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.
the statement
Copy, customize, submit.
To: City of Boston Office of the Parking Clerk Re: Ticket No. [TICKET NUMBER] Plate: [PLATE] ([STATE]) Date/Time: [DATE], [TIME] Location cited: [LOCATION] I am disputing this ticket and, if necessary, requesting a hearing before the Office of the Parking Clerk. I respectfully request that it be dismissed. On [DATE], my vehicle became mechanically disabled while parked/stopped at [LOCATION]: [DESCRIBE THE FAILURE]. I was ticketed while the vehicle sat waiting for, or being arranged for, a tow. The vehicle was towed on [TOW DATE/TIME] by [TOW COMPANY NAME], as shown by the attached tow receipt. Under M.G.L. c.90 §20A½, and consistent with the City of Boston's own published guidance addressing tickets issued to a disabled vehicle awaiting a tow, I ask that this ticket be dismissed on that basis. Attached: [tow receipt matching the date of the ticket, showing the location and plate number]. 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.
- 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).
bring receipts
Attach this evidence.
- ✓A tow receipt that matches the date of the ticket
- ✓The location and plate number matching the ticket
- ✓An email/contact address for the Parking Clerk's office to follow up, as requested on the appeal form
what Boston rules say
The rule this rests on.
M.G.L. c.90 §20A½ — Adjudication by mail / hearing procedure (general dispute mechanism)
Boston-specific extra (not one of the six canonical slugs). Boston.gov's Parking Ticket FAQs directly answer "Why am I getting a ticket when my car was disabled and was waiting for a tow?" by describing this evidence checklist and directing the appeal through boston.gov/tickets or in person. No separate numbered municipal-code section for this ground was found; it is handled through the same general dispute/appeal mechanism as other grounds.
if this doesn’t work
Your next move.
If your initial dispute is denied, you must either pay the ticket within 10 days or call 617-635-4410 (or write to City of Boston, P.O. Box 1626, Boston, MA 02105) to request a formal administrative hearing before the 21-day deadline from the ticket's issuance date expires. 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. If you disagree with the hearing officer's final written decision, it is subject to judicial review under M.G.L. c.30A §14 (the Massachusetts Administrative Procedure Act).
questions people ask
FAQ.
Is there a specific Boston code section for a disabled-vehicle ticket?
No. Boston.gov's Parking Ticket FAQs directly address this scenario, and it's handled through the same general dispute/appeal mechanism as other grounds — there's no separate numbered municipal-code section for it.
What evidence does the Parking Clerk's office ask for?
A tow receipt matching the date of the ticket, the location and plate number matching the ticket, and a contact email for the Parking Clerk's office to follow up, as requested on the appeal form.
Where do I submit this dispute?
Through Boston's general appeal channel — online at boston.gov/tickets, by mail to P.O. Box 55800, Boston, MA 02205, or in person at Room 224, Boston City Hall.
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