The New York City Department of Finance Division of Parking Violations Operations (PVO) welcomes you to Parking Violations Portal, your one-stop resource devoted to all of the information that you need to understand why you received a parking ticket, how and where you can pay, or even how to contest the ticket before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).

Obtain a Voter Registration Form - Government services are not conditioned on being registered to vote. A voter registration form can also be obtained at http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/register.html, or by calling (212) 868-3692. Only US citizens may register to vote.

Parking Violations News

Frequently Requested Information

General Information & Services

Parking Violations Frequently Asked Questions

HelpLine

Pay / Search Parking Tickets via the Web

Operators are available Monday through Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM; our automated interactive voice system is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day by calling (718) 422-7800.

Outside of New York State, call (800) 813-9183.

Hard of Hearing and Speech Impaired callers can reach our TTY by dialing (718) 802-3555.

Answering a Parking Ticket

A response to a parking ticket must be received by the Department of Finance within 30 calendar days to avoid late fees and / or penalties. Motorists can answer a parking ticket either by mail, via the Internet, by telephone, or in-person at any of our Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers.

Click here for more information on pleading Not Guilty in person.

Parking Ticket Copies

Parking Ticket copies can be easily obtained by calling our PVO HelpLine, by visiting any of our Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers, by requesting copies via e-mail, or by mail.

The first 5 copies are free, additional copies will require a $1 per copy charge. Only 5 copies will be processed for requests submitted by E-mail. Write-in requests for large quantities of copies will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis. Generally, copies are not available until three weeks after issuance.

Printouts

Printouts (or detailed listings of tickets) by plate number, ticket numbers, or by vehicle owner name and address are also easily obtainable from the PVO HelpLine, by requesting them in-person at any one of our Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers, by requesting copies via e-mail, or by mail.

The Hearing Process

If you believe that you are not guilty of the charged violation or that there are extenuating circumstances, you can request a hearing by mail, via the Internet, or in person at any one of our Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers if you are the vehicle's registered owner, operator, or a representative of such with notarized authorization from the owner. Mail your Hearing By-Mail request.

If you are pleading not guilty by mail, send a letter explaining why you should be found not guilty of the violation, as well as copies of any evidence that you wish to present. Evidence can include, but is not limited to: testimony, photographs, repair bills, Police Reports, Department of Motor Vehicles or Insurance Company reports, towing bills, etc. All Hearings are conducted by an Administrative Law Judge. Following your By-Mail Hearing, the Judge's decision will be sent to you by mail. Please be certain to keep copies of everything that you send to the Department of Finance for your own records.

If you are claiming that the meter was too fast or not operational, do not submit your claim to our Hearing By Mail Unit, but to our Meter Unit.

SUBMISSION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE FOR A SIGN CASE

Section 4-08 (l)(i) of the New York City Traffic Rules provides that "one authorized regulatory sign anywhere on a block, which is the area of sidewalk between one intersection and the next, shall be sufficient notice of the restriction(s) in effect on that block."

If your defense is that all signs on the block were missing or illegible, or that the sign where your vehicle was parked is different from the one stated on the summons, please submit photographs of the entire block. These photographs should identify the street name and the building address stated on the summons. The photos should also show all signs on the block, including the front and back of any illegible ones. Feel free to also submit additional evidence (such as diagrams, witness statements, maps, etc.) with your photos.

Send your sign case for a Hearing By Mail by submitting your summons, a statement of your defense, and any evidence you wish to present. Or, you may appear for a Walk-in Hearing on a first-come, first served basis at any of the Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers. If you have 10 or more Commercial Vehicle tickets you must have that hearing at CAU.

If you want to plead "Not Guilty" in person, be sure to bring with you your valid Driver's License or another picture ID, the original vehicle registration or title, and copies of any evidence that you wish to present. During an In-Person Hearing, testimony is given under oath and the Hearing itself is tape recorded. The Judge's decision will be given to you following your Hearing.   If you have been found guilty, your payment must be received by PVO in-person, by mail, or via the Internet within seven days of your Hearing. Failure to pay as instructed will result in the assessment of the full fine and penalties and the rendering of a default judgment.

