visitor's pain with this towing stuff. You've posed some excellent questions. 
1. All NYC is a tow away zone. No requirement to post signs to that effect. This law went into effect in the 1950's 
2. You can be towed if you park "illegally," and have more than $101 in outstanding parking fines, in judgment 
3. A car will only be returned to the registered owner; or someone authorized in writing to pick up the car, who presents other required documents 
4. NJ does not required registrations be displayed on the windshield; nor expiration dates on the license plates. Ergo, "N/S"(not shown) or "N/A"(not applicable)is properly entered by the warrior.  
5. CD is not a required element 
6. VIN # is not a required element 
7. You can apply for a reduced fine on-line (see blog post, "Application for fine reduction")Why not? 
 
I've published prior blog posts that cover towing rules/regulations in more detail which you may wish to read. 
 
Be careful out there.  
Good luck!

i am disabled with 2500 worth of parking tickets can i get around them

Lastpoet 
Thanks for taking your valuable time to visit and post an interesting question. I'll need some additional information before I can offer my opinion. 
 
Please be kind enough to submit a form and I'll be happy to reply. 
Good luck.

Hi Larry, 
 
Glad there's someone who can offer this much advice on NYC tickets. 
 
I read your point on N/S & N/A for exp date on NJ plates are valid. This information will disappoint my uncle (parking lot ticket). But what about other states? I got an obstructing traffic ticket driving an Illinois plate car. 
Illinois does not have windshield registration, and the exp date is on the rear license plate. Does the NJ rule apply to IL plates, or do I have a shot getting it dismissed? 
 
Thanks

Hi! I received a parking ticket today for overtime pkg-time limit post (d) DAYS/HRS: ECXEPT Su/9A-7P 
 
the time of offense was 3:38pm and Time 1st observed 2:28pm. All the info in the ticket are correct, plates, vin, color,etc... My question is: The sign clearly states that you can only park for an hour but there is not meters at all in this area. There were before but those meters are no longer in the area, but the sign still there, i have parked previously for more than an hour and never got a ticket. How do they determine that i was there the whole time from the first time it was observed? how come they can just think that i moved and came back like i have done before and ended up parking at the same place? can i fight this ticket or there is something else besides my words that hearing officers might ask for to proof my case? also, is it a good idea to fight a parking ticket online or they will give you less credibility when you do it that way?

Hi Larry, 
 
I emailed you some time ago about a ticket they gave me for being too close to a hydrant.  
 
The place of occurence was indicated on a street 20 ft E of another one. The first St was not where I was parked.  
 
SO I wrote a letter and attached a google map showing that both streets mentioned are 9 blocks apart. And I got my ticket dismissed! :) 
 
Thanks for your help. 
 
Ximena

Ximena 
You made my day, Ximena. You fought the good fight and won! 
Congratulations. Thanks for sharing your good news. 
 
(I love using Google Maps to fight a parking ticket).

Louis 
Thanks for stopping by all the way from Illinois, and posing a great question. N/S and N/A only applies to States that do not display registration information on the windshield or license plate. 
 
For example, Connecticut displays registration information on the windshield. Ergo, a warrior is required to insert the date of expiration, otherwise, the parking ticket will be dismissed upon application. 
 
Pennsylvania vehicles display the month and year of registration expiration on the license plate. Ergo, a warrior must insert this information. N/A or N/S is not acceptable. 
 
If registration expiration month and year is displayed on your rear license plate, I recommend fighting the ticket if the warrior inserted N/S or N/A. You may wish to submit photographs of the license plate attached to your car, and a close up of the plate showing the month and year clearly visible. 
 
Good luck. 
Let us know how you do. 

my car was stolen from me a year and a half ago and they must have used my plates to put on another car, so im going to buy another car and i just wanted to make sure all of my bases are covered so i went on the nys.gov site and saw i had two tickets that date march of 09 after my car got stolen. on one of the the tickets the exp date says n/s and wrong color and no vin # and the other ticket has a completely wron vin# and wrong color

Ronald 
Thanks for paying us a visit. We sincerely hope you found the information helpful. 
 
If your car was registered in NYC, the expiration date must be inserted in the parking ticket. If not inserted, you can fight you ticket for a missing required element. 
The VIN# and COLOR are not required elements. Unfortunately, if misdescribed or omitted, these elements do not come with a get out of jail free card. 
 
Generally, you have one year from the date a default judgment is entered to dispute a parking ticket. Once DJ is entered, you must request a hearing after judgment. You must demonstrate legally sufficient excusable neglect and a substantial defense. 
You may wish to check out some blog articles I've written about the process. 
 
You have both. But, you must present the proper evidence properly to prevail. 
 
Good Luck!

I was recently parked on a street on the permissible side of a NO STANDING ANYTIME (from here onward with the arrow indicating said direction) sign, with four other cars parked on the permissible side of the sign. The sign was there for well over a year and cars always parked in those spots without tickets. Well, the sign was taken down while my car was parked there (without any notice), and thus the NO STANDING ANYTIME sign in the middle of the block become the only governing sign for that street. My car was ticketed 3 days in a row (Sat., Sun. & Mon.) for being in a NO STANDING zone, however when I parked in that location it was legal to do so. All of the other vehicles parked there also received multiple violations. What can be done to fight these tickets?

Dave 
Talk about the "mean streets of NYC." I wish I could tell you that you're the first person this happened to. You're not. Amazing. 
 
One of the unheralded pieces of legislation passed by the NYC Council along with the "5 Minute Grace Period Bill" requires the DOT to post a notice on their website of the intention to change parking signs. It is my understanding the legislation is effective March 21, 2010. 
 
In the interim, and if it were me, I would fight any parking ticket where the parking rule was changed AFTER I parked my vehicle. The Mayor talks about the chaos that will be unleashed because of the 5 Minute Grace Period Bill. Well, how about movable and removable parking signs changing the parking law of a street. Ridiculous to hand out parking tickets under this circumstance. 
 
How will you prove your car was parked on the street, prior to the sign change? 
 
Good luck. 
Let us know the outcome. 
Thanks for visiting and sharing your valuable and absurdly informative parking experience.

