How to fight a parking ticket in Boston
You have about 21 days from the date on the ticket.
"From the date you receive the ticket, you have 21 days to pay or appeal the ticket" (Boston.gov, Parking Ticket FAQs). This matches the underlying statute: M.G.L. c.90 §20A½ requires the violation notice to direct the person to appear "not later than twenty-one days after the date of such violation," and the City of Boston Traffic Rules and Regulations (Article IV-B, Section 1, quoting Chapter 190 of the Acts of 1982) states a hearing must be requested "before the expiration of the twenty-first day from the date of issuance of said parking violation notice." Separately, the Traffic Rules and Regulations (Article IV-B, Section 2, ¶2) also allow the Office of the Parking Clerk to schedule a hearing on any request received within 45 days of the first mail notice, and that window can be extended further if the ticket notice was not mailed to the address on file with the RMV or provided by the owner.
Late penalties vary by violation type per the City of Boston Traffic Rules and Regulations Schedule of Fines: a ticket that remains unpaid 21 days after issuance is assessed an additional late fee on top of the base fine (e.g., an extra $11 added to a $35 fine, an extra $8 added to a $25 fine, an extra $5 added to a $15 fine — the schedule runs from $5 to $40 depending on the specific violation). Five or more overdue/unpaid parking tickets place a vehicle on the City's boot list (Boston.gov FAQs); recovering a booted vehicle requires paying the outstanding tickets plus a $90 immobilization charge (Traffic Rules and Regulations, Art. IV §17), with the boot removed within about 90 minutes of payment. If an unpaid ticket is forwarded to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles for non-renewal of the registered owner's license or vehicle registration, an additional $20 fee is assessed under M.G.L. c.90 §20A½ (as amended by St.1992, c.153, §22). A parking ticket for which a timely hearing request is pending is placed on "suspended" status and is not eligible for further late penalties, booting, or license/registration non-renewal while pending (Traffic Rules and Regulations, Art. IV-B §2(5)).
how to dispute it in Boston
Where it goes.
Agency: City of Boston Office of the Parking Clerk (a division within the Boston Transportation Department). The Parking Clerk collects and mediates disputes of parking-ticket fines and fees, and also serves as (or designates) the "hearing officer" who adjudicates formal administrative hearings under M.G.L. c.90 §20A½ — so the same office both issues/processes tickets and adjudicates the resulting dispute. Enforcement/ticketing itself is carried out by Boston Transportation Department traffic officers and the Boston Police Department.
Online: https://www.boston.gov/tickets
By mail: City of Boston, P.O. Box 55800, Boston, MA 02205 (initial ticket dispute/appeal). A separate formal hearing request under the Traffic Rules and Regulations may instead be mailed to: City of Boston, P.O. Box 1626, Boston, MA 02105.
In person: Office of the Parking Clerk, 1 City Hall Square, Room 224, Boston, MA 02201. Office hours Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Administrative hearings are held Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Walk-in hearings (without a prior appointment) are generally only available same-day to disabled-veteran/disabled-plate/disabled-placard registered owners, or to owners whose vehicle was towed for a public-safety violation within the last 5 days; otherwise a hearing must be requested first by phone (617-635-4410), email, mail, or in person. A video-call hearing (via OPCVideoChat@boston.gov) is available for out-of-state/out-of-country residents, disability/handicap-placard holders, and people over 65.
- 1Read the ticket and note the ticket number, plate/registration number, violation code, date, time, and location.
- 2Within 21 days of the ticket's issuance, submit a dispute one of three ways: online via the Parking Ticket Appeal Form at boston.gov/tickets; by mail to City of Boston, P.O. Box 55800, Boston, MA 02205; or in person at the Office of the Parking Clerk, Room 224, Boston City Hall. Every method requires your name and mailing address, the nature of your dispute, your plate/registration number and state, the ticket number(s), and any supporting evidence (e.g. photos, receipts).
- 3Wait for a decision — the Parking Clerk's office typically responds to online and mailed disputes within 7 to 10 business days.