Hearing requests on default judgment tickets (outstanding tickets more than 100 days old) must be accompanied by a Motion to Vacate Judgment Form. This form cannot be submitted on-line and the default judgment tickets must be less than one year old. This form is also available by writing to our Hearing By Mail unit, from our HelpLine and at any of our Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers. For your own protection, do not send cash through the mail.

Appeal Hearings

Motorists also have the right to appeal a guilty hearing determination or a denied Motion to Vacate. An Appeal is not a new hearing, but a review of the first hearing because it is believed that a judicial error was made. When filing a Notice of Appeal you can choose on the form to have your Appeal Hearing by fax, by telephone, by-mail or in-person (The Appeal Form can be downloaded from the Internet and is also available by mail, from our HelpLine or Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers).

Appeals are accepted for review only if:

• a completed Notice of Appeal has been received by the Appeals Board within 30 days of the original hearing; and,

• proof of payment or payment of the fine and penalty amounts assessed at the original hearing accompanies your Notice of Appeal.  Agency rules require full payment of the decision amount prior to consideration of an appeal.  If a motorist is financially unable to pay prior to his/her Appeal Hearing, he/she may apply for a waiver of this rule by filling out and submitting an Appeal Prepayment Waiver Application which will be considered by the Appeal Panel at the time of the Appeal Hearing. This form can be downloaded from the Internet, or is available by mail from our HelpLine and at any of our Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers.

Send your appeal by mail, along with your payment and paperwork.

If you choose to have an In-Person Appeal Hearing, you will be notified of the date and time.

In-Person Appeal Hearings take place at 66 John Street, Third Floor, in Manhattan. All Appeals are by scheduled appointment.  Appeal requests go to a Panel which reviews the ticket, the original evidence submitted, and the decision being challenged.  The Appeals Board can make one of several determinations:

• affirm the original decision;

• affirm but modify the original decision;

• reverse the original decision;

• return the case for a completely new hearing; or

• decide that there was no appealable issue

On the form you can choose to have the Judge's decision sent to you afterwards either by mail or by fax. It will not be given to you after an in-person hearing. When an appeal results in a reduction or dismissal, a refund will be mailed to you in about 90 days.

Payments

Parking Violations can be paid by several different methods. The chart below lists the ways that you can pay as well as the forms of payment accepted by each. You can mail your payments to us at the address listed below without a convenience fee or you can also pay with your credit card via telephone, over the Internet, or at a Neighborhood Payment Center for a small convenience fee.

Pay / Search Parking Tickets via the Web

PVO Summons Payment Methods

Please Note - Effective July 1, 2003 the NYCServ convenience fee will increase from $1.50 to $2.00. This increase will affect all parking ticket payments, as well as property tax, water, ECB, and business tax payments made by electronic check. Property tax, water, ECB, and business tax payments made by credit card will not be affected because these payments are subject to a graduated fee schedule, not the standard, fixed NYCServ convenience fee.

If you have received a Notice in the mail, please include the payment coupon with your payment and forward such in the accompanying window envelope to the address on the coupon.  All other payments should be mailed here. (Please be sure to put your Plate Number, State of Registration and the Ticket Number(s) on the front of your payment).

For your own protection, please do not send cash through the mail.

NOTE: When a Satisfaction of Judgment or a Registration Clearance is needed, payment can only be made with Cash, Certified Check, Money Order, Discover, VISA, MasterCard, or American Express card where the card is in the registered owner's name.

When a Tow Release is needed, payment can only be made with Cash, Certified or Cashier's Check, Money Order, Discover Card, VISA, MasterCard, or American Express cards when the card is in the registered owner's name.

NOTE: payments made by credit card via telephone or made at a Neighborhood Payment Center usually take three to four days to be reflected on our system. If you have paid judgment tickets be sure to call our Help Line at (718) 422-7800 between the hours of  9 AM and 5 PM, Monday through Friday, so that we can place a temporary enforcement hold on your vehicle. The Department of Finance will only recognize payment dates for payments made at an authorized payment center. Read our NPC FAQ sheet.

