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.
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. I was not the owner or operator of the vehicle bearing plate [PLATE] on [DATE], the date this ticket was issued. [SELECT AND COMPLETE THE APPLICABLE SCENARIO: (a) I had sold or transferred the vehicle before this date, as shown by the attached bill of sale / RMV transfer paperwork dated before the violation. / (b) The vehicle had been stolen, as shown by the police report I filed on [DATE OF POLICE REPORT]. / (c) The plate, make, or color on this ticket does not match a vehicle I own, as shown by my current vehicle registration/title.] Under M.G.L. c.90 §20A½, and consistent with the City of Boston's own published dispute process for tickets issued for a vehicle that was not mine at the time of the violation, I ask that this ticket be dismissed on that basis. Attached: [proof of sale or transfer dated before the violation, or the police report of theft, or my current vehicle registration/title showing the mismatch]. 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.
- ✓The ticket number and the plate/registration number, make, and color printed on the ticket, to compare against your own vehicle records
- ✓Proof of sale or transfer of the vehicle dated before the violation (bill of sale, RMV transfer paperwork)
- ✓A police report, if the vehicle was stolen at the time of the violation
- ✓Your current vehicle registration/title, if it shows you are not (or were not) the registered owner
what Boston rules say
The rule this rests on.
M.G.L. c.90 §20A½ — Adjudication by mail / hearing procedure (general dispute mechanism)
Boston.gov's Parking Ticket FAQs confirm "wrong vehicle" disputes are handled through the same general appeal channel (boston.gov/tickets, mail, or in person) by submitting evidence that the vehicle wasn't yours; there is no separate numbered municipal-code section specific to this ground. Notices and hearing correspondence are directed to the registered owner of record (M.G.L. c.90 §20A½; Traffic Rules and Regulations Art. IV §17), so the dispute is decided on that basis.
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.
Do I need a police report if my car was stolen?
Yes — attach a police report showing the vehicle was reported stolen at the time of the violation. It's one of the evidence items the Parking Clerk's office looks for on a wrong-vehicle dispute.
Is there a specific Boston code section for "not my vehicle" disputes?
No. Boston.gov's Parking Ticket FAQs confirm this ground is handled through the same general appeal channel — online, by mail, or in person — by submitting evidence the vehicle wasn't yours, rather than through a separate numbered municipal-code section.
Who does the Parking Clerk's office send ticket and hearing notices to?
The registered owner of record, per M.G.L. c.90 §20A½ and Traffic Rules and Regulations Art. IV §17. If you're no longer the registered owner, documentation of the transfer date is your key evidence.
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