I received two tickets for over-due inspections this weekend, parked in the exact same location... i never moved my car from the time I parked Saturday morning until I went to work Monday morning. 
 
 
 
The first ticket was registered at 1pm Saturday, the second at 8am Sunday. 
 
 
 
I think it's pretty ridiculous to get hit with two $65 fines for the same offense when the car never moved. I wasn't aware of the inspection, and dropped my car off this morning to get it taken care of. 
 
 
 
What are my options/odds of getting the second ticket dismissed?

I received two tickets, the first on a Saturday and the second on a Sunday for being parked in the same location illegally. The summonses remained on my windshield for the duration of the entire weekend. The second summons indicated in the Comments section "No Summons visible" even though the first summons from the day before was clearly visible on the windshield. Do you beleive this inaccurate information on the ticket would be grounds for dismissal? I have pictures of the car with both summonses visible on the windshield.

Hi Larry -- 
 
 
 
I received a ticket for Obstructing Traffic at Intersection (code 09). I had a similar situation to folks that have already posted -- traffic was moving, I was cut off, traffic abruptly stopped; my car and a van were left side-by-side in the cross-walk, and two other cars were behind me. All were ticketed except for the van immediately next to me in the cross walk.  
 
I'd like to fight the ticket for many reasons, but I want to make sure I lead with the best argument. In addition to (in my opinion) following the law, I also believe that there are many errors on my ticket. 
 
My car is registered in NJ and my expiration tags are clearly visible. My ticket has the following: CD - NS. Exp Date - N/A. Make - NS. Year - N/S. 
 
Do you recommend I lead with the missing ticket information or the fact that traffic was moving when I entered the box (and by way of another I was forced to stay within the box when the light turned red)?  
 
A better question might be: can I do both, or do I need to pick one? 
 
 
 
Thanks for your time.

Shannon 
Thanks for visiting our website and posting a very excellent question. There are certain cases where I recommend appearing personally at a parking ticket hearing, and this is one of them. 
 
If you receive more than one "status" violation tickets, such as overdue inspection, in the same day, the second ticket and subsequent tickets issued the same day will be dismissed. Technically, your tickets were issued on different days; but within 24 hours of each other. 
 
One excellent parking ticket commentator, a former parking ticket judge, states that if more than one "status" violation tickets are issued in one week of each other, the second ticket and subsequent tickets will be reduced to $20 each. 
 
Here's a recap: 
1. Present your case at an in-person hearing 
2. Tell your story calmly and respectfully, regardless of the Judge's demeanor 
3. Suggest that the second "status" violation be dismissed because it was issued within 24 hours of the first 
4. If not dismissed, you understand it may be eligible for a reduction to $20 
5. Remember your first ticket is eligible for a reduced fine. 
 
You can never, ever predict the outcome of a parking ticket hearing; but it is an option for your consideration. 
 
Let us know the outcome. 
Good luck.

Dave 
Great question. Bad answer.I don't believe the warriors comment by itself will reward you with a dismissal of your tickets. BUT, 
 
1. Have you checked for mistakes on the front of either ticket? If mistakes are required elements, you are entitled to a dismissal upon application 
2. Do you have a defense to any of the violations? 
3. You may wish to consider my reply to Shannon's comment 
4. If all else fails, you may wish to apply for a fine reduction 
 
Good luck. Thanks for joining the conversation.

Jessica 
The illegal tactics employed by some of the warriors in enforcing VC9 drive me "nuts." I am sorry to say the Axis of Evil, ie DOF_Some Warriors_Some Judges is making it very very difficult to get a fair shake when it comes to disputing an illegally issued ticket for this violation. We have to keep fighting the good fight. I am in the process of fighting the "political fight" with some of the stakeholders. 
 
I recommend leading with a mistake on the front of the ticket, which is MAKE-N/S. Attach a copy of your vehicle registration with your letter, and a photograph of your car. The other mistakes do not involve "required" elements, and will not reward you with a dismissal. 
 
Next, I suggest presenting your argument that you entered the box on a green light and....(the law) and tell your story. 
 
When you're right-FIGHT! 
Let us know the outcome. 
Good luck. 

I got a parking ticket by my plate is incorrect ? is this automatic dismisal, and what should I do ?

Hi! 
We got two tickets for not having seats in the back of our minivan. Comment on ticket, " no driver. no permit. no rear seats. " Code "improper registration (j) (1). We're moving some things out of our apartment and had to take the back 2 rows of seats out to make room. We parked in front of our building near Lincoln Center in a legal spot. This morning they gave us another ticket. It's a minivan. Not a commercial van. I don't get it. Is there a law about back seats in mini vans? Ford windstar.

Asim 
Sorry for the delay in responding to your excellent question. Your plate number is a required element. If it is misdescribed, you are entitled to a dismissal upon application. 
 
Plead guilty by mail. Explain your reason and attach a copy of your vehicle registration. Send your defense package by certified mail, rrr to the address on the back of the ticket. 
 
Nicely done. 
You are a winner!

Hi Larry- 
Kind of a long story, but here goes: I parked my car on W89th St in Manhattan near the corner, where it hits Riverside Drive diagonally, and the corresponding crosswalk goes diagonally across 89th street. There was just enough space in front of another car to park, but although the side of the car next to the curb was out of the crosswalk, the other corner of the car jutted into the diagonal crosswalk by about a foot. I was about to drive off to find another spot, but a security guard standing nearby approached me and said "don't worry, it's fine! Trust me, you're good!" He seemed to know what he was talking about, so I left it there. 
When I returned the next morning, there were two tickets on it, 10 hours apart. One was for parking in a crosswalk, the other was for "Beyond Marked Space (d) (4)". 
So here are my questions: 
The crosswalk ticket gave the location as "173 Riverside Drive" with the "opposite" oval filled in. The car was indeed there, but it wasn't opposite 173 Riverside Drive across RSD. It was opposite 173 RSD across 89th St. -173 RSD is a corner building, and the main entrance is on 89th St. So "opposite 173 RSD" is not an unambiguous description of the location. It should have said "89th St., opposite 173 RSD", or "RSD, opposite 173 RSD". Do I have a case? 
Second question: my reading of "Beyond Marked Space (d) (4)" gives me the impression that it's a law about not hogging up two parking spots: "When markings upon the curb or the pavement of a street designate a parking space, no person shall stand or park a vehicle in such designated parking space so that any part of the vehicle occupies more than one space or protrudes beyond the markings designating such a space" 
There are no markings at that location that signify "designated parking spaces"- it's just a street, with a crosswalk designating where it's forbidden to park, and a street cleaning regulations sign behind the car in back of mine (further up there's a school with No Parking signs). 
So again - do I have a case? 
Or do you have any other suggestions? 
The security guard later said "you should fight it!" 
Great. 
 