Refunds

The Department of Finance will automatically issue refund checks for parking ticket overpayments of $500.00 or less within 90 days. Larger refunds, however, must be requested through the submission of a Refund Form which can be downloaded from this website. It can also be obtained by calling our PVO HelpLine, by visiting any of our Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers, or by mail.

Registration Clearances

New York State defers vehicle registrations for persons having three or more outstanding judgment tickets within an 18 month period. Once all judgments have been resolved, a Registration Clearance is issued by Parking Violations which must then be taken to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Clearances are only issued after all judgment debt has been resolved, even if the registrant is currently participating in a payment plan.

If you need a clearance, you need to go in person to a Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers. You may pay outstanding judgment tickets at a Center with cash, certified or cashier's check, money order, VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express card, (provided that the card is in the vehicle owner's name).

The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission also bars the issuance of licenses when a driver has outstanding parking summonses.  Individual Taxi and Limousine Commission Clearances are issued by all Business Centers/Payment and Adjudication Centers; multiple TLC Clearances and Fleet Clearances are only issued by the Parking Summons Collection Unit at (718) 935-6372.

Satisfactions of Judgment

A default judgment is a lien placed on an owner's real property. In order to sell the property, that lien must first be removed. This can only be done through resolution of all outstanding judgment tickets. Once all judgments have been resolved, a Satisfaction of Judgment is issued by Parking Violations.

If you need a Satisfaction, you must go in person to any one of our Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers. You may pay outstanding judgment tickets at a Center with cash, certified or cashier's check, money order, VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express card, (provided that the card is in the vehicle owner's name).

Vehicle Releases

When a vehicle owner has more than $230.00 in parking ticket judgment debt, and/or has an outstanding NYS Department of Motor Vehicles judgment, any vehicle registered to that owner can be towed by either the New York City Sheriff's Office or a Marshal. The New York City Police Department's Violation Tow Unit also tows vehicles that are parked in violation of New York City Traffic Rules and may restrain any vehicle whose registered owner has outstanding parking ticket judgment debt over $101.00.

A Vehicle Releases is issued once all judgment debt has been resolved. To obtain a Vehicle Release for a vehicle towed by the Sheriff, you can visit any one of our Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers. You may pay outstanding judgment tickets at a Center with cash, certified or cashier's check, money order, VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express card (provided that the card is in the vehicle owner's name).  If a Marshal has towed your vehicle, you can only pay and redeem your vehicle from that individual Marshal's office.  Marshals only accept cash or certified check.  If you would like further information about New York City Marshals, please click here.

If you need a Vehicle Release and your Driver's License has been suspended and / or your vehicle is uninsured or unregistered, you must first go to the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles to resolve those issues and then bring proof of resolution with you to a Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers or Marshal's Office.

In order to redeem a towed vehicle, you must bring the following with you:

• your valid Driver's License (or someone else who has one)

• the original Vehicle Registration stub (or the Title)

• the vehicle's valid Insurance Card

NOTE: If you are not the registered owner, you must additionally bring a notarized letter of permission signed by the owner.  If the vehicle is registered under a company name, a notarized letter signed by a Principal of the firm, as well as proof of employment for the individual presenting him/herself on behalf of the firm, is required.

When the Release is issued, you will be told where your vehicle is being restrained.

If you think your car was towed you can call the following numbers Monday - Friday between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM:

PVO HelpLine: (718) 422-7800

NYPD Violation Tow Program: (212) 971-0770, (212) 971-0771, (212) 971-0772, (212) 971-0773

Locate Towed Vehicles Via the Web

Since non-redeemed towed vehicles are auctioned by the City of New York, we suggest you call as soon as possible! Make sure to retain the "release" for eight years.  We also recommend that you make a second copy for your own records!

Payment Plans

Sometimes the Department of Finance allows a debtor with a large amount of arrears to pay off their debt over time by entering into a written payment agreement. To qualify, the debtor must meet certain criteria, make an immediate downpayment, and be able to pay-off the remaining balance according to a set schedule.

