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.
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. This ticket is defective. Specifically, the [FIELD — e.g., plate number / vehicle make or color / date / time / location / meter number] printed on the ticket is [DESCRIBE THE DEFECT — missing, illegible, or incorrect]. Comparing the ticket against my vehicle registration/title, the correct information is: [CORRECT INFORMATION]. Under M.G.L. c.90 §20A, a Boston parking-violation notice is required to state the vehicle's make, color, and registration number and state; the date, time, and place of the violation; the specific violation charged; the meter number, if applicable; and the issuing officer's name/badge and division. The notice issued to me fails to meet that requirement because [DESCRIBE THE DEFECT AGAIN]. I ask that this ticket be dismissed on that basis. Attached: [a copy or photo of the actual ticket showing the defective field, and a copy of my vehicle registration or title showing the correct information]. 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 photo or copy of the actual ticket showing the missing, illegible, or incorrect field(s)
- ✓Your vehicle registration or title, to compare the correct plate number, make, and color against what's on the ticket
- ✓A comparison against the elements M.G.L. c.90 §20A requires on every notice (make, color, registration number and state, date, time, place, specific violation charged, meter number if applicable, and the issuing officer's name/badge and division)
what Boston rules say
The rule this rests on.
M.G.L. c.90 §20A — Notice of parking violation; required contents
M.G.L. c.90 §20A specifies exactly what information a Boston parking-violation notice must contain. Boston's general appeal process (boston.gov/tickets, mail, or in person) is the vehicle for raising a defect in the ticket, by describing "the nature of your dispute" and attaching evidence; no separate Boston-specific dismissal clause for defective notices was found (unlike some other cities), so this defense rests on showing the notice doesn't meet §20A's required contents.
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.
What information is a Boston parking ticket legally required to include?
Under M.G.L. c.90 §20A, every notice must state the vehicle's make, color, registration number and state, the date, time, and place of the violation, the specific violation charged, the meter number (if applicable), and the issuing officer's name/badge and division.
Does Boston have a dismissal rule for defective tickets, like some other cities do?
No standalone Boston-specific dismissal clause for defective notices was found. This defense instead rests on showing the notice doesn't meet M.G.L. c.90 §20A's required-contents list, raised through the same general appeal process as any other dispute.
Where do I submit this dispute?
Through the same general channel as any Boston ticket dispute: online at boston.gov/tickets, by mail to P.O. Box 55800, Boston, MA 02205, or in person at the Office of the Parking Clerk, 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