Well thanks for listening to my tale of woe! I hope it was somewhat amusing. 
 
Steve

Steve, 
Whew....Never, ever listen to the butcher, baker or candlestick maker about nyc parking advice. Here are some suggestions: 
 
1. I agree with your reading of d(4). Fight this ticket, you're right 
 
2. I am sorry, but I don't quite understand your explanation of why the place of occurrence is wrong. More importantly, how do you intend to prove the address is wrong? If you can prove the address inserted on the ticket is wrong, you win. I'm happy to read more, if you be a little more specific about the address, and why you believe it's wrong. 
 
Thanks for taking your valuable time to visit. Let's work a little harder to prove the place of occurrence is wrong. Looking forward to your reply.

Ellen 
10,000 pardons. I overlooked your comment. Please excuse my delay in responding to your excellent question. Tricky question. Generally, if a mini-van is registered as a commercial vehicle, it must have rear seats and fittings permanently removed. If a mini-van is registered as a non-commercial vehicle, it is supposed to have rear seats. 
 
I completely understand what you did. However, warriors shoot first and ask questions later. My recommendation is to fight the parking ticket. I suggest explaining exactly why you temporarily removed the rear seats (and not the fittings?). Enclose photographs showing the seats are back in your van. Explain you do not use the van in connection with any business. Also, show there is no lettering on the doors. You should win, said the spider to the fly. 
 
Please let me know how you make out. 
Good luck.

Hi Larry, 
 
I posted something last Saturday, but it's not here anymore. Back in December I wrote you to tell you I got a ticket for parking my car in a zone that had standing after 10pm. They towed it too. And I'm from NJ. When I was preparing to pay the ticket, I noticed that the body of the car (2 door) said it was a 4 door. I sent in my Not Guilty plea, but they rejected it saying that getting the body right did not render the ticket void and that everything else was correct. Wasn't that an essential element, however? I know there was that "slight chance" that my NJ residency would affect the outcome, but accuracy doesn't matter for me? Do I call their bluff of just pay it at this point? 
 
Thanks, 
 
Annie

I received a ticket for parking in a commercial metered parking zone. Unfortunately I wasn't paying much attention to the sign (thought it said "EXCEPT SUNDAY" but it actually said "INCLUDING SUNDAY"). 
 
I drive an out of state plated car, and the ticket is unfortunately mostly marked correctly. 
 
However, for the registration expiration date, BOTH N/S is marked and the month and year of my expiration is filled in. 
 
Since both of these are specified, can this be considered defective? 
 
Thanks!

Is there such a thing as a "doctors only" parking space and if so, how would it be marked? Thank you.

Hi Larry - 
 
Thanks for your words of encouragement on one of my two tickets at 173 Riverside Drive (3/26 post). I'll certainly try the defense - does one take photographs to show that there are no designated parking spots at that location? 
 
Getting back to the description of location on the other ticket, maybe I should restate it: The ticket said "Opposite 173 Riverside Drive". This is not incorrect, but I think it's too vague. To take an extreme example, if it said "Manhattan", it would be correct too, but certainly not specific enough. Or if it said "Riverside Drive" with no other information, that would still not be specific enough. Even if it said "corner of Riverside Drive and W 89th", that wouldn't cut it, right? 
 
So where do you draw the line to say what's specific enough? Because 173 RSD is at the northeast corner of RSD and W89th, "Opposite 173 Riverside Drive" could be two different places: 
 
(1) it could be on the west side of Riverside Drive, just north of its intersection with W89th, or 
(2) it could be on the south side of W89th St., just east of its intersection with Riverside Drive. 
 
Both locations are opposite the same building, but they're not even on the same street (actually, in the absence of further information, I'd think that the default interpretation would be (1), but it was parked at (2)). 
 
So is this a legitimate claim? 
 
Thanks again for your patience and advice. 
 
Steve

I received a parking ticket the other day for an expired meter. The VIN # is filled in with a four digit number which is not my complete VIN #. Is this grounds for arguing the ticket as defective?

I received a ticket for blocking someone Garage driveway (which is sealed shut) but the in the complaint box it said citizen complained not owner, I was also towed can I had to pay it to get my car out of the marshals tow can i still fight it. also recievd a ticket for expired reg., I applied for a new reg it came the day after i got the ticket.

Steve, 
Thanks for the follow up info. The description of the place of occurrence must be accurate. So, we know for sure that a detailed description that says, "Park Avenue 25 feet from the corner of ______, is wrong. It can be any one of several corners and does not adequately describe the location of the parking crime. A Judge will dismiss a ticket with that description. 
 
If you can demonstrate by your excellent explanation AND a Google Map street view screen capture, or other such demonstrative evidence that the description is susceptible to more than one interpretation, you have a good chance of winning. My only proviso is I'm not sure common sense applies when fighting NYC parking tickets. 
 
Good luck. Please keep us posted, Steve.

Annie, 
You absolutely did the right thing and fought your parking ticket properly. What we have been noticing is that parking ticket judges are weaseling out of dismissing parking tickets by focusing on the words in 19 RCNY 39-02 that only require a "description" of the vehicle. Title 19 consists of rules promulgated by the NYC DOF. The trend seems to be away from dismissing parking tickets because of a 2DSD vs. 4DSD error. 
 
This conflicts with VTL 238, which is a rule promulgated by the State of NY. Sec. 238 requires an accurate description of the body type. NYC essentially ignores VTL 238 whenever possible. 
 
