Fight a broken-meter parking ticket in Atlanta
You were cited for a meter or pay-station violation, but the specific meter/pay station was malfunctioning, so you paid using an alternate pay station, text-to-pay, or an approved parking app, or you reported the malfunction to ATL+.
the statement
Copy, customize, submit.
To: ATL+ (on behalf of the City of Atlanta Department of Public Works) Re: Citation No. [CITATION NUMBER] Plate: [PLATE] ([STATE]) Date/Time: [DATE], [TIME] Location cited: [LOCATION] I am appealing this citation and respectfully request that it be dismissed. On [DATE] at approximately [TIME], I attempted to pay for parking at [LOCATION] using the meter/pay station serving that spot, but it was malfunctioning: [DESCRIBE — e.g., blank screen, rejected every payment method I tried, would not accept coins or card]. Because the meter at my space did not work, I [SELECT AND COMPLETE: paid at a different pay station located at [NEXT PAY STATION LOCATION] / paid via text-to-pay / paid via [APP NAME], an app listed on parkingapp.com] at approximately [PAYMENT TIME]. [IF APPLICABLE: I also called ATL+ at 404-201-5396 to report the malfunction on [DATE/TIME OF CALL].] Under Atlanta City Code § 150-131 (Enforcement — Parking Meters), and consistent with ATL+'s own published guidance instructing drivers who find a meter broken to pay at another pay station, via text-to-pay, or through an app listed on parkingapp.com, I ask that this citation be dismissed in light of my good-faith attempt to pay through an alternate channel. Attached: [proof of payment made at a different pay station, via text-to-pay, or through an app listed on parkingapp.com; a record of any call reporting the malfunction to ATL+ at 404-201-5396; date- and time-stamped photos of the malfunctioning meter or pay station, if available]. Respectfully, [YOUR NAME] [ADDRESS] [PHONE] [EMAIL]
This template is for informational use only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Square-bracketed placeholders must be replaced with your specific facts. Rules and deadlines can change; if your situation is urgent, complicated, or high-stakes, email info@imfrustrated.org for a free conversation with a volunteer attorney before you send it.
how to submit it
A few things before you send.
- 1Locate your citation number and confirm the violation, date/time, location, and license plate printed on it — the online appeal tool requires the citation number plus your license plate number or VIN.
- 2Within 14 days of the citation's issuance, submit an appeal online at atlplusmobility.com/citations/appeal-a-citation/ (select "Appeal Citation"), or — if you don't have computer access — file the parking appeal form in person or by mail at 150 Garnett Street, Atlanta, GA 30303. This deadline is codified at Atlanta City Code § 150-133.1.
- 3Attach up to three supporting documents. For meter/pay-station/app violations: photos of the vehicle and plate, a payment-app screenshot with the plate visible, proof of payment, a meter receipt (only valid if the tag matches), a handicap placard/plate with ID, or vehicle registration/bill of sale. For restricted-area or permit violations: vehicle/plate photos, a copy of the issued permit, handicap placard information, or a paid residential/commercial permit invoice.
- 4You'll receive a confirmation email when your appeal is received. All parking fees, including late fees, are suspended while the appeal is pending.
- 5ATL+ conducts the first review. Any citation it upholds is automatically forwarded to the City of Atlanta DPW's Parking Administrative Review Team for a second review, and you'll be notified by email of that decision.
- 6If the DPW Review Team also upholds the citation, it is forwarded to the Atlanta Municipal Court, which mails a letter assigning a court hearing date — allow roughly 45–60 days after the review-stage notification for this to happen. At that point you must either pay the citation or appear in court on the assigned date.
- 7If you don't appear at your assigned court hearing (and haven't already paid), you'll be deemed "Failure to Appear," found liable for the violation, and late fees will be added; after that point the citation can generally only be paid, not further disputed, at atlplusmobility.com or (closer to the hearing date) at the Municipal Court itself.
bring receipts
Attach this evidence.
- ✓Proof of payment made at a different pay station, via text-to-pay, or through an app listed on parkingapp.com, showing a good-faith effort to pay
- ✓A record of your call reporting the malfunction to ATL+ at 404-201-5396, if you made one
- ✓Date- and time-stamped photos of the malfunctioning meter or pay station, if you have them
what Atlanta rules say
The rule this rests on.
Atlanta City Code § 150-131 — Enforcement (Parking Meters)
ATL+'s own FAQ instructs drivers who encounter a broken meter to "find another pay station/meter to make your payment, use text to pay, or an app listed on parkingapp.com," and separately to "call 404-201-5396 to report the malfunction." Atlanta's public guidance frames this as what to do at the time rather than as a codified automatic-dismissal ground (unlike NYC's "next-nearest meter" defense) — your strongest evidence is proof you actually paid through one of these alternate channels, submitted under the same "Meter, Pay Station, or Mobile App Violations" evidence category ATL+ and the City publish for all payment-related appeals.
if this doesn’t work
Your next move.
If ATL+'s first review upholds the citation, it is automatically forwarded to the City of Atlanta DPW's Parking Administrative Review Team for a second review. If the DPW Review Team also upholds the citation, it is forwarded to the Atlanta Municipal Court under Atlanta City Code § 150-133.1, which will mail you a letter assigning a court hearing date — typically 45–60 days after the review-stage notification. At that point you must either pay the citation or appear in court on the assigned date. If you don't appear (and haven't already paid), you'll be deemed "Failure to Appear," found liable for the violation, and late fees will be added; after that point the citation can generally only be paid, not further disputed.
questions people ask
FAQ.
Is proof the meter was broken enough by itself?
Not on its own. Atlanta's public guidance frames a broken meter as what to do at the time — pay at another pay station, via text-to-pay, or through an app listed on parkingapp.com — rather than as a codified automatic-dismissal ground. Your strongest evidence is proof you actually paid through one of those alternate channels.
Should I call to report the broken meter?
It helps. ATL+'s FAQ separately instructs drivers to call 404-201-5396 to report the malfunction. A record of that call isn't required, but it corroborates that the meter was actually out of service.
What alternate payment methods does ATL+ accept if a meter is broken?
ATL+ instructs drivers to find another pay station or meter, use text-to-pay, or use an app listed on parkingapp.com. Attach proof of whichever method you used.
Nervous about sending it yourself?
we’ll read it over with you.
Email the situation and a volunteer attorney will respond. No commitment, no invoice, no judgment — just an honest second pair of eyes from someone who actually understands the law.
info@imfrustrated.org