Most of us know the feeling. As you approach your car you see that something is on the windshield. You hope itβs just a flyer for a new restaurant, but no, itβs a parking ticket.
You have two choices. Either accept responsibility and pay the fine, or fight the ticket in court. You could also ignore the ticket, but that usually ends up costing more (See βBoots and Barnaclesβ below).
The parking ticket should have all the information you need, but weβll include some here.
If youβre going to fight the ticket, take pictures before you drive away. If you plan to claim the βno parkingβ sign wasnβt visible, you should document it. If thereβs time on the meter, show that. If you are claiming that the red paint on the curb had completely worn away, take a picture to prove it. Just know that it may be an uphill battle, and if you lose, you will have to pay the fine plus additional fees.
In the city of Tucson, you can request a hearing through the Tucson City Court. The request must be received within 30 days of the citation. Print your name and address in the space on the back of your ticket and sign it and mail it to the address provided. A hearing will be scheduled and you will be notified by mail.
Guilty or not, sometimes itβs easier and cheaper just to pay the fine.
If you decide to accept responsibility β perhaps you knew the meter would run out before you got back to your car but you hoped you would get lucky β just pay the fine. If you got the ticket in Tucson, you can pay online, by mobile app, by phone, by mail or in person (in person is the only way to pay in cash). Payments must be received within 30 days of the citation. Go to tucne.ws/parktucson for the details on paying the fine.
Unless you are a frequent scofflaw, you may request a community service sentence in lieu of a fine. You may state that on the back of the ticket and mail it in or go in person to the address on the ticket and make your request. You should hear from City Court in 30-60 days with instructions.
Pima County considers a parking violation to be a civil traffic case.
Information will be on your ticket telling you that your first court date is your arraignment, but it will actually take place with a window clerk who will give you your options.
Again, you can decide to accept responsibility and pay the fine right there, but if not, you will be told what you should do if you decide to fight the ticket.
If you plan to pay the fine, you can mail the payment. That information will also be on your citation.
See more about civil traffic citations online at tucne.ws/pcparking.
For similar information on civil traffic citations in Oro Valley, go to tucne.ws/ovparking, and in Marana go to tucne.ws/maranaparking.
Most parking tickets and traffic citations will have such information available on the ticket. The municipality that charges you with an offense wants to make it easy for you to pay up.
Boots and Barnacles
If you have ignored a few parking tickets, you may want to think twice about parking downtown in Tucson beginning in March.
When a car is ticketed for a parking violation, and it has three or more outstanding parking violations, the car may get a barnacle on the windshield.
The barnacle, similar to a boot except it doesnβt go on a wheel, is a windshield block that prevents the car owner from driving it. Attempts to remove it without the proper equipment will damage your car.
Youβll have to contact the City Court to take care of your tickets if you want to have that barnacle removed. If you havenβt taken care of your fines within 48 hours, the car will be towed and youβll be charged impound fees as well.