What can be more obvious than a car with 2 doors, versus a car with 4 doors. Unfortunately, we seem to be losing this fight; especially involving out-of-state vehicles. Sorry for your lose. 
 
I hate to say it but, you probably don't stand a real good chance on appeal on this one.

Jason 
Great to hear from you. The answer is, "It depends." If you are from a State that requires the month and year your registration expires be posted on your windshield or license plate, than I recommend fighting your parking ticket. N/S or N/A is reserved for situations when the registration expiration data is not displayed. 
 
If the info is not displayed on the windshield or plate, I recommend seeking a reduced fine. 
 
Make sure to present the proper proof properly, if applicable. You'll need to submit your registration and photographs of the expiration date clearly displayed on YOUR vehicle. 
 
Good luck. Let us know how you make out.

Rob, 
Thanks for taking your valuable time to visit our website and post a great question. VIN # is not a required element entitling you to a dismissal of your parking ticket upon application.  
 
Sorry 'bout that. But, I'm thrilled you know to look for mistakes on the front of the tickets. There is parking ticket gold in them thar required elements. 
 
Good luck.

Christy 
Thanks for joining the conversation with a great question. I'm not sure I completely understand, but lets begin here. There are certain parking rules that physicians can ignore, if they have a NY registered vehicle with a doctor's license plate. (No parking in certain locations). 
 
I'm not aware of a parking sign that specifically authorizes doctor parking in certain spaces regulated by the sign. Am I getting warm? 
 
You may wish to read some blog posts I've written about doctor's parking rules. I'm happy to try again if I've missed your point. 
 
Good luck.

Sherwin 
Great questions. The answer is yes, you can fight your parking ticket. Let me translate for you....4-08(f)(2)is the "driveway" rule. The rule permits the owner of a building to park in front of his own driveway, if the premises do not contain more than 2 dwelling units. 
 
The rule further provides that the general public can park in front of a driveway where the garage is rendered unusable due to the presence of a building or other fixed objects.  
 
The interesting question you pose if, "what is the status of a sealed garage?" Happy to discuss this further with you. 
 
Good luck.

I received three parking tickets for parking in a no parking spot on a side street within 24 hours. Is it within parking rules and regulations to ticket someone for the same violation three times in a 24 hour period? Thank you.

Hi. I received a parking ticket for parking in a no parking part of the street. The place where I parked the yellow paint was worn off of a large portion of the curb so it was just a plain curb. going back the next day in the light I saw a few cars up and down the street there wasw bright yellow and faint yellow still existed where I parked. There was also a no parking sign up the street that I didn't see. Can they still give me a ticket since the yellow paint on the curb was worn off? Thanks!

Jon, 
Thanks for visiting our website and joining the conversation with several good questions. 
 
It is customary for a judge to dismiss the second ticket if,  
1. The same violation 
2. The same parking space 
3. Within one hour of the prior violation 
 
Except, if the parking tickets involve a "status" violation. A "status" violation is for an improper, missing, or expired inspection sticker, an improper registration sticker, etc. Generally, a judge will dismiss a second, third, fourth "status" ticket if issued within 24 hours of the first one. 
 
Painted curbs mean nothing under the NYC parking rules. It is an urban parking myth. Every one looks for them, but yellow markings mean nothing. Do you really believe the NYC DOT or DOF would ever give you fair warning a parking ticket is about to be issued. I've never heard of a parking ticket warrior yelling, "move your car or I'll shoot." 
 
I suggest you check for mistakes on the front of your parking ticket. If you find an omitted, misdescribed or illegible required element, you win upon application.  
 
If none, and no other defense, apply for a reduced fine. 
 
Thanks for sharing your parking experience. It helps all of us. Good luck.

Hi Larry - 
 
After years without a ticket, I'm on my third in a month. The latest one is the dreaded "pedestrian ramp". I've read your posts on this, "T" intersections, etc. But I downloaded the latest (4/10/10) Traffic Rules pdf from the DOT site, and I can't figure out for the life of me where it says you can't block a pedestrian ramp outside a crosswalk. 
 
4-08(f)(7) says "A person MAY stop, stand or park a vehicle alongside or in a manner which obstructs a pedestrian ramp NOT located within such crosswalk, unless otherwise prohibited". Nothing about "T" intersections. 
 
The ramp I blocked was outside an adjacent marked crosswalk on the long arm of a T intersection. What am I missing?? 
 
Thanks, 
 
Steve

Steve, 
Great to have you join the conversation. Sorry to hear we lost "Teflon Steve." 
 
I'm not quite sure I understand your question, but. Here's a copy and paste from the DOT website about T intersections. 
 
Effective December 2008, the New York City Traffic rules have been modified to allow parking at some "T" intersections, those without traffic signals or all-way stop signs or crosswalk markings. These locations have caused confusion in the past, as they were not clearly delineated as spaces for pedestrians or cars. The rule change has enabled the Department to put them in the category appropriate for each location, making it clearer for motorists, pedestrians and enforcement agents. 
 
Parking is now permitted at those "T" Intersections where the adjacent (major) street is not marked with a crosswalk and not controlled by all-way stop signs or traffic signals, even if there is a curb cut at that location. 
 
 
Parking is now allowed at curb-cuts adjacent to certain T intersections. 
 
When two streets intersect but do not cross it is referred to as a "T" intersection. The top of the "T" is considered to be the major street and the stem of the "T" is the minor street. A curb cut is the area of a sidewalk, which has been lowered, or cut down, to facilitate access to the street.  
 
Here's the link: 
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/sidewalks/sidewalks.shtml 
 
Steve, check out my updated Blog Post, which I hope sheds some additional light on your query. 
 
If there is still any confusion, let's continue the conversation. 
Good luck!