To qualify as a candidate for a payment plan, the debtor must meet the following criteria:

• owe more than $800

• be able to present valid identification

• currently live or work in NYC and be able to document such by providing two recent pay stubs

• be approved by a Collector in the DOF Parking Summons Collection Unit; and

• be able to make a specified downpayment, calculated as follows:

For more information about payment plans, please call the Parking Summons Collection Unit at (718) 935-6472, 935-6058 or 6059.

Red Light Camera Monitoring Program

Under Section 1111-a of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law, the New York City Department of Transportation issues Notices of Liability (NOLs) to vehicles photographed going through red lights.

These Notices of Liability (NOL) are returnable to the New York City Department of Finance, Red Light Camera Monitoring Program Unit, 66 John Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10038.  This unit processes cash, check, and money order payments. Red Light hearings are held at the Bronx Redemption Center, 1932 Arthur Avenue, as well as the Business Centers / Payment and Adjudication Centers, (except the Bronx Payment Center), on a first come, first serve basis. Red Light payments are also accepted at these locations during their regular hours of operation.  

Send the NOL and any supporting documentation by mail, to request a hearing-by-mail.

If you think that you have already paid or had a hearing on a Red Light Camera NOL and it was dismissed, but have gotten another Notice, please send a copy of your receipt, the front and back of your canceled check or money order stub, your Hearing Decision, as well as a copy of the new notice to the address above.

If you think that you have overpaid a Red Light Camera NOL, you can complete a Red Light Refund Form.  The form can also be mailed to you by contacting our PVO HelpLine at (718) 422-7800. For out of state dialers, call (800) 813-9183. For the hard of hearing, our TTY service is available at (718) 802-3555. This form must be submitted in person or forwarded by mail to the address above.

Commercial Services Directory

Commercial Adjudications Unit (CAU)

The Commercial Adjudications Unit was established as a centralized payment and adjudication center for businesses and their parking tickets. It is located on the Third Floor of the new Manhattan Business Center at 66 John Street.

NOTE:Owners or operators requiring a Hearing on ten or more commercial vehicle tickets can only have an In-person Hearing at this site.

All CAU in-person hearings are by appointment only. To schedule a hearing call (212) 361-5900.

Fleet Program

The Fleet Program helps firms organize and keep track of their parking tickets. The program is administered by the Parking Summons Collection Unit (PSCU) and is available to any firm with two or more vehicles registered with the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles under their company's name and address. Registered firms receive weekly status reports listing new tickets.

The Department of Finance has recently instituted a new program on a limited basis for delivery, pickup and service vehicles currently enrolled in the Fleet Program called the Abatement Program. In exchange for good faith efforts to comply with NYC Parking, Standing and Stopping Rules and the payment of set amounts for violations, owners and/or drivers of these vehicles eliminate the necessity for attending hearings and producing documentation related to such. For more information about these programs, call (718) 260-0524.

Rental Program

The New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law provides that a Rental or Leasing Company may supply the name of the lessee responsible for the parking violation. The Department of Finance Rental Program administers this process. The program is managed by the Parking Summons Collection Unit (PSCU) and costs $12 per registered plate, per year, starting July 1st and ending June 30th.  This fee is prorated for new companies based upon the amount of months remaining in that year.  Program-enrolled firms receive weekly status reports containing new tickets issued to enrolled plates and are given 54 days to submit the lessee's name, have a hearing, or pay the tickets. For more information about this program, call (718) 260-0517.

Commercial Overpayment Program

The Commercial Overpayment Program provides companies having ten or more vehicles registered under the firm name with the Department of Motor Vehicles a periodic accounting of any overpayments made by them and subsequently gives them the option of having the moneys refunded or applied to other outstanding parking ticket debt. For more information about this program call (718) 935-6364.

Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) Plate Clearances

The Taxi and Limousine Commission also bars the issuance of licenses to drivers with outstanding parking summonses.  Individual Taxi and Limousine Commission Clearances are issued by all Payment and Adjudications Centers; multiple TLC Clearances and Fleet Clearances are only issued by the Parking Summons Collection Unit at (718) 935-6372.

Updated March 26th, 2004

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