- 4If the dispute is denied, you must either pay the ticket within 10 days or call 617-635-4410 to request a formal administrative hearing before the expiration of the 21-day deadline from the ticket's issuance date (per the Traffic Rules and Regulations, this same 21-day statutory window under M.G.L. c.90 §20A½ governs the hearing request itself).
- 5A hearing request can be made in person at Room 224, by phone, by email, or by mail to City of Boston, P.O. Box 1626, Boston, MA 02105, and must include a brief description of the dispute, the plate/registration number, and the ticket number(s).
- 6The Parking Clerk's office mails written notice of the hearing's date, time, and place. The hearing itself is informal and the rules of evidence do not apply; the hearing officer keeps a record and issues a final written decision.
- 7While a timely hearing request is pending, the ticket is placed on "suspended" status and is not subject to further late penalties, booting, or registration/license non-renewal.
- 8If you disagree with the hearing officer's final decision, it is subject to judicial review under M.G.L. c.30A §14 (the Massachusetts Administrative Procedure Act).
pick your defense
What actually happened?
Fight a wrong-vehicle parking ticket in Boston
You were not the owner/operator of the ticketed vehicle at the time of the violation — for example, the car had been sold or transferred before the ticket date, it was stolen, or the plate/vehicle details on the ticket simply don't match a vehicle you own.
Fight a defective parking ticket in Boston (missing or wrong details)
The ticket itself is missing a legally required field, or a required field is illegible or incorrect — e.g. wrong plate number, wrong vehicle make/color, wrong date/time/location, or (for a meter violation) the wrong meter number.
Fight a broken-meter parking ticket in Boston
You were ticketed for a meter-fee violation on a block regulated by multi-space Pay & Display meters, and the nearest meter to your parking space was out of order, unable to accept payment, or unable to issue a receipt — so you paid at the next available multi-space meter on the same block instead.
Fight a Boston parking ticket when you already paid
You paid for parking — via a muni-meter receipt, Pay-by-Plate, or the ParkBoston app — for the ticketed time and location, but were ticketed anyway (e.g. for "Meter Fee Unpaid," "Over Meter Limit," or "Not in Metered Space").
Fight a Boston parking ticket for a disabled vehicle
Your car became mechanically disabled while parked or stopped, and you were ticketed while it sat waiting for or arranging a tow.
Fight a Boston parking ticket with a disability placard exemption
You are the registered holder of a disabled-veteran plate, disabled plate, or disability placard, and were ticketed for exceeding a posted meter or parking time limit — those time limits do not apply to you — or you were ticketed while properly parked in a designated accessible (HP-DV) space or at a meter without paying.
questions people ask
FAQ.
How long do I have to dispute a Boston parking ticket?
21 days from the date you receive the ticket, to pay or appeal it. That same 21-day window, running from the ticket's issuance date, also governs a formal hearing request under M.G.L. c.90 §20A½ if your initial dispute is denied.
What happens if I miss the 21-day deadline?
A ticket left unpaid 21 days after issuance is assessed an additional late fee on top of the base fine. Five or more overdue tickets place a vehicle on the City's boot list, and an unpaid ticket forwarded to the RMV for non-renewal of your license or registration adds a further $20 fee.
Does requesting a hearing stop late penalties while it's pending?
Yes. While a timely hearing request is pending, the ticket is placed on "suspended" status and is not subject to further late penalties, booting, or registration/license non-renewal.
What if I disagree with the hearing officer's decision?
The final written decision is subject to judicial review under M.G.L. c.30A §14, the Massachusetts Administrative Procedure Act.
Do I mail my dispute to the same address as a formal hearing request?
No — they're different. An initial ticket dispute/appeal goes to City of Boston, P.O. Box 55800, Boston, MA 02205. A formal hearing request, made if that initial dispute is denied, goes to City of Boston, P.O. Box 1626, Boston, MA 02105 (or by phone, email, or in person at Room 224).
This page is for informational use only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Square-bracketed placeholders in any linked defense 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.
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