Larry- 
 
OK, I've read the posts and the DOT site. I think the definitions need to be clearer (it might pay to draw this on a piece of paper). A "T" intersection can be represented by drawing its flanking sidewalks. There's a "stem", whose (vertical) sidewalks (left and right) end at two corners - a "left corner" and a "right corner". The top of the T consists of several parts. The horizontal lower left arm sidewalk ends in the left corner, and the lower right arm sidewalk ends in the right corner. Finally, walking from left to right along the continuous top sidewalk, there's a long "left upper arm", a "left upper junction", a "bridge", a "right upper junction", and a long "right upper arm". I'm using "junction" to refer to where the crosswalk hits the sidewalk. 
 
The extension of the vertical left sidewalk across the main street, ending in the upper left junction, defines an unmarked crosswalk (if not marked). Same for the right. There's another horizontal crosswalk connecting the left and right corners. 
 
When you say "middle of the block" I'm not sure whether you mean the "bridge", the left and right upper junctions, or all of them. 
 
My understanding of the Traffic Rules (f)(7) as written is that it is forbidden to block a ramp in the upper junctions or the corners, whether or not there are crosswalk markings, because they fit the definition of crosswalks. But everywhere else, it is permissible to block a ramp: "A person may .... obstruct a pedestrian ramp not located within such crosswalk". It seems very unambiguous and unconditional. 
 
The amendment now allows blocking a ramp at the junctions or at the corners across the street from the junctions, if the corresponding crosswalks are unmarked and there are no traffic lights or signs. This corresponds to the four red circles on the DOT map. (You still can't block a ramp that leads into the horizontal crosswalk.) 
 
Whew. Now, my car was parked on the upper left arm of the T, just to the left of the left junction, where there was a marked crosswalk and a traffic light. It was not in the crosswalk. The ramp was also on the upper left arm, just to the left of, and therefore outside of, the marked crosswalk. 
 
My reading of the Traffic Rules is that the ramp was not in any kind of crosswalk, so it was legal to block it. Is this correct? 
 
It's not relevant to my problem, but I'm also not sure how to interpret your rule (2) how do you rule for ramps on the "bridge"? I'd say the Rules permit it there, even if there are marked crosswalks, and did even before the amendment. 
 
What say you? 
 
Regardless of the outcome, this has brought to my attention the fact that ramps serve a good purpose and shouldn't be blocked even when it's legal. 
 
Regards, 
 
Steve

Steve 
I love this conversation, your enthusiasm, and the exercise has changed your thinking about ramps. 
 
I'll put it this way, any pedestrian ramp located anywhere except a four corner intersection is legal to block; as long as it is not in a marked crosswalk or traffic control or device regulating the flow of traffic. 
 
That's how say me. 
Good day, say we. 
Good Bye for now.

Marc 
Very interesting question that is of interest to all of us. A defective parking ticket (omitted, illegible or misdescribed required element) is NOT automatic grounds for dismissal. It is grounds for dismissal upon application and proof.  
 
How is a judge to know your license plate number is incorrect? In order to prevail, you must submit a copy of your vehicle registration.  
 
To speak a little bit more about missing required elements. Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a dispute between the evil king and his humble servants. The king ordered that the servants were required to make an application and point out how the parking ticket was defective in order to win a dismissal.  
 
The humble servants argued they were entitled to an automatic dismissal, if a ticket was defective.  
 
The king and servants took their dispute to Merlin and his band of wise men. Unfortunately for the servants, Merlin and company found in favor of the evil king (what a surprise). In order to qualify for a defective parking ticket dismissal, you have to apply and point out the defect, and present proof when necessary. 
 
The king, in a moment of weakness, established a policy where his judges are required to review every ticket for defects, if a servant files a dispute. The problem is the judges do not put their heart into carrying out the kings policy. They kinda look. 
 
However, in many instances, the judges will not know there is a defect unless the servants point it out and prove it. 
 
Unfortunately, no one lives happily ever after in the land of the DOT/DOF/parking ticket warriors.  
 
The moral of this story is identify a defect, point it out and prove it. That is how you win a dismissal for a defective parking ticket.

Great site. 
 
 
 
I'm another victim of the "Obstructing Traffic at Intersection" mess. 
 
 
 
I was on 55th and 2nd Ave in Manhattan. I was the first car on the line on 55th and I tried to be the good citizen, patiently waiting for enough clearance for my car across the street. Ofcourse, everyone from 2nd ave obnoxiously turned and totally blocked the box so that by the time enough space opened up, I was sitting at a red light again. So once the light turned green for a second time I decided that I would go ahead (especially with all the angry beepers behind me). Same situation as before, all the people from 2nd ave turned right onto 55th and left me stuck in the intersection. This time though, a traffic enforcement car swings up and the agents run out in a blitz to give as many tickets as they can. The light had just turned red so I decided that I would just make the left turn and go another way. That and I wanted to avoid a ticket. Unfortunately they gave me the ticket anyway, but indicated "N/S - DrOff". They got my plate number, but they indicated 4DSD even though my car is a coupe (2 doors).  
 
 
 
First of all, I dont understand how I can be obstructing traffic AND driving off, but thats an issue for another day. More importantly, will this ticket stand considering they got my car body type wrong? I read other responses on your site that indicate yes, but the difference here is that it says "DrOff" and I wonder if this changes anything.

David 
Thanks for taking your valuable time to further document the unjust enforcement tactics of warriors for the blocking the box NYC fundraiser. Scary. 
 
You raise some great questions. The trend now from parking ticket judges is not to dismiss a parking ticket for misdescribing 2DSD vs. 4DSD. However, when there is no fine reduction, and you are right, you definitely should raise this as one of your technical defenses.  
 
Turning is a defense to a blocking the box parking ticket. I think "DrOff" works for you. As you so rightly say, if you were a box blocker, how could you drive off. 
 
Thanks for sharing your driving experience. Please let us know how you make out fighting the good fight! 
 
Good luck.

Hello I received a ticket after parking at a meter. I stoped for a second to get a quater from a friend of mine and when I turned my head the parking meter man was on my car. I put the quater in. He said its to late I scanned you car already. My question is the traffic agent required to give you a ticket after they scan your car? I have a witness also who can swear that I just got there. The traffic man said he would tell them we got there at the same time. He didn't write anything on the ticket to that affect. I think I am screwed here. The city just wants your money! Thanks.

