Fix a material error on a Baltimore parking ticket
The citation itself contains a material error — for example the wrong plate number, an incorrect date/time, or a location/violation description that doesn't match your vehicle or the facts.
the statement
Copy, customize, submit.
To: Baltimore City Department of Finance, Bureau of Revenue Collections Re: Citation/Issue No. [CITATION NUMBER] Plate: [PLATE] ([STATE]) Date/Time: [DATE], [TIME] Location cited: [LOCATION] I am requesting an administrative abatement of this citation for material error in its preparation. The citation lists [FIELD — e.g., plate number, date, time, or location] as [INCORRECT VALUE ON CITATION], but the correct information is [CORRECT VALUE], as shown by my attached vehicle registration [AND/OR OTHER EVIDENCE]. This is a factual/clerical mistake in how the citation itself was prepared, not a defense that requires a trial. Under Baltimore City Code Art. 31, §36-24(a)(2), the Director of Finance is authorized to waive all fines, penalties, charges, and costs where there has been a material error in the preparation of the citation. I ask that this citation be abated on that basis. Attached: [copy or photo of the citation showing the incorrect detail; my vehicle registration; any other documentation contradicting the erroneous detail]. 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.
- 1Confirm the exact error on your citation (wrong plate, date, time, or location) against your vehicle registration and the facts.
- 2Call the Bureau of Revenue Collections at 410-396-3000 to request an administrative abatement for 'material error' — no Parking Fine Trial Request or District Court trial is needed for this path.
- 3Provide documentation showing the correct information (vehicle registration, photos, GPS/location records, etc.).
- 4In person alternative: Bureau of Revenue Collections, Abel Wolman Municipal Building, 200 N. Holliday Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, Monday–Friday 8:30am–4:30pm.
bring receipts
Attach this evidence.
- ✓A copy or photo of the actual citation showing the incorrect detail(s)
- ✓Your vehicle registration, to compare the correct plate number/description against what's on the citation
- ✓Any documentation (photos, receipts, GPS/location records) contradicting the erroneous detail
- ✓A call placed to the Bureau of Revenue Collections at 410-396-3000 to open the abatement request
what Baltimore rules say
The rule this rests on.
Baltimore City Code Art. 31, §36-24(a)(2) — Director of Finance may waive fines/penalties for material error in citation preparation
Baltimore explicitly separates this from a District Court trial: its FAQ states, 'Yes, we can administratively abate parking and camera citations for material error. Start by calling us at 410-396-3000.' The statutory authority is the Director of Finance's power under §36-24(a)(2) to 'waive all fines, penalties, charges, and costs where there has been a material error in the preparation of the citation.' This is a phone-in administrative review, not a trial — you do not need to use the Parking Fine Trial Request portal for a pure clerical/material error.
if this doesn’t work
Your next move.
If the Bureau declines to administratively abate the citation, you have not lost your right to contest it — you can still request a trial (Parking Fine Trial Request online within 45 days of the citation date, or by mail to the District Court of Maryland after that) and raise the same facts before a judge. Baltimore City does not publish a separate city-run appeal step beyond that trial.
questions people ask
FAQ.
Do I need a District Court trial to fix a clerical mistake on my citation?
No. Baltimore's Department of Finance FAQ confirms it can administratively abate a citation for material error — start by calling the Bureau of Revenue Collections at 410-396-3000. No Parking Fine Trial Request or trial is required for this path.
What counts as a 'material error'?
The wrong plate number, an incorrect date or time, or a location/violation description that doesn't match your vehicle or the facts — the kind of mistake authorized for waiver under §36-24(a)(2) as an error 'in the preparation of the citation.'
Who handles this request?
The Bureau of Revenue Collections, reachable at 410-396-3000, or in person at the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, 200 N. Holliday Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 (Monday–Friday 8:30am–4:30pm).
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