Hey Larry, 
 
I have a parking ticket issue maybe you can clarify. 
 
I work for the state and have an official placard which was displayed in my window. I got a $115 ticket for parking in a no standing anytime except trucks loading and unloading (which is an acceptable parking space with the placard I have) 
 
Here's the twist: they added a sub-sign to this sign sometime in the day after I had parked. It said no standing 10am-6pm below the loading and unloading. Sneaky sneaky! 
 
Here my issue with the ticket: 
I had my wife's car which has NJ plates. Normally, when shes gotten a parking ticket, they put the whole VIN number or leave it blank entirely. This time, on the one I received, they only put 4 digits of the VIN number. 
 
Now I know normally the VIN is not required, but if it is on the summons incorrectly, is it grounds for dismissal? 
 
Thanks in advance! 
Paul

Hi Larry, I got a parking ticket (violation code# 17) at the staten island ferry complex. But there wasn't any signs telling that it was an unauthorised parking area. Before I parked my car, I even enquired with the security personnal and he told me that it was a free parking area. On what grounds can I dispute this ticket? 
 
Thanks 
 
Jerry

This website is great. Hope I can get an aswer to my problem. 
 
My car is registered in NJ. As my car do not have plate holder on the front bumper, a police office suggested me to keep the plate near windshield so that it is visible. I am driving like that (with paltes near wind shield) in NJ for nearly 2 years now without a problem.  
 
Now, I got a ticket in NY saying "Improper display of plates" for $65. Can NY police give me a ticket if it is fine in NJ? Please suggest

Thank you for this great website: I hope you can help me! 
 
 
 
I was victim of a fake / mistaken parking ticket in NYC… 
 
In late February, I received a summons from NYC, indicating that I was ticketed for a traffic violation on January 12. What a surprise, since I live in Maryland, in the suburbs of Washington DC, where I work every day, and my car has never gotten out of the DC area. 
 
The summons listed my plate number, together with the actual make of my car (which is surprising since it is a Mazda and the chances of an officer having the make right out of the blue are close to zero – my take is that whoever wrote the ticket had access to a database with copies of my registration certificate) – as Body type, the summons listed “Subn”, while my car is clearly not a “Suburban”, but again the registration certificate of my car mentions ‘SU” (probably for “SUV”) – The one piece of information that is not available in the registration certificate is the color…And obviously the color listed in the summons was wrong (Grey, when my car is red!). 
 
I therefore requested a hearing by mail (I guess they know very well that no one is gonna drive 500 miles and take a day off to dispute a $125 bill), convinced that I would be found not guilty. I stated the facts (that my car had never been driven out of the DC area, and particularly not to NYC, that I had used it that day to go to my work in DC, and that on top of that my car was red, not grey. 
 
The “judge” found me guilty, not referring to my statement that my car was never in NYC, but only stating that “it does not render the summons invalid that the color of the vehicle was incorrectly stated in the summons”. Unbelievable. Why do they even bother stating the color?? 
 
I appealed, attaching this time 2 affidavits from person swearing that my car was in the DC area that day. It did not matter. Appeal was affirmed and I am now left with having been extorted $125 by NYC. This is something I cannot live with, and I would like to get some advice on a few things before my next move: 
 
(1) I am convinced that this is not a “in-good faith” mistake from a cop, since again he would not have gotten the make right – Does someone know if they effectively have access to database listing Registration Certificate of state registered in other state (in MD in my case?); 
 
(2) I now plan to writhe to NYC mayor, Mr. Bloomberg, exposing the facts and asking for his mediation to repair this injustice. What do you think about this? 
 
(3) If this does not provide me with a solution, my next move would be to write to the NY Times and Washington Post to present this story and see of they have any interest in doing some research to see if this has been recently a pattern in NYC to issue random summons to out of state drivers that have no way to come in person to an audience and found them guilty whatever the proof they attach to their request for an hearing-by-mail. Anyone has ever done something similar? 
 
Any other advice would be most welcome. I just cannot believe that in the US today we can be victim of such a robbery without any way to ensure that justice will prevail. What if they start sending me this kind of summons every other week? This is pure extortion, and probably the most frustrating thing I experienced in my life… 
 

Manny 
Thanks for stopping by and posing some great questions. I agree with you about revenue raising. It's the warriors main motivation, and NYC as well. 
 
Warriors always say, they just scanned your registration; whether they do or not. Once scanned, it's like blowing a note on a trumpet. You can't take it back. 
 
I would absolutely fight this ticket but, I recommend appearing in person with your witness at a hearing. Otherwise, fight it by mail, but it will be difficult to win. I'm sorry to say. 
 
Let me know how you decide to proceed.

Paul, 
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and interesting twist on the normal required element questions. 
 
In the ultra conservative, feet in concrete world of NYC parking tickets, I would hazard to say an incomplete or inaccurate VIN number will not result in a dismissal. 
 
Sorry.

Krish, 
Terrific question. 34 RCNY 4-08 (j)(2)is the rule you want to look at. It begins with..." No person shall stand or park a vehicle unless it properly displays the current plate or plates issued to it..." The Rule then continues on for awhile; but talks solely about NY registered vehicles and motorcycles. 
 
Here's what I think. In order to fight your parking ticket and win, you'll have to present the proper proof to demonstrate that it is PROPER by law or rule to display NJ license plates on the dashboard of your vehicle. Not just that the police in NJ don't bother issuing you a ticket. 
 
You'll have to do some homework, but if you strike gold, you'll win.  
 
Good luck. Let me know how you do.

David 
I sincerely feel your pain. This is not an unusual occurrence. I've written several articles and published a video on the subject.  
 
You may wish to check out my blog to see how I've handled this deplorable situation for our clients. Occasionally it's a mistake; however, oftentimes it is very purposeful.  
 
I wish you well on your journey. I keep trying to make a strong point that with these parking or traffic tickets, the truth may not set you free. You MUST present the proper proof, properly. AND, always support your argument with documentation! Many times your unsworn statement holds very little weight. 
 

Dera Larry, 
 
 
 
Thanks for your answer. I discovered it is indeed not an unusual occurrence: 
 
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/brooklyn/2008/03/04/2008-03-04_cops_probe_bogus_parking_tickets.html 
 
So this has happened in the past, and no "judge" care about this happening again (maybe they are part of the scheme...).  
 
I have been trying to find more detailed information on your blog about how you handled similar situationas for your clients but did not find anything comparable: would you be kind enought to direct me to the right place? 
 
Anyway, my plan is now definitely to write to M. Bloomberg with my story, my proofs, and a copy of the NY Daily News article above to remind him that bogus tickets have existed in his City...So that he should find out what is going on in 2010!

I got a ticket for double parking on a school block outside my home on street sweeping day for $115 should i fight it? If so what do i need.I when on line and found out that i got anther ticket for no parking day/time limits that was not put on my car and now it has penalties added to it

David 
I wish you safe speed. 
Here's a link to a customer success story. Our client lost her first bite at the apple. I won the appeal. 
 
It was one of those bogus parking tickets. Our client lives in PA. Here last time in NYC was 10 years ago. She was charged with double parking in Queens during the week between Christmas and New Years. 
 
I provide a FREE download of the appeal I filed. 
 
http://www.newyorkparkingticket.com/Blog/bid/32856/Customer-Success-Story-How-to-Beat-a-Bogus-NYC-Parking-Ticket 
 
Keep us posted!

Samantha, 
Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation. I'll share some general principals. 
 
You can never double park on street cleaning days. Period. Please don't shoot the messenger. 
Many warriors look the other way, sometimes for years. But, they look the other way until they don't look the other way. Presto, without any warning, you get a ticket. But, it is always illegal to double park for street cleaning. 
 
Please be sure to check both tickets for defects. If you find an omitted, misdescribed or illegible required element, you win upon application. 
 
Please do not listen to your butcher, baker or candlestick maker, or the guy who lived on the block for 83 years. If they tell you it is o.k. to double park, give them your ticket to pay. 
 
Good luck.

PLEASE HELP! 
I have parked on dead end street, opposite way the cars are driving in, so they give me ticket for "parking wrong way". it was about 12-15 feet from hydrant but they give me ticket for blocking it, than another one for " no parking" sing which is not there.All 3 tickets issued at the same time 9:45 p.m.. Is it any chance i can reduce or dismiss tickets?

Alex, 
Wow. You had a warrior missile strike. On all three parking tickets, I suggest looking for mistakes. If any required elements are omitted, illegible or misdescribed, you win upon application. 
 
If no mistakes on the first two parking tickets, you can apply for a reduction on the first; unfortunately, there is no reduction offered for a fire hydrant violation. By the way, you are required to park more than 15 feet away from a pump. 
 
If no mistakes on the third, you may wish to fight the parking ticket. You'll need photographs of ALL the parking signs on the block, and the street sign confirming it is the street in question. The parking sign photos must show them on the street, AND with close up view of the sign. 
 
Good luck! 

Hi, I parked a little too close to a hydrant and was issued a ticket. When I went online to pay the ticket, I discovered that they had entered the license plate incorrectly, confusing an "M" for a "W" due to the officer's sloppy handwriting. What should I do? Should I just leave it be? I'm afraid that if I contest the ticket, they will take a closer look at the scanned image of the ticket and correct the data. At the same time, I don't want someone else to be hassled by my ticket. Thoughts?

HI. I have a number of nyc parking tickets that are due but i am moving out of state and am handing in my license plates to NY DMV. Will the tickets i have transfer with the car or NYC will have no way of tracing me anymore?

Chaim, 
We're sorry to see you go. Where are you heading. A parking ticket judgment lives for 8 1/2 years. NYC has tracked down people in far away places.  
 
I recommend dealing with these tickets, rather than let a sleeping ticket lie. When a parking ticket "wakes up," it can be pretty nasty. 
 
Good luck.

Em 
Thanks for stopping by and posing a great question. You may wish to check back periodically, but otherwise, I'd let the sleeping parking ticket lie. 
 
Good luck!

Hi 
 
I was given a ticket the other week at 01:42PM for an expired meter code 34, then 48 minutes later at 02:30PM was given another ticket by a different agent at the same meter for the same code. how many tickets can a car get in what period of time? and how would i fight them? 
 
Thanks

Hi Larry! 
 
Love your website. Helping people out of wrongful tickets is certainly admirable and I sincerely thank you for your efforts. 
 
I drive a WA state vehicle with valid license and reg, with the month and expiration date clearly visible on the rear license plate. On my ticket for Exp. Date is says N/S. If I submit valid reg, and pictures of my plates up close and legible, as well as attached to my car, do you think I have a good chance of getting out of my No Parking ticket? 
 
Also if the ticket is dismissed, does that have any effect on possibly having a towing fee refunded ($185...ouch!) 
 
Thanks so much for your time 
Dan

Dan, 
Thanks for taking your valuable time to visit our website and write those nice things. I really appreciate it. 
 
You're a winner, and you describe the proper way to present your proof. Once your parking ticket is dismissed, you are entitled to a refund of your towing charges. You are required to submit an application for tow refund form, which is available as a download on Larry's Blog. 
 
Great story. You really did your homework. Congratulations. Let us know when you receive the good news. 
 
Good luck!

Larry, 
 
Never thought I would need to read a blog like this, but after this weekend I'm pretty glad it's here. I was visiting friends in the city and was parked at a no standing sign (M-F starting at 7am). I'm from Pittsburgh and our No Parking rules don't start until 8am. So I just assumed the name for NYC. Anyway, I read an earlier reply to Megan about not having the plate expiration date correct. On my $115 (crazzzy!) ticket, it has N/S as my registration expiration. Is that valid for me to get out of the ticket? First time in the city and I don't want to pay for this ridiculous ticket. Thanks for your time, keep up the good work!

Gregory 
I'm glad you stopped by. I love Pittsburgh. What a great City! 
 
We have a number of clients and friends from PA. PA plates clearly display the month and year your registration expires. YOU WIN! 
 
I suggest you send a respectful letter stating the parking ticket reflects "N/S" rather than your expiration date, despite the month and year of expiration being clearly displayed on your plates. 
 
Enclose a copy of your vehicle registration, and two (2) photographs showing your vehicle with the plate attached, and a close up of your plate clearly showing the month and year expiration date. 
 
Send your Defense Package by certified mail, return receipt requested to: 
 
Parking Violations Hearing by Mail Unit 
POBox29021 
Brooklyn, NY 11202-9021 
 
By the way, what's the recent buzz about your rogue quarterback? Is all forgiven, or is he the Darth Vader of Pittsburgh? 
 
Good luck 
Park safely. 
Please let us know how you do with your parking ticket. 

Can someone please tell me what "CD" means? I see this box on my ticket, and there is a "4" written in it. Does this mean "car door"? If so, my car is actually a 2 door car. If this is the case, would this be grounds for dismissal? Thank you!

Hi, I recently parked in a legitimate parking spot however my car got towed and I got ticketed. The ticket is for "no standing bus stop" however the section I was in was legitimate and I have pictures and a witness as evidence. When I parked the car I even asked a nearby police office if I was ok where I was and he said yes. How should I go about fighting the ticket and getting the tow money back?

I got 115$ Ticket for OBSTRUCTING TRAFFIC AT INTERSECTION (e) (12) (In Violation of Sect 4-08 ) in New York City. Is there any point for this ticket ?

Shah 
Thanks for stopping by and posing an excellent question. 
 
You were issued the parking ticket version of "blocking the box." NO POINTS.  
 
The traffic ticket version carries 2 points. 
 
Good luck.

Jonathan, 
Thanks for taking your valuable time to visit our website and pose a great question. No standing bus stop is a tough ticket to beat. A little to involved to reply in a comment. 
 
With that said, let me offer some general advice. You must demonstrate: 
 
1.The beginning and end of the bus stop zone 
2.Your car was parked outside the zone 
3.You were stopped temporarily (less than 2 minutes) 
4.To drop off or pick up a passenger 
 
Don't take any of these details for granted. Don't offer mere conclusions like, "I only stopped for one minute." It won't work. 
What were you doing at that location? Prove it. 
 
What a cop, the butcher, baker or candle stick make says about parking legally is not evidence. Don't waste your time telling the judge he said, she said.  
 
Is your witness your priest or your rabbi? If so, you're out of luck. What value does your witness add to your story?  
 
How do you have a pix of your car parked at the location of the ticket and tow, if you were towed? 
 
If you win, you are eligible to submit a request for a tow refund. 
 
If you need more details, please feel free to call me. 
 
Good luck. 
Let us know how you do.

Hi Larry, 
 
Thank you for the great website and a lot of useful info. 
 
Last week, I got my passenger car towed from a "No Parking 8AM-6PM" zone of the Manhattan street, on which I always park. Frankly, I simply overslept and got there a bit too late -- the car was towed at 8:06AM and I understand that all of the city is a tow-away zone. However, the ticket I received said that I was parked in a "No Standing except truck unloading" zone about a half a block down. The address on the ticket is consistent with the "No Standing" zone, but it's not where I parked. 
 
I have two related questions: 
 
1. Are photos of the two different locations (alleged and real) as well as affidavits from friends who saw me parked there typically sufficient to dispute such a ticket, or am I better off trying to settle for a reduced fee? With the affidavits, is the fact that witnesses saw it the night before good enough? Obviously nobody saw it in the morning, nor could I have taken photos, because the car was gone. 
 
2. I realize that it's not necessarily relevant to this situation, but for future reference (or as an additional strategy): does unloading goods "curbside" allow the driver to carry the goods inside a building? In other words, if I can't legally stand anywhere in front of my building and have nobody to help me, would it still be considered "standing" if I were to leave the car to bring the stuff in? 
 
In any case, thank you for your time and help. Just to be clear: I have no problem paying for something that I'm responsible for. However, this location is literally down the block from my house and I always make a point of parking away from the "No Standing" zone. I just can't stand the fact that city employees, whose salaries come directly out of my pocket, then go about their business like vultures, forging a violation just to tow my car a minute after the deadline... 
 
Thanks again, 
Walter

Hi, I got the parking ticket for not parking at temportary construction area, fine $60 and I found out the color of car wrote down was wrong, my car is Gold (GL)color, but wrote was TAN color also did not wrote down the VIN# on the ticket, it is invalid ticket, do i need to pay?? Please reply ASAP!! Thank you!!

Shelly, 
 
Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation. I'm sorry to say VIN# and color of your vehicle are not required elements, entitling you to a dismissal of your parking ticket; if omitted, misdescribed or illegible. 
 
If you have no substantive defense, you may wish to apply for a reduced fine. 
 
Good luck. 

Walter,  
My blood is curdling. You were snookered by the bogus address tow scam. The warrior and tow person are in cahoots. The scam is they insert the wrong place of occurrence on the parking ticket and tow your vehicle. Impossible to prove your location without your car.  
 
The reality is, unless I am misunderstanding your story, you could have been towed at either location; so why did these rogue warriors run the scam?  
 
Your friend's affidavits generally will not lend your story the credibility it needs to overcome the warrior's presumption of being honest, law abiding, only doing their difficult job, why would they lie, warriorness is next to godliness presumption of truth. UNLESS, you have a great hook.  
 
Although it burns my tongue to utter these words, under the circumstances you describe, you are probably better off applying for the reduction.  
 
Sorry about what happened to you.  
Good luck

I received a ticket for blocking the box (e) (12). The MAKE of the car on the face of the ticket is incorrect. 
 
Is this grounds for dismissal? Do I simply contest online and state that the make on the ticket is not the make of my car? 
 
thanks, 
nitin

Nitin, 
You win!  
Please heed my prior warnings, under no circumstances, none, absolutely do not dispute a parking ticket online.  
 
How do you intend to prove the make of your vehicle is misdescribed? You're right, by submitting a copy of your vehicle registration. How do you intend to submit a copy of your vehicle registration online? You're right, you can't! 
 
Fight when you're right by mail (certified, return receipt requested), or in person (only under certain limited situations). 
 
